Sunderland Central MP Julie Elliott has said she is ‘delighted’ to have been reselected to contest the seat for Labour at the UK’s next general election

Elliott, who has represented Wearside’s Sunderland Central constituency since 2010, announced the news on social media.

In a post on Twitter and Facebook, she said: “Delighted to share that I have been unanimously reselected by Sunderland Central Labour Party branches and affiliated organisations as the candidate at the next general election.”

The repeal of the 2011 Fixed Term Parliaments Act earlier this year means there is no longer a fixed date for when the country next goes to the polls.

Under the replacement Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022, Parliament will automatically be dissolved on December 17 next year (2023) and a general election held 25 days later – unless the government chooses to stage one sooner.

The Conservative Party is currently staging an internal contest for a new leader to replace Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.