THE race to stand for Labour in Barrow at the next general election has reached the final three.

The trio of candidates are hoping to contest Barrow and Furness for the party the next time the country goes to the polls.

They have secured the backing of local branches in the constituency.

The final shortlist now includes Chris Altree, Erica Lewis and Michelle Scrogham.

A hustings events is due to be held on April 2.

Following that Labour members will vote for their chosen candidate.

Mr Altree, a previous chair of the Barrow and Furness Labour party, will fight for the nomination again after he stood for the party and lost in the last election.

He said: "As the candidate to be nominated by the most branches, I look forward to taking my message of hope to the membership.

"The support so far has been overwhelming, so a huge thank you to everyone who has supported me, including the two largest unions in the country - Unison and Unite."

The list also includes councillor Michelle Scrogham, the current mayor of Ulverston and chair of the town's Business Improvement District. 

She missed out on being selected as Labour's candidate after putting her name forward ahead of the last election and says she has 'an in-depth understanding of the challenges and possibilities for our unique peninsula'.

"I look forward to meeting members over the next two weeks prior to hustings and the final vote," she said.

Erica Lewis is a member of Lancaster City Council and has described herself as a 'new champion' for Barrow and Furness.

After being shortlisted, she said: "After ten years of living and working around the Bay, I've become very attached and it would be an absolute honour to serve the people of Barrow and Furness as their next MP."

The list was whittled down from five names.

Recent polls suggested Labour could win a landslide victory in the next general election, expected to be held next year. 

One model said Labour could win 424 seats, a gain of 222 from the last election. 

Models also suggest Labour could win in Barrow and Furness with more than 50 per cent of the vote.

Barrow MP Simon Fell is due to stand for the Conservatives after an overwhelming victory in 2019.