UKIP’s candidate for the General Election has been announced.

Les Leggett has been chosen to stand for the party in the Leigh constituency in May’s election.

A former police sergeant and councillor at Stockport Council, Les lives in Atherton with his wife Janet.

Mr Leggett, aged 58, who is also the chairman of the UKIP Leigh group, believes that it is time for a change from the Labour tradition in Leigh.

He said: "Locally, the coal mines have gone, the mills have gone, industry has gone, and even our railway network and railway stations have gone under a Labour MP. So, after 93 years of Labour MPs it is definitely time for a change.”

“Labour no longer represent working class people and they now share Conservative party values and policies.

"The difference with me is that if elected I will work to represent people and the community, whereas both Labour and Conservative are representatives of elitist business leaders and make policies to benefit business corporations instead of people and communities.”

Mr Leggett lists his interests as including local history and heritage, researching family history, ancient history, and researching the unexplained.

He has been campaigning against the busway for many years and fully supports residents campaigning against it and the road closures and traffic chaos caused during the construction.

He says that a tram link connecting Leigh and Tyldesley to the Metrolink system at Eccles would have been more beneficial to the area and better value for money.

He said: “At the planning stage there should have been a referendum on the type of transport system that was to be built, letting people who reside in this area take the final decision, but as usual with Labour and Conservative politicians they do not listen to public opinion.”