A NEW political party aimed at bringing more devolved powers to the north of England is to contest the General Election in Rossendale and Darwen.

The Northern Party, which formed last week, has announced it will contest at least five seats in Lancashire on May 7, including the marginal constituency last held by Conservative Jake Berry.

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Shaun Hargreaves will stand against Mr Berry, Labour’s Will Straw, Ukip’s Clive Balchin, LibDem Anwar Afzal and Green Karen Pollard-Rylance.

The Northern Party is led by Michael Dawson, former executive committee member of the Labour Campaign for Human Rights. He said: “This is a northern rebellion against a system that has failed the North.

“We will cost the Tories seats and then we will go after Labour.”

Insurance underwriter Shaun Hargreaves, 52, is a former Green Party member who plays a major role in Frack Free Lancashire.

The dad-of-three was born on the Isle of Wight but his family hails from the Rossendale area.

Mr Hargreaves, a grandfather-of-three who lives in South Manchester but plans to move to the area, said: “The disparity between the North and the South is appalling and cannot go on.

“I am a passionate Lancastrian and I want to defend my land. If they start to frack in Lancashire I will leave, so I am effectively fighting to stay in my county.

“Most importantly, we are going to put Lancashire back together again, bringing back the so-called Greater Manchester and Merseyside areas that were lost to us in the 70s.

“I think we might just make a mark. This is the most up in the air election for years and people are fed up with politics and they are looking for an alternative.”

Conservative candidate Jake Berry said: “The real choice in this election is between the Tory and the Labour parties.

“I am as northern as they come, born in Liverpool and representing Rossendale and Darwen.”

Labour candidate Will Straw said: “It is great people in Rossendale and Darwen will have a choice at the election but the true party for the north of England is the Labour Party which has got a clear plan to put an end to the unfair and disproportionate cuts.”