BURNLEY Liberal Democrats have announced that council leader Gordon Birtwistle is to again bid to become the town's MP.
Coun Birtwistle took the leadership of Burnley Council at the local elections last year after his party, in a coalition with the Conservatives, ousted Labour for the first time in more than 30 years.
Now he is set to challenge Burnley MP Kitty Ussher at the next General Election.
He has stood as MP for the town three times, the latest being in May 2005 when he came second to Mrs Ussher but helped cut the Labour majority in half.
Coun Birtwistle said: "I'm looking forward to an early General Election being called.
"Despite everything we're doing as a council, Burnley still needs more police, street cleaning and pest control.
"We simply don't have the money to do it without Government help."
Coun Birtwistle was first elected to Burnley Council in 1983.
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