BOLTON West Conservatives have chosen their candidate to take on Julie Hilling at the next election.

Christopher Green will go head-to-head with Ms Hilling for the marginal Bolton West seat in 2015 after he fought off competition from two other candidates — including a serving Bolton councillor.

A trained engineer, Mr Green has worked in the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries, taught English in Rwanda and was a member of the Territorial Army for several years before entering politics.

In 2010 he stood unsuccessfully as a candidate for Manchester Withington, where he was beaten into third place by Labour’s Lucy Powell and John Leech, who retained the seat for the Liberal Democrats.

In the recent Bolton West vote, Mr Green beat Bradshaw councillor Mudasir Dean and Jackie Whiteley — who had fought the Bradford West by-election against George Galloway last year. Bolton Conservative deputy leader and Hulton councillor Andy Morgan had been due to stand but pulled out of the running citing family and business commitments. In 2010, Bolton West was won by Labour’s Ms Hilling by 92 votes following six recounts.

If elected, Mr Green said his main aims would be to raise standards in schools, ensure a fair deal for pensioners, tackle crime in Bolton West and rebalance the economy to benefit the north of England, with increased focus on technology and manufacturing.

He said: “I can assure Bolton West residents that I will work tirelessly between now and 2015 to win their trust and give them a real and credible alternative to the Labour Party.”

Ms Hilling said: “I look forward in the coming months to debating the issues in the constituency with Mr Green, particularly the vindictive and cruel effects that his party’s policies have had on residents.”