Blackburn Conservative Association has chosen Burnley councillor Jamie McGowan as its candidate to try and unseat sitting Labour MP Kate Hollern on July 4.

The 34-year-old Hapton with Park representative has worked for Burnley Tory MP Antony Higginbotham since he was elected as the town's first Conservative MP for 109 years in 2019.

Henry Arnold, chair of Blackburn Conservatives, said: "Jamie lives in and has grown up in East Lancashire.

"He understands the serious issues facing all our communities in East Lancashire, and is currently a sitting councillor.

"We feel that Jamie's vigour and motivation to get things done, as he has done in Burnley, is just what Blackburn needs.

"He has a young family and runs his own business and fully grasps the issues facing families in these uncertain times."

Cllr McGowan is the deputy leader and finance spokesman for the Burnley Council Conservative group and chairs the authority's scrutiny committee.

The Burnley resident ran his own media business, and in August marries his fiancee Bailey, the mother of his one-year-old son.

Born in Burnley he was educated at the town's St Stephen's Primary and Towneley High Schools before gaining a law degree from Liverpool University.

Cllr McGowan said: “I’m delighted to have been selected as Blackburn's Conservative Party candidate for the upcoming general election.

"My focus has and always will be on delivering for people. Ultimately, it’s why I became involved in politics.

"For years Labour have taken Blackburn for granted, expecting people to vote for them without delivering anything in return. And to me that’s just not good enough. We believe Blackburn deserves so much better.

"My ethos has always been about hard work and taking action to improve things.

"In this election the choice is clear.

"We either stick with the plan of bold action for a safer, more secure and more prosperous future with Rishi Sunak, or go back to square one with Keir Starmer and the same old Labour Party.

"The campaign is going to be a challenge but Antony Higginbotham in Burnley shows what is possible.

"The only football I watch is international.

"I am looking forward to the Euros supporting England this summer."

Other candidates so far declared are Labour's Mrs Hollern,  Liberal Democrat Adam Waller-Slack, the Workers' Party's Craig Murray, independent Altaf "Tiger" Patel, Reform UK's Tommy Temperley and Independents Natasha Shah and Adnan Hussain.