Chess man’s political move

11:10am Monday 12th November 2007

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AN international chess player has been chosen as the UK Independence Party's candidate to contest the Bolton West constituency at the next General Election.

Harry Lamb will take on sitting Labour MP Ruth Kelly.

Susan Williams, the Trafford Council leader, has been chosen as the Tory candidate, while the Liberal Democrats have yet to make their choice.

Mr Lamb, aged 65, is the chairman of Bolton Chess Club and has competed in the British championships. Although he has not appeared in the World Chess Championship, he once trained former British number one Nigel Short, who has played Garry Kasparov in the world final.

Mr Lamb competes in international competitions, and was most recently in Germany, but that is where his affinity with Europe ends.

A former Conservative, he backs UKIP's policy of withdrawing from the European Union and said he had joined the party because he was appalled by what he sees as dictatorship and financial fraud coming from Brussels and the behaviour of the two main parties at home.

Mr Lamb, who said he opposed the congestion charge currently being considered for Greater Manchester by Ms Kelly's department for transport, added: "I do not think Bolton is being represented in Parliament at the moment.

"The Labour parliamentary candidates have no interest in the town and are only interested in their political careers. If politicians are not interested in voters, why should voters be interested in politics?

"Having been a Boltonian all my life I want to represent the town and look after the interests of local people in parliament."

Of the EU, he said: "An unelected commission dictates our laws. The accounts have not been approved for several years, but the EU does not care.

"The leaders of the commission are unelected. There is no democratic pressure on them."

A Wanderers season ticket holder, Mr Lamb grew up in Halliwell and now lives in Junction Road, Deane, and is a widower with two sons.

He is the managing director of a Hong Kong company manufacturing zirconium chemicals.