THE woman chosen to fight the Bridgwater seat for the LibDems at the next General Election believes she is in pole position to win.

The party has selected Claire Sully as its Parliamentary candidate for the poll, which is expected to be held next year.

Widely recognised by LibDem supporters as as a community champion and hardworking elected Somerset councillor, Ms Sully received overwhelming support from colleagues to contest the next election in the newly-created Bridgwater constituency.

She says she is keen to continue "the winning LibDem momentum in Somerset following their outstanding results at last year's local elections".

The party won a majority on Somerset Council, with Ms Sully attracting more than 50 per cent of the vote in her area.

She describes the Bridgwater constituency as "one of the most exciting in Somerset" and believes the LibDems are the front runners to claim the seat from the Conservatives.

She added: "Following the recent Liberal Democrat parliamentary by-election success in Somerton and Frome, where the party won a massive swing to overturn a huge Conservative majority, we are the real challengers in the new Bridgwater seat.

"That result followed other huge Liberal Democrat victories in Tiverton and Honiton, North Shropshire and Cheshire and Amersham, all of which were traditionally Conservative-held seats.

"In addition, Labour finished a distant third in the Somerset elections.

"The impressive recent election record for the Liberal Democrats in Somerset and elsewhere has seen swathes of traditional Tory voters switch to the party."