FOREST of Dean district councillor Matt Bishop has been announced as Labour's candidate for the General Election.

The party says it is ready to unseat Transport Secretary Mark Harper and claims polls show only Labour can take the Forest seat.

Matt who a councillor for Cinderford East, said: “After 14 years, it's time for change. Our NHS is at breaking point, we have a failure in dentistry, schools cannot recruit and retain teachers, prisons are full and our rivers are polluted.”

A Forest of Dean Labour Party spokesperson said: “Matt has worked tirelessly as a district and town councillor for Cinderford East and is now ready to bring his passion and love for the Forest of Dean to the heart of a Labour government. 

“As a family man who has brought his children up in the area, a former policeman and now an education welfare officer at Dene Magna secondary school, Matt has experienced first hand the hardships people and their families have faced over the past 14 years of Tory rule. 

“Together with Keir Starmer, Matt wants to bring the change the Forest of Dean needs and deserves. 

“We need a Labour Government and a Labour MP for the Forest of Dean. 

“We need to provide better roads and pavements for our vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. 

“We need to clean our rivers. 

“We need to properly fund childcare, settings in the Forest of Dean are facing closure or staff redundancies because the funding rates have not risen in line with staff wages. 

“We can do that, with a Labour Government and a Labour MP.”

There are now six candidates who have declared themselves candidates for the Forest seat: Nicola Aylin-Duke, Workers' Party of Great Britain; Matt Bishop, Labour; Stanley Gooin, Reform; Mark Harper, Conservative; James Joyce, Liberal Democrats and Chris McFarling, Green.

Nomination papers have to be hand delivered to the Forest Council between Tuesday and Friday (June 4-June 7) for names to appear on the ballot paper.

Voters have until 5pm on Wednesday June 19 to apply for a postal and exactly a week later for a proxy vote.

Any wanting to vote in the election on July 4 will need photo identification. If you do not have an acceptable form of ID you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate either at www.gov.uk or by contacting the Forest Council.

The deadline for application is 5pm on Wednesday, June 26.