The politician in pole position to be Melton's next MP

Edward Argar, MP for Charnwood and newly selected Conservative candidate for the new Melton and Syston seat at the next General Election

Ed Argar, currently MP for Charnwood, has been selected as the Conservative candidate for the new Melton and Syston seat at the General Election, expected to take place next year.

We reported yesterday (Saturday) that current Rutland and Melton MP, Alicia Kearns, had been chosen to fight for the new Rutland and Stamford seat for the Tories at the election.

A major change in constituency boundaries will see Melton’s local authority ward grouped with eight Charnwood local authority wards extending to the River Soar, while Rutland breaks off to be merged with the Stamford area.

Alicia Kearns, MP for Rutland and Melton and newly selected Conservative candidate for the new Rutland and Stamford seat at the next General Election

Mrs Kearns enjoyed a majority of nearly 27,000 votes when she was elected to Rutland and Melton in December 2019 while Mr Argar was re-elected to the Charnwood seat by a margin more than 22,000 votes.

Posting on her Facebook page, Mrs Kearns, said: “A Melton and Syston selection committee has selected my wonderful neighbour Ed Argar, currently MP for Charnwood, as our Conservative candidate at the next election.

"I'm so delighted to keep him as a neighbour, and I know he will work so hard for our communities when hopefully elected at the next General Election.”

Mr Argar was first elected as Charnwood’s MP in 2015 and he has been re-elected twice in subsequent ballots.

Alicia Kearns pictured at the meeting of local Conservatives where she was selected as the candidate for the new Rutland and Stamford seat

He was appointed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice in October after previously serving as Minister of State at the Department of Health and Social Care between September 2019 and July last year.

Mrs Kearns said she had fought strongly against the boundary changes due to come in at the next General Election and had campaigned for the Rutland and Melton seat to stay as it was.

"I was honoured to be chosen by the Conservative Selection Committee of Rutland and Stamford to be our candidate at the next election,” she posted.

“Due to the decisions of the Boundary Commission, there was no option to stand again as MP for Rutland and Melton as our constituency is being split in half.

"As you all know, I made strong representations against dividing us.”

Referring to her time as Rutland and Melton MP since she succeeded the long-serving Alan Duncan, Mrs Kearns added: “Melton and the Vale will forever remain in my heart, I truly love our very special part of our country, and I will continue to serve all our communities across Rutland and Melton tirelessly until the next election and to keep delivering on my promises.

“I'm proud that in Melton and the Vale diggers are finally in the ground after a 50-year wait for the MMDR, we now have the go-ahead for a new GP practice, a great new rural crime team, new CCTV, increased train services at Bottesford, and we secured our £23million levelling up bid.

“I also delivered on my promise of a new hare coursing law, support in particular for dairy farmers, as well as funds for local community pubs and making sure Melton Town got its new football pitch.”