Former teaching union leader selected as Brexit Party candidate for Washington and Sunderland West

Howard Brown has been announced as a parliamentary candidate for Nigel Farage’s party in the Washington and Sunderland West constituency.

Mr Brown, who served as a teaching union leader for more than 30 years, will contest the constituency in the next general election, where the incumbent MP is Sharon Hodgson.

It comes as the Brexit Party announces a new raft of candidates prepared as rumblings continue of an early General Election.

Viral Parikh, who studied pharmacy at Sunderland University, and Kevin Yuill, associated professor of history at the same university, have already been revealed as prospective parliamentary candidates for the city.

They will stand for Sunderland Central and Houghton and Sunderland South respectively.

Mr Brown said: “W. Somerset Maughan once said, ‘If you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it’.

“If elected I will fight every government department to get the very best for the citizens of Sunderland and refuse to accept anything less.

“I have been promoting education within the city of Sunderland for over 35 years, during that time I have represented the teachers in Sunderland for over 30 years.

“I now want to represent everyone in the Washington and Sunderland West constituency and work to bring a better future to all.”

Richard Tice, Brexit Party chairman, said: “The Brexit Party stands ready to fight a general election with a full slate of candidates in all the UK’s 650 constituencies.”

He added: “The vast majority of our candidates are entering politics for the first time and they come from all walks of life, backgrounds, races and religions.

“Their greatest strength is that they are not professional politicians, but are competent individuals, connected to their local areas and issues they seek to represent. They have achieved great things in their professional or personal life, from entrepreneurs, small business owners and economists – to teachers, academics, forklift driver and bankers.

“But we all share a commitment to deliver Brexit, defend democracy and change politics for good.”

His selection was supported by both the North East Brexit Party MEPs, Brian Monteith and John Tennant.