Louie French has been selected as the Conservative candidate for Old Bexley and Sidcup.

A by-election in the seat is expected to be called soon following the passing of James Brokenshire earlier this month.

French, who has been a councillor in the Falconwood and Welling ward since 2014 was selected by Conservative members in the Old Bexley and Sidcup constituency this morning (Saturday).

French served as Deputy Leader of Bexley council from 2018-2021, having lived in Old Bexley and Sidcup throughout his life.

He says his campaign will focus on building on James’ legacy and working closely with government on delivering more police, investment in public services and better access to GPs.

Commenting, French said: “James Brokenshire was a friend and mentor to me and it's an honour to have been selected as the Conservative candidate for Old Bexley and Sidcup, where I hope to carry on his excellent work.

“Having lived and worked in Old Bexley and Sidcup, I understand the local issues in our area and as a councillor, I already have a strong record of delivering for the people in Old Bexley and Sidcup.

“If elected, my priorities will be to work with the government to make sure Old Bexley and Sidcup gets our fair share of the 2,000 new police officers recruited in London, ensuring a more visible local police presence and deterring criminals.

“I also want to work with the government to secure extra investment in local services including our roads, trains, and schools.

“I will campaign to ensure that outer London areas like Old Bexley and Sidcup are not forgotten or left behind by the Mayor of London and City Hall.

“And I will work to improve access to GPs and healthcare services, building directly on James’ work with Queen Mary’s Hospital, so residents can get a face-to-face GP appointment at a time that suits them.”

Conservative Party Chairman Oliver Dowden said: “Congratulations to Louie French, our fantastic Conservative candidate for Old Bexley and Sidcup.

"Louie will build on James’ exceptional record as a strong voice tirelessly standing up for the people of Bexley.

"He is a local man, has been a public servant of Bexley for many years, and will be able to get to work delivering for his constituents from day one.

"We’ll work together on cleaner and safer streets, well-funded public services, and on challenging the Labour London Mayor for ignoring areas like Old Bexley and Sidcup.”

Daniel Francis has been selected as the Labour Party candidate.

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