A FRIEND of Home Secretary Jack Straw has resigned from the Labour party to stand against the Blackburn MP at the next election.

Former local party activist Imtiaz Patel, who is also a close friend of Lord Adam Patel, said he swapped allegiance after becoming disillusioned with the direction the party had taken.

He has now emerged as the Liberal Democrats' candidate to stand against Jack Straw in Blackburn when the party begins its fight for a second term of office.

Family friend and former political colleague Lord Patel said he was "a little disappointed" his friend had chosen to switch parties.

He said: "He had a good future in the Labour party and I am not happy about it that such a young person changed from Labour to Liberal Democrat."

He said Imtiaz Patel had been "very active" in the local Labour party, which he was a member of for around eight years.

Mr Patel, 35, of Little Harwood, who is married with two children, said he knew both Jack Straw and Lord Patel personally and they had become "very good friends, particularly Lord Adam".

He said he still respected both politicians, but there were now "political differences" which forced him to resign three months ago.

He said: "I left the Labour party because I felt as an individual my services had not been recognised and well used and their policies were going to extremes"

He added: "I felt control of policy was too centralised and took away power from the grassroots members.

He said that when the election came he would stand on policies promoting better education and health and improving the local economy.

He said: "I will be highlighting those issues throughout my campaign."

Coun Bill Taylor, Jack Straw's constituency agent, described the Lib-Dem candidate as "very lightweight" and said he expected a number of "fringe candidates" to challenge the Home Secretary in Blackburn.

Coun Taylor said he had seen Imtiaz Patel at Labour party meetings. He said: "He is a nice a guy. I have met him quite often."

But Coun Taylor said he could not confirm whether Imtiaz Patel was a Labour party member or whether he had resigned, and added: "I was not aware he was standing as a constituency candidate for the Lib-Dems."

He said: "We look forward to the general election with confidence. I feel confident Jack Straw can stand on his national and local record and people will decide accordingly."

Jack Straw said: "I know Mr Patel but I don't want to comment any further on the matter." PICTURE 1: Imtiaz Patel reads Lib-Dem leader Charles Kennedy's book, The Future of Politics

PICTURE 2: Mr Straw