A new party’s first General Election candidate has been selected for the Colne Valley.

Former Golcar Labour councillor and transport expert Paul Salveson will stand for Yorkshire First.

With just six months to go before the national poll, Mr Salveson hopes to offer a “new alternative” on the political scene.

Announcing his decision to stand, Mr Salveson revealed that he will be one of up to 27 Yorkshire First candidates standing across the county.

The party’s aim is for ‘home rule’ and the creation of a Yorkshire parliament with devolved decision-making powers.

Founded by Holmfirth businessman Richard Carter in March, the party doesn’t want independence, just a stronger, united voice for Yorkshire.

Mr Salveson, who was a Kirklees councillor from May 2012 to November last year, is a consultant, writer and lecturer on railways and social history.

Selected at a meeting in Milnsbridge on Wednesday Mr Salveson aims to make an impact and said: “It would be good to get a few thousand votes but at the end of the day I want to win.

“I and other candidates will be campaigning for a democratic voice for Yorkshire as a way of building a more socially just and inclusive society, without the backing of big corporate or sectional interests.

“If I got elected I would take the average salary in Kirklees and would hold regular community meetings as well as individualised surgeries to give people a chance to share their ideas with me.”

Yorkshire First Colne Valley PPC Paul Salveson and supporters Richard Carter, Robyn Whiting and Valerie Hirst
Yorkshire First Colne Valley PPC Paul Salveson and supporters Richard Carter, Robyn Whiting and Valerie Hirst

Among the pro-European Union party’s priorities are jobs and business and working to halt the “brain drain of young people to London.”

Work on the party’s manifesto will start at a conference in Leeds this weekend.

Mr Salveson added: “I don’t think we’ve left it too late to plan. We’re a new party but have come so far already and we want the input of our supporters to help us.

“We’re not saying that we have all the answers ourselves.”

The party expects to field candidates from other party backgrounds including the Tories and Liberal Democrats.

Mr Salveson quit Kirklees a year ago but has never explained the full reasons behind his decision.

He added: “At the end of the day Labour have had a long time in which to push forward with devolution and other issues concerning greater social justice that I’m campaigning for.

“We don’t know what will happen with next year’s vote but we live in a democratic society so it’s time that we got away from the idea that we must vote for Labour as the progressive vote. We believe that we are the new alternative.”