Writer Jack Monroe has announced she is standing in the general election and thanked her “campaign sponsor” Katie Hopkins.

Monroe, a food blogger who also campaigns on poverty issues, said she will stand in the Southend West constituency.

She announced the news on Twitter and retweeted a post by the National Health Action (NHA) party that said it was “delighted” that Monroe was standing.

Earlier this year, outspoken columnist Hopkins was ordered to pay £24,000 damages to Monroe at the end of a case dubbed “Twibel” by media pundits.

The former Apprentice star, who faces a costs bill running into six figures, was also ordered to pay £107,000 on account within 28 days.

Monroe had complained that two May 2015 tweets accused her of “vandalising a war memorial and desecrating the memory of those who fought for her freedom, or of approving or condoning such behaviour”.

Hopkins’s defence was that her tweets did not bear the meanings complained of, were not defamatory and it had not been shown that they caused serious harm to Monroe’s reputation.

But Mr Justice Warby ruled in Monroe’s favour and said the publications “not only caused Ms Monroe real and substantial distress, but also harm to her reputation which was serious”.

Aaaaand we're off. It's official. I'm standing against David Amess in Southend West, for our NHS. https://t.co/FajeOVp8nA — Jack Monroe (@MxJackMonroe) April 28, 2017

Responding to Twitter users suggesting that she will lose her deposit, Monroe wrote: “For all those gloating that I may lose my deposit, I may well do, but you should be directing your glee to my campaign sponsor, Katie.”

And she rounded off the series of tweets by thanking Hopkins.



So from the bottom of my heart, thankyou Katie for your generous - if unwitting - contribution to saving the National Health Service. 🙄 — Jack Monroe (@MxJackMonroe) April 28, 2017

Conservative David Amess won the Southend West seat in the 2015 general election with a 14,000 majority.