Conservatives announce candidate to fight Dewsbury East by-election

Mr Mallinson, 58, a painter and decorator from Hanging Heaton, will stand in Dewsbury East.

The by-election will take place on December 12, the same day as the General Election.

It was called following the resignation of veteran Labour councillor Paul Kane. Clr Kane died later that day.

However the winning candidate will only serve for five months as the seat will be up for election again in May 2020.

Together with his wife, Carole, who works as a practice nurse at a local GP surgery, Mr Mallinson has lived in the Dewsbury East ward since 2002.

He said: “I was selected a few weeks back to represent Dewsbury East and would like to have been running in December under better circumstances.

“My heartfelt condolences go out to Paul Kane’s family at this difficult time.”

Among his priorities if elected will be seeking to ensure that Dewsbury’s £25m share of the Government’s £3.6bn Towns Fund “is spent wisely”

He will also be supporting the Chidswell Action Group in its campaign to overturn plans for more than 1,500 houses at Chidswell and Shaw Cross.

His final priority will be to ensure that Kirklees Council repairs local roads on a more regular basis.

Mr Mallinson’s candidacy in Dewsbury East is the first to be announced since Clr Kane announced his resignation.

The Greens have confirmed they will not be standing in Dewsbury East. All other parties have yet to reveal their candidates.