A former chief executive of a leading equality rights charity has been chosen to fight the next General Election in South Suffolk for the Labour party.

Jane Basham will contest the seat which has been held by Tim Yeo, 68, for the Conservatives since 1983.

She said: “I’m delighted that local members have selected me to be Labour’s General Election candidate for South Suffolk, a place where I’ve lived for more than 20 years.

“People in our communities are facing a cost of living crisis with prices rising faster than wages and above inflation rail increases hitting local people hard while the Tory-led Government is standing by doing nothing.

“Only One Nation Labour will stand up for families here.

“I will fight the damage being done by this Tory-led Government and I will always do the right thing for the towns and villages of South Suffolk.”

Miss Basham was selected by local party members at a meeting held in Hadleigh on Saturday.

She has worked in senior roles in the private, public and voluntary sector – including with Suffolk Police – with a strong track record in community campaigning.

For several years she was the chief executive of the Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality until she was one of ten staff made redundant last year when a funding crisis forced the charity, which works across Suffolk to combat discrimination and promote community cohesion, to cut its workforce from 15 to five.

The drastic action was taken after a £61,000 grant from the Government Equality Office was stopped.

Last year Miss Basham stood as Labour’s candidate in the battle to become Suffolk’s first Police and Crime Commissioner, losing out to Tim Passmore.