SETTLE’S youngest town councillor, Joe Lord, is bidding to follow in the footsteps of William Pitt the Younger.

But the 21-year-old founder of The Youth Party is unlikely to emulate the speedy rise of Pitt, who became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at 24.

Mr Lord has set his sights on a Commons seat, declaring as a candidate in the Skipton and Ripon constituency.

His manifesto includes plans to create a Parliamentary hotel to do away with the need for a second homes allowance; a benefits system based on tokens; and a public transport system run on a not-for-profit basis.