Teacher Ben Flook selected as Chesterfield’s Conservative candidate for General Election

He pointed out that at the General Election in 2019, the Conservatives fell just three per cent short of winning the Chesterfield seat, adding: “I am delighted to have been chosen by local members. When people go out to vote in the general election next year, they should vote to restore the pride of Chesterfield. This is a town with a great history from the moment it received its first market charter from King John 819 years ago.

“But that historic market and town centre has been neglected for years under Labour – who have allowed the pride of this town to be lost - such that the Town Centre is now largely a ghost town.

“So local people should use the election as a referendum on almost 85 years of Labour failure. My campaign as the Conservative candidate is to undo the harm caused by Labour rule in this town and restore the pride of Chesterfield and Staveley – especially in the town centre.

“Decline is not inevitable. That is why the Conservatives in Government have done everything they can with our levelling up agenda to help towns like Chesterfield, which Labour has let down for decades. This has seen the Conservative Government invest £20 million in Chesterfield and £25 million in Staveley.

“But this money needs to be spent wisely. This is why Chesterfield needs a Conservative MP,” he added.