CONSERVATIVE by-election candidate the Rev. Daniel Critchlow has announced has a plan for regular business forums.

He has has promised to start monthly breakfast forums if elected as MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East on Thursday, and Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps has pledged to chair the first meeting.

Mr Critchlow and Mr Shapps met business owners on Saturday in Sale to get them to back the forum, and said they had a very positive response to the scheme, with a raft of firms signing up to attend.

Mr Critchlow said: "It was great to be able to show Grant Shapps around Sale Town Centre and meet lots of local businessmen and women and get them signed up to my business forum.

"I will be a local champion for everyone in Wythenshawe and Sale East and as part of that I want to support all the small businesses, which are the lifeblood of the local economy."

Mr Shapps said Mr Critchlow would be a "fantastic" representative for Wythenshawe and Sale East.

He said: "Wythenshawe and Sale East deserves really active local representation from somebody who knows what it is like to represent a community which the Rev. Daniel Critchlow absolutely does. I think he would be a fantastic advocate for local people and businesses and I really hope people support him on Thursday."