Labour has selected its candidate to stand against former prime minister Liz Truss at the next general election.

The party has picked Terry Jermy, who lives in Thetford, as its prospective parliamentary candidate for South West Norfolk.

Eastern Daily Press: Terry JermyTerry Jermy (Image: Labour Party)

Mr Jermy will be looking to turn the seat red for the first time since the 1960s and take the constituency from Conservative Ms Truss, who has held the seat since 2010.

He said: “I am delighted to have been selected. I have seen first-hand how South West Norfolk has been taken for granted over many years and is now hungry for change.

"We need a full-time, community-focused MP to address the needs and aspirations of residents.

"As a local businessman, community champion and from my years as a councillor I understand the area well.

"It’s a clear choice in South West Norfolk between more of the same with Liz Truss, or a change in focus and commitment with myself.

"I look forward to campaigning across the constituency, listening to resident’s concerns and aspirations and share my plans. This election is a chance for change."

Former Charles Burrell High School pupil Mr Jermy, who has represented Thetford West at Norfolk County Council since 2013, first became a Thetford town councillor in 2008 at the age of 22.

He has served Thetford Priory ward on Breckland District Council since 2011, where he is also vice chairman.

Mr Jermy runs his own business, producing and distributing 13,000 copies of the About Thetford magazine each month.

Eastern Daily Press: Liz TrussLiz Truss

Ms Truss was reselected to fight the seat a year ago, following her brief stint as prime minister which saw her resign after just 44 days in office - the shortest premiership in British history.

She recently formed the Popular Conservatives wing of her party and attracted controversy for speeches in the United States, where she claimed her efforts to cut taxes were "sabotaged" by the "administrative state and the deep state".

Eastern Daily Press: James BaggeJames Bagge (Image: Garlinda Birkbeck)

Former Norfolk high sheriff James Bagge is also standing against Ms Truss. He was a member of the so-called 'Turnip Taliban' which had opposed her selection as Tory candidate in 2009.

Ms Truss has increased her majority each year since she was first elected in 2010.

In the last general election, in 2019, she took 69pc of the vote, with a majority of 26,000 plus, well clear of second-placed Labour.