A COUNCIL cabinet member is hoping to become Leigh’s first female MP after it was revealed she had made the party’s shortlist of candidates to stand in the General Election.

Astley and Mosley Common councillor Joanne Platt will be interviewed tomorrow, Friday, by the National Executive Committee (NEC), chief administrative body of the Labour Party, to discuss her suitability as a potential candidate.

Cllr Platt, children and young people’s services portfolio holder at Wigan Council, – who has already received the backing of outgoing MP Andy Burnham for the position –  said: “I am pleased to confirm that I have been invited for an interview with the NEC on Friday. I believe I’m the only local candidate.

“I have campaigned in Leigh for a long time through the whole constituency and I have got a good feeling for what people in the town want and what they need.

“They want someone who is local and knows Leigh which is something I have.

“I am passionate about Leigh and I want to carry that on in Parliament and have a strong voice in Westminster.”

After confirming he would be stepping down after 16 years as MP of Leigh, Mr Burnham praised Cllr Platt’s ‘strong local credentials’ and ‘track record of delivering improvements to services’.

“As we approach the milestone of 100 years of Labour in Leigh, it would be wonderful to see Leigh elect its first woman MP,” he said.

“As a local woman, Jo would be a great role model and inspiration to young women and girls in our area.”

Addressing constituents during his campaign to become Mayor of Greater Manchester, he said he believed he has left Leigh in a much stronger position than when he first joined.

“While I have not always got everything right, I can honestly say that I have given this job my all and done my best to put Leigh on the map,” he said.

“I hope you will allow me to take some quiet satisfaction from the fact that, while the Leigh I inherited was struggling in the Championship, the Leigh I leave is proudly Super League.”

Leigh East councillor Keith Cunliffe had also put himself forward for the position on Friday but after being ruled out he has now given his support to Cllr Platt.

Chairman of the Wigan Borough Conservative Federation Michael Winstanley said his party would be announcing a candidate list in the next two weeks, while Wigan and Liberal Democrats chairman Stuart Thomas confirmed they would release a candidates’ shortlist later this week.

UKIP Leigh chairman Jayson Lomax-Hargreaves added an announcement would be made in the next few days regarding their representative.