Labour has selected Ben Hartley as its Parliamentary candidate for Altrincham and Sale West – the seat currently held by Sir Graham Brady – at the next General Election. 

This follows the hustings and vote of local Labour Party members on Sunday (March 26) where Mr Hartley won a majority of votes cast.

He is currently a councillor for Trafford’s Ashton Upon Mersey Ward and is chair of the authority’s planning and development management committee. 

Mr Hartley said: “It is such an honour to have been selected as the Parliamentary candidate for Altrincham and Sale West, the constituency that I call home and where I’ve seen my children grow up.

“I am humbled and extremely proud to have been backed by so many Labour members, all of the Labour councillors in the constituency, along with many trade unions and affiliates. It shows that I have a movement ready to campaign and to win here in Altrincham and Sale West. 

“Altrincham and Sale West deserves better than this government. After 13 years of Tory government, nothing in this country seems to work anymore. The Tories have broken Britain – and they are too distracted by chaos of their own making to fix it.”

A Labour Party spokesperson added: “Ben Hartley is an excellent choice to be our parliamentary candidate for Altrincham and Sale West and a future Labour MP.  He’s lived in the constituency with his family for 14 years and in Sale for all of his working life.” 

“In 2019, he became the first Labour councillor elected to the ward of Ashton upon Mersey and he has over a decade of campaigning experience in the constituency.” 

“Ben currently works as a principal legal adviser in a healthcare regulatory capacity with a legal career of over 20 years, he will be a conscientious advocate for the people of Altrincham and Sale West and has the skills to be an outstanding Labour MP.”