THE leader of the Colchester Labour Party could have his eye on the town's Parliamentary seat.

Tim Young, who has stood for the party against Ukip incumbent Douglas Carswell in the Clacton seat twice, has confirmed last year's General Election was the last time he will contest the seat.

The deputy leader of Colchester Council could now be setting his sights on the Colchester seat in 2020.

Mr Young said: "I definitely won't be standing in Clacton again.

"I have done that twice and I won't be doing it again."

He added: "If the party wants me to stand in Colchester then that's something I would have to think about.

"I do think in Colchester we need a local candidate and therefore I would have to give it some consideration and I wouldn't rule it out but I am in the hands of the party.

"I do think it has to be someone with a high local profile and someone who the party can get behind.

"I think with Sir Bob losing in 2015, the Lib Dems will not be in the fight for the seat so it is for us, I believe, to de-seat the Tories."

Conservative Will Quince won the Colchester seat with a majority of 5,570.

Lib Dem Sir Bob Russell was his closest challenger, with Labour missing out by about 10,000 votes.

Mr Young, who was speaking from the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, also said although the majority of the Colchester group had backed Owen Smith for the party's leadership, Labour should unite after Jeremy Corbyn won an increased majority in the leadership race.

Of the Colchester group, only Mr Young's fellow cabinet member Mike Lilley publicly backed Mr Corbyn.

He also backed plans for the Parliamentary Labour Party to elect the party's shadow cabinet rather than its members being chosen by Mr Corbyn.