Bob for the job (From The Bolton News)

Bob for the job

A CHORLEY councillor is bidding to enter Parliament at the next General Election after being chosen to fight a seat on Merseyside.

Conservative Robert Collinson is the Tories' new prospective Parliamentary candidate for Crosby.

Mr Collinson went through three selection rounds before Crosby Conservative Association finally made him their man last Tuesday evening.

A qualified solicitor, Mr Collinson has represented Chorley North West ward on the borough council since his election last year.

He said it was a "great honour" to be selected for Crosby, adding: "It is a seat which the Conservatives can and should win at the next election and I'm going to be doing everything I can to make sure they do that."

Crosby went to Labour's Claire Curtis-Thomas in 1997. She beat sitting MP, Conservative Malcolm Thornton, with a majority of around 7,000.

Desmond Billing, president of Crosby Conservative Association, said no former MP went through the selection procedure.

He said Mr Collinson was chosen "because people thought he was the best man for the job".

He added: "He was chosen because he made an impression. He's young, he's 36, he's a councillor in Chorley - he's obviously got some advantages there - he's a very good speaker and he has a good educational background."

Educated at Parklands High School, Chorley, Runshaw College, Lancaster University and Balliol College, Oxford.

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