Lib Dem candidate hopes to defeat Brighton's Lloyd Russell-Moyle

Stewart Stone has been chosen to stand in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven for the party at the next general election, expected to take place some time next year.

Mr Stone stood as a candidate in the local elections in Whitehawk and Marina, placing seventh with just over eight per cent of the vote.

He said a Liberal Democrat voice can offer a “fresh approach”, along with support for a change of the “outdated” electoral system.

“I’m running for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven to ensure that people living in the constituency are represented in Parliament by someone who values and listens to their opinions," he said.

“Liberal Democrats have shown they mean business by winning a string of by-elections, most recently in Somerton and Frome.

“Undoubtedly local people feel let down by other parties locally and nationally and I can offer a fresh approach to education, housing and the environment, together with bringing in a review of our outdated electoral system.”

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Labour’s Lloyd Russell-Moyle, who was first elected in 2017, was comfortably re-elected at the last general election with a majority of just over 8,000 votes.

The Liberal Democrats placed a distant third with 6.1 per cent of the vote.

Election forecaster Electoral Calculus currently predicts Labour will hold the seat at the next election, with the Liberal Democrats expected to place fourth behind the Conservatives and the Green Party.

However the party is expected to have better success in the neighbouring constituency of Lewes, where Maria Caulfield is likely to lose her seat to the Liberal Democrats.

The nearby seat of Eastbourne is also a Liberal Democrat target, with Electoral Calculus forecasting the party will defeat Conservative MP Caroline Ansell at the next general election.

Although a date for the next election has not been announced, political pundits expect the country to go to the polls in either May or the autumn of next year.