LABOUR councillor Ivan Lewis could become one of the country's youngest MPs after being chosen to fight the marginal Bury South seat at the next election.

Cllr Lewis, aged 28, overwhelmingly defeated his rivals to become Labour's candidate to wrest the seat from Tory MP David Sumberg. His majority at the last election was 788.

Cllr Lewis, born and raised in Bury, represents Sedgley Park on the council and is a senior executive for Jewish Social Services in the town.

An election must take place before April 1997 which means that if Mr Lewis overturns Mr Sumberg's slender majority, he will enter the Commons aged 30 or younger. He told the selection meeting last night that he was proud and honoured to have been chosen to represent New Labour.

A spokesman at the party's regional headquarters in Warrington said today: "We recognise Ivan Lewis as a hard-working campaigner who has led campaigns to stop rail privatisation and reduce VAT on home heating fuel.

"If he wins the seat - and we are confident that he will - he'll be among the youngest of the new parliamentary intake." Labour's candidate to fight Bury North, where Social Security Minister Alistair Burt will defend a majority of 4,764, will be chosen from among six shortlisted hopefuls next Tuesday.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.