Tristram Hunt selected to fight Stoke-on-Trent seat

The TV historian and Guardian columnist Tristram Hunt has been selected as a Labour parliamentary candidate. The broadcaster and author will fight the Stoke-on-Trent Central seat in the general election after the incumbent Labour MP, Mark Fisher, announced he would step down. Although Hunt won an overwhelming majority of votes, his selection caused some friction among party activists upset that none of the three candidates shortlisted was a local candidate. Fisher held the seat with a majority of 9,774 at the last general election in 2005. Although traditionally a safe Labour seat, Stoke-on-Trent has seen a surge in support for the British National party in recent years, and the BNP has seven local councillors. The BNP's national deputy leader, Simon Darby, will contest the seat in the general election.