THE Labour Party in Bromsgrove has chosen its candidate to fight the next General Election, the Advertiser/Messenger can exclusively reveal.

He is 53-year-old county and district councillor Peter McDonald, who was the party's candidate in the last General Election in May 1997.

Then, in a five-cornered fight, he polled 19,775 votes, 4,845 behind Julie Kirkbride, who has already been chosen to stand again for the Tories.

Cllr McDonald, a lecturer, from Rubery, was selected from a short-list of five at a meeting at the Labour Club on Wednesday.

The decision will be ratified by party chiefs, probably this week. Speaking of his delight at being given a second chance and vowing if elected to continue to live in the constituency, an obvious dig at Miss Kirkbride, he said: "I have some unfinished business to win over 3,000 votes which will ensure that a local Labour MP will represent the true needs of Bromsgrove without running off to live in London."

A Tory spokeswoman said: "We are surprised Labour has chosen the same person who failed to win, even in the worst election result for the Conservatives in the last century, to stand against her again.

"But if they think he's the best person for the job, that's a matter for them."