Britain’s Youngest MP, Keir Mather, has launched his campaign to become the Labour MP for the newly-redrawn Selby constituency.

The event at Scott Road Community Centre was attended by Mayor and York and North Yorkshire David Skaith, Labour candidates Alex Sobel, Richard Burgon and Ben Pickles, plus Labour members from across the new constituency.

The 26-year-old won the former constituency of Selby and Ainsty in a sensational by-election last July, when aged 25, replacing Nigel Adams MP in the previously ‘safe’ Conservative seat, making him the ‘Baby of the House.’

At the weekend launch, he told audience members it is time for change in Britain and outlined his priorities for the new Selby constituency.

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This new Selby loses many Conservative-voting areas such as the ‘Ainsty’ part of the old Selby and Ainsty, just west of York, replacing it with the more Labour leaning West Yorkshire villages like Kippax, Micklefield, Methley and Allerton Bywater.

Electoral Calculus estimates that in 2019, today’s Selby constituency would have been won by the Tories with a 25% majority. But now, it estimates Mr Mather will take the seat for Labour with a 15% majority.

He told Saturday’s campaign launch his priorities are to cut household bill and deliver economic security with GB Energy, ‘take back our streets’ with 13,000 extra PCSOs and police nationally, ‘End the NHS backlog’, fight for reliable public transport and have free breakfast clubs at primary schools.

Oxford-educated Mr Mather, who was born in Hull and raised in Brough, East Yorkshire, said: “I love Selby, I love this part of Yorkshire. It’s my home. And that’s why I refuse to let the Conservatives ever take this place for granted again.

“That’s why we can’t go back to Selby having an absent Conservative MP. Local people deserve better than the broken promises, failed ambitions, managed decline and chaotic leadership of five more years of Conservative government.”

When Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the July 4 General Election last week, Mr Mather said he had worked hard to be a visible, effective and determined local MP, since his historic election.

He continued: “I’ve supported residents through the cost-of-living crisis, worked with local police to tackle crime, and fought for road safety measures and better bus services.

“I’ve never been afraid to hold the government to account on the issues that matter - asking more parliamentary questions to the Health Department than my predecessor asked in 13 years as an MP.”

In April, the Sunday Times placed Mr Mather on a Young Power List of over-achieving and inspiring under 30s.

In addition to Mr Mather, the other candidates to date are David Kent (Reform UK), Angela Oldershaw (Green), Charles Richardson (Conservative), Christian Vassie (Liberal Democrats) and John Waterston (SDP).