A SITTING MP who is standing for the new North Cotswolds constituency has spoken out after it was announced that the General Election would take place in July. 

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that a General Election will be held on Thursday, July 4. 

Mr Sunak, who has been Prime Minister since October 2022, has called the election after months of speculation about its date.

Candidates for the new North Cotswolds parliamentary constituency have started giving their initial thoughts to the news.  

Sir Geoffrey Clifton Brown, who has been an MP for the Cotswolds since 1997, said: "Clearly, Rishi Sunak’s announcement that there would be an election on the 4 July came as a surprise to everyone!

"The new North Cotswolds constituency is very complex containing large rural areas in the north of the constituency and dense urban areas along the M5 corridor adjoining Cheltenham and Gloucester.

"To have as big an impact as possible before the election I will be personally knocking on as many doors as possible on a daily basis.

"I will be emphasising my record of achievement as an experienced member of parliament.

"For example the 15 year campaign to get the £500 million A417 project which is scheduled to be completed by 2027, successfully campaigning hard to make infrastructure accompany new development, and persuading the government to measure output of sewage, improving the quality of our rivers through my six monthly public flooding and sewage meetings."

The new constituency comprises of the following wards: Badgeworth, Bisley, Blockley, Bourton Vale, Bourton Village, Brockworth East, Brockworth West, Campden & Vale, Chedworth & Churn Valley, Churchdown, Brookfield with Hucclecote,Churchdown St. John's,Coln Valley, Ermin, Fosseridge, Hardwicke, Minchinhampton, Moreton East, Moreton West, Northleach, Painswick & Upton, Sandywell, Shurdington, Stow and the Rissingtons.