An Enfield councillor selected to challenge for the Enfield Southgate parliamentary seat says it will be a tough struggle but he is up for the fight.

Bambos Charalambous, Enfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for culture and leisure was selected by fellow party members to take on Enfield Southgate’s Conservative MP David Burrowes for the constituency at the General Election in 2015.

The councillor contested the position in 2010, when he was defeated by the current MP by more than 7,000 votes, but Mr Charalambous claims that a lot has changed since.

He said: “The party is in a different position from four years ago and we are now ready to take on David Burrowes.

“It will be a tough struggle but I am up for the fight. We are going to cover every area of the constituency from Ladderswood to Hadley Wood.”

Mr Burrowes has been MP since 2005 when he defeated the then MP and current Shadow Secretary of State of Education Stephan Twigg.

Mr Charalambous added: “I was overjoyed that my fellow members voted for me and given me another chance to defeat David Burrowes.

“We will be focusing our campaign on improving the future for young people who have been treated poorly under this government. We will also target people who are on low income or benefits as there has been a rise in the costs of living.”

The councillor also said that protecting key services such as health and policing would be high on the agenda.

In a close contest, Mr Charalambous saw off competition from Lynda Rice, councillor in Barking and Dagenham, Julia Jaye Charles, founder of the Equalities National Council and Palmers Green councillor Ibrahim Dogus.