Who will fight whom at the next election ALL three major political parties have now revealed who will be slugging it out at the seaside when the next General Election comes to town. The Morecambe hot-seat has been occupied by Conservative MP Sir Mark Lennox-Boyd since 1979 but now he faces some stiff competition from two Lancaster City Councillors. Earlier this year we reported on the selection of Geraldine Smith, currently councillor for the resort's Alexandra ward, as Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate.

This week it was announced that she will be joined in the race by old adversary Dexter Bracey, city councillor for Torrisholme since 1993, who will be standing as the Liberal Democrat candidate.

Speaking after his selection, Cllr Bracey said: "We Liberal Democrats look forward to the election with confidence and enthusiasm. We are the only party with a positive message to sell and a clear programme to invest in the long-term future of our people and to clean up the mess that is British politics.

"Our guarantee to invest an extra £2 billion in education will be good news for parents in the Westgate area of Morecambe who cannot currently secure places for their children in the local primary school.

"I look forward to meeting as many people as possible in the course of taking the Liberal Democrat message of hope to the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency."

Should Cllr Bracey be successful at the election, it won't be the first time he has shocked the Tories. He took his Torrisholme council seat from the Conservatives in a by-election in 1993.

He and Cllr Smith won't be the only local counsellors kissing babies in the area when the build-up to the General Election before next April starts. Cllr Hilton Dawson will be standing for Labour in Lancaster & Wyre.

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