A party press release brings the news of Jane Brophy’s selection:

Only the Liberal Democrats will defend families in Oldham West and Royton from the scourge of tax credit cuts, by-election candidate Jane Brophy said today.

The party said it would fight the by-election with a firm message: Labour is in disarray and only the Lib Dems will stand up for local people in the face of brutal Tory cuts.

Jane said:

“The people of Oldham West and Royton need someone to stand up for them and the Liberal Democrats are the only party that will do that. Labour had the chance to oppose tax credit cuts and failed to do it.

“The Tory tax credit cuts will affect 8,000 families in this area alone and it was only the Liberal Democrats who stood up for people by trying to stop these cuts completely in Parliament.

“When it came to a crunch vote in the House of Lords, Labour just voted to delay cuts to child tax credits and UKIP’s one MP voted in favour, while the Conservatives just cheered them on. We deserve better than that.

“Michael Meacher was a well-respected MP and it would be an honour to succeed him representing local people in Parliament.

“On issues like Tax credits and like the Conservatives plan to wipe out council homes with its Housing Bill the message is clear: If you want a real opposition to this Conservative government only a Lib Dem MP can deliver that.”

Jane is an experienced local campaigner and has been a Councillor in Greater Manchester for over 15 years. She has worked for the NHS in Greater Manchester and been involved in public health nutrition in Oldham.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron MP said:

“Jane is a hardworking campaigner and would be a fantastic local champion for Oldham West and Royton.

“We look forward to an energetic campaign highlighting how Liberal Democrats are now the real, credible opposition to this Conservative Government on issues like housing and cuts to tax credits”

The Liberal Democrats are the second largest group on Oldham Council and ran the council up until 2011. Elections across Oldham are often close between Labour and the Liberal Democrats and the Lib Dems will be challenging hard for this by-election.

Jane Brophy’s biography

Jane is an experienced local campaigner and has been a councillor in Greater Manchester for over 15 years.

Jane has worked for the NHS in Greater Manchester and has been involved in childhood nutrition in Oldham. Jane currently works for the Health Service in Lancashire. As a healthcare professional, Jane is on the England board of the British Dietetic Association.

In recent years Jane has campaigned for better local health services and more investment in mental health provision in Greater Manchester.

Jane attended a comprehensive school and was the first person in her family to attend university.

Jane wants to be an MP to ensure that everyone can benefit from the same opportunities in life that she had. She believes that only the Liberal Democrats can deliver real opportunity and a fair chance for everyone in our society, no matter what their background.

Jane lives with her husband and has three grown up children.*

* I’ve included this as it’s in the party press release, but myself I’ve always gone for the rule that if you want a private family life, you should leave your family out of your political promotion. Which is why, for example, whenever I’ve had the choice I have always left out references to a candidate’s family from election addresses.