The Liberal Democrats have named their candidates to stand in Herefordshire’s two parliamentary constituencies in the general election due next year.

City and county councillor Dan Powell will stand in Hereford and South Herefordshire, the seat currently held by Jesse Norman for the Conservatives.

And Cat Hornsey, also a city councillor, will stand in North Herefordshire against Sir Bill Wiggin, also a Conservative.

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The party made strong gains in the county in May’s local elections, with a 14.3 per cent swing leading to a doubling of their county council seats to 12, and becoming dominant on the city council.

Coun Powell was among the new intake of LibDem county councillors, taking the formerly Conservative Redhill ward in Hereford.

“People across the county feel let down by a Conservative government too busy breaking its own rules and infighting to make the improvements our area desperately needs,” he said.

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“We look forward to working with communities, businesses and councillors across our constituencies to campaign for an economy that works for everyone, investment in our communities, transport and meaningful action on climate change.”

Coun Hornsey said: “We need better access to doctors, dentists and support for our hospital.

“We will be campaigning for the infrastructure needed to support our communities. Herefordshire deserves a united team who will stand up for a fair deal for our area.”

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Herefordshire has only ever returned Conservative or Liberal Democrat MPs to Parliament since the War.

The late Paul Keetch was LibDem MP for the former Hereford constituency from 1997 to 2010, before which it had been solidly Conservative. Mr Norman currently has a majority of 19,686.

North Herefordshire, and its pre-2010 predecessor Leominster, have been represented by just four MPs since the War, all Conservative. Sir Bill currently has a 24,856 majority.

Both Hereford and Leominster have been represented as parliamentary boroughs since the late Middle Ages.