PARISH and District Councillor Anne Hawkesworth has withdrawn her application to be selected to fight her home constituency for the Conservatives at the next General Election.

Her decision comes only three weeks after she submitted her application to be selected as Tory candidate for Keighley and Ilkley. She was due to be interviewed this week.

Coun Hawkesworth has represented Ilkley on Bradford Council for the past 12 years and at the last General Election she stood for the Tories in Bradford South, losing to Labour candidate Gerry Sutcliffe, a former leader of Bradford Council.

In a letter to Mike Gibbbons, the chairman of the Keighley and Ilkley Conservatives, Coun Hawkesworth says her decision was affected by the proposed changes in the way City Hall is run.

"It's important that we have strong people in local government. It is the potential loss of local democracy that disturbs me," she says.

Coun Hawkesworth adds: "These opportunities, together with the inevitable disruption that a Parliamentary career would bring to my family and business life, have led me to the conclusion that regrettably I should withdraw from the selection procedure.

"I know this will cause disappointment to some and for that I am sorry. It is out of considerations for these people that I have reflected long and not withdrawn my application earlier."

Sitting MP Ann Cryer has already submitted her application to be selected again to fight the seat for the Labour Party.

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