LABOUR MP for Bury South, Ivan Lewis, has announced his candidacy for the upcoming General Election, which has been set for June 8.

Mr Lewis retained his seat in the last General Election in 2015 with 45.1 per cent of the vote and has been Bury South MP since 1997. 

He finished 4,922 votes ahead of Conservative candidate Daniel Critchlow, in second.

Prime Minister Theresa May announced a shock snap election on Tuesday, saying: “The country is coming together but Westminster is not.”

The announcement left a 51-day countdown to polling day.

Mr Lewis said: “I am proud to represent my home town constituency again. It is always a tremendous honour.

“I am very proud of my record locally; however I take nothing for granted and I know that we will have to fight for every vote.

“I know that we have a lot of work to do in the coming weeks.

“It is important in this era where we have real risks of health service and school funding cuts, to be a voice for the people and that is what I will continue to strive to do.

“It is a very important election and I will standing on my record of which I am proud of but also continue to look to the future."

David Nuttall, Conservative MP for Bury North has also announced that he will be standing again.