Fylde councillor is chosen as Tory candidate for Hyndburn (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Fylde councillor is chosen as Tory candidate for Hyndburn

8:30pm Sunday 14th March 2010 in

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LYTHAM-based lawyer Karen Buckley has been chosen to be the Hyndburn Conservative Parliamentary candidate - and insists she knows enough about the area to make a difference.

Last month three councillors resigned from their positions on a local Conservative party executive committee because they were unhappy there were not more local candidates on the list.

Chairman Brian Roberts and his two deputies Marlene Haworth and Peter Clarke said the list of candidates from central office "did not have enough local content".

But Mrs Buckley, 42, who represents the St Leonard’s ward on Fylde Borough Council, says she has strong personal links with the Hyndburn area.

Her grandfather was born in Rising Bridge and worked as a maintenance engineer at Highams Mill. Her grandmother worked as a seamstress at Moffitt’s haberdashery store in Accrington town centre.

Karen’s mother was born in Accrington and went to Peel Park Primary School and Accrington High School for Girls. The family home was on Lemonius Street.

She said: "I am honoured to have been selected by Hyndburn Conservatives as their next parliamentary candidate.

“My family roots are from this area. My mother was born in Accrington and she went to school here, as did my grandfather before that.

“I am a hard-working mother, lawyer and councillor wanting to change things for the better both locally and at a national level.”

Mrs Buckley, who was born in St Annes and educated in Lytham, was picked from a shortlist including former Hyndburn Mayor Janet Storey on Saturday.

She was elected to Fylde Borough Council in 2007 and given the role of Member Champion for Young People. The following year she was appointed Chairman of the Policy Scrutiny Committee and Vice Chairman of the Children’s Trust. In 2009, she was appointed cabinet member for Partnerships and Community Engagement and was also elected to the position of Chairman of Fylde Children’s Trust.

She is married to Peter and they have two teenage children – Daniel, 17, and Rachel, 14.

Geoff Driver, leader of Lancashire County Council, said: “Karen is a hard-working campaigner, conscientious and personable. She would make an excellent MP and has my full support.”

Coun Graham Jones has been selected to represent the Labour Party after Greg Pope has decided to step down at the next General Election.