FORMER Colne Valley candidate Debbie Abrahams has been chosen to fight a controversial by-election.

She has been selected to contest Oldham East and Saddleworth for Labour.

Last month Phil Woolas was stripped of the seat he held by just 103 votes in May’s General Election.

An election court found the former immigration minister had knowingly lied about his Lib Dem opponent Elwyn Watkins during the campaign.

British National Party leader Nick Griffin announced last night that he will also contest the by-election.

Mrs Abrahams, who came third in Colne Valley in the general election, has been chosen to fight the by-election early next year.

She defeated former Oldham mayors Riaz Ahmad and Abdul Jabbar at a selection meeting at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in Oldham on Sunday.

Speaking after the result, Mrs Abrahams said: “It’s an honour and a privilege to have been selected as Labour’s candidate. Now I’m looking forward to getting out and meeting as many residents as possible in the next few weeks to listen to their concerns.

“It’s important that the real issues and concerns of people in the borough are not lost during this by-election campaign. People feel let down by the Lib Dem-Tory broken promises on police cuts, tuition fees and VAT. It doesn’t have to be this way, there is an alternative. This is an opportunity for people to send a message to the Government. Oldham East and Saddleworth needs a Labour MP who will stand up and fight for them.”