ELECTION season has officially begun in Bradford after the Lord Mayor signed the General Election writs in City Hall.

After the dissolution of parliament on Wednesday, the election timetable was officially launched yesterday.

The country will go to the polls on December 12 for the third general election in five years, in an election that will shape the future of the UK and its relationship with the European Union.

Locally the election process began with the delivery of the parliamentary general election writs to Bradford’s City Hall.

The writs, which come from the Clerk of the Crown, are the official request for a parliamentary election to be run in the three Bradford constituencies as well as Keighley and Shipley.

They were delivered to the Lord Mayor, Councillor Doreen Lee, who has the role of Parliamentary Returning Officer for Bradford East, Bradford West and Bradford South constituencies.

She signed the writ in the Mayor’s Chambers in City Hall yesterday.

The High Sheriff of West Yorkshire Paul Lawrence, who will be acting as Returning Officer for Keighley and Shipley in the upcoming election, was also present to receive the writs for these constituencies.

The next significant date in the election process is November 14 - the deadline for candidates to deliver their nomination papers or for candidates to withdraw.

A full list of candidates will then be announced shortly after.