A council leader has found out he will not be standing at the next general election.

Councillor Morris Bright, leader of Hertsmere Borough Council and Hertfordshire County Councillor, approached the Conservative party to be considered as a candidate for the Hertsmere seat for next year’s election.

The Hertsmere seat has been left vacant after current MP James Clappison resigned earlier this year, after almost 23 years service to the area.

However after an assessment at the conservative campaign headquarters, cllr Bright found out he had not been selected as a potential candidate.

He said: “It would have been a great privilege to represent Hertsmere as their MP. I have always loved serving the borough and will continue to do so as leader of the authority.

“I look forward to working with the successful candidate to ensure the voices of our residents are heard loudly in Westminster.”

The successful candidate for the seat will be announced at a meeting on October 7.

Current candidates for the Hertsmere seat include Richard Butler for the Labour party and Frank Ward for UKIP.