By Chris Gee

A serving soldier has been selected to be the Conservative Party candidate for Hazel Grove at the next general election.

Paul Athans will be bidding to retain the seat for the Tories and replace current MP William Wragg, who announced last November that he would not be contesting the next election.

Mr Athans was selected by party members in the constituency, saying that after gaining the nomination he had resigned from his role in the regular army and would be transferring to the army reserve.

Mr Athans said this would enable him to 'continue to serve my country while campaigning to serve the people of Hazel Grove'. Speaking after the selection, he said: "I am honoured and delighted to be selected as the Conservative candidate In Hazel Grove.

"William has done, and continues, to do, an excellent job as the area's MP and I will do everything I can to make sure I can step into his shoes at the next general election.

"I know people living and working here want an MP to get on with the job and deliver for them on the government's plans.

"The people's priorities in Hazel Grove are the Government's priorities, and Rishi Sunak has my support. I am a passionate believer in levelling up and I would look to champion Hazel Grove to gain further funding for projects like the £20 million for the Marple community hub project which came from the last budget.

"Until the next election, I will be working hard to show people here I am the right person to become their MP and help improve the lives of everyone right across the constituency." Since its creation as a parliamentary constituency in 1974, Hazel Grove has been held at different times by both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

William Wragg first won the seat in 2015 with a majority of 6,652, defending the seat in both the 2017 and 2019 general elections. The majority was cut to 4,423 in the most recent of those elections. Mr Wragg was 35 when he announced that he was stepping down.

During his time in parliament he has been a vice-chair of the 1922 committee who play a central role in Conservative Party leadership selection.

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