THE Westmorland and Lonsdale Labour Party launched its General Election campaign during a meeting at the Castle Street Centre, Kendal, on Monday.

The party’s newly-selected candidate for the constituency, Phillip Black, said: “Enough is enough. People are sick and tired of the shambolic manner in which this country has been run by successive Conservative Governments.

“People recognise the Liberal Democrats as fickle political opportunists, who chop and change their position at the drop of a hat.

“In the last decade the problems facing communities in the South Lakes haven’t lessened, they’ve only got worse. Soaring house prices, rubbish transport links, terrible flooding and overstretched emergency services – all worse now thanks to the Tories and the Lib Dems.

Mr Black, 35, who lives in Lancaster, added: “We need to see real change, both here in Westmorland and Lonsdale, and across the UK.

“We need bold progressive policies. We need to bring compassion back into our political decision making. We need a Labour government.”

At the 2017 general election, then 18-year-old Eli Aldridge doubled his party’s share of the vote in South Lakeland.

He said: “I’ve seen first-hand the drive, determination and innovation that Phillip brings to politics.

“As a councillor, Phillip has made a huge difference to his constituent’s lives and I have no doubt that he is the only candidate capable of bringing real change to Westmorland and Lonsdale.”

Mr Black has spent more than a decade as a self-employed professional photographer and lives with his husband, their two adopted children, and a black Labrador named Duke. He is a Lancaster City councillor for the Skerton West ward.

Penny Henderson, secretary of Westmorland and Lonsdale Labour, said: “There are a lot of Labour voters (in the constituency), and we want want somebody good so that those Labour voters can stand by what they believe in.”

Mrs Henderson described Mr Black as “like a little explosion” and added: “He’s expressive, confident, humorous, knowledgeable, astute - everything you’d want in a candidate.”