THE Liberal Democrats have selected Claire Young to fight the Thornbury and Yate parliamentary seat at the next election.

Following the dramatic by-election win in Somerton and Frome the local party say they are now setting their sights on defeating Luke Hall, the current MP for the constituency. 

The seat is also a target for the party after their recent local election results in May.

Claire, who is leader of South Gloucestershire Council after the party formed a joint administration with Labour, lives with her family in Coalpit Heath, while her two sons attended local schools.

She has been a South Gloucestershire councillor since 2007.

Ms Young said: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to stand at the next election and win this seat for the Liberal Democrats.

"I know local people are really fed up with this government’s mishandling of the economy and the NHS and want a change.

"Only the Liberal Democrats can beat the Conservatives here. 

"Living locally and running the council I know just what is needed in the area - it’s time for an MP who speaks up and delivers.”

A Cambridge mathematics graduate, Claire spent a decade working in the software industry.

She began her career with IBM, where her work included stints in Silicon Valley.

Later she worked for high-tech start-up businesses in our area.

Ms Young says she is keen to ensure that local people of all ages can take advantage of the many opportunities on our doorstep.

Recently, she has combined this background with her environmental activism to perform academic research into the environmental impact of information technology.