A former editor of the Birmingham Post is nailing his political colours to the mast and hoping to topple the sitting MP for Edgbaston.

Nigel Hastilow, who had the editor’s seat between 1993 and 1999, is standing for the Conservative Party in next week’s General Election.

He is running against Gisela Stuart, who has already progressed to become a junior health minister and could end up with a cabinet post if she retains her seat.

Nigel Hastilow is 44 and spent much of his working life at the Post and Mail.

He has been using the vast knowledge of the area and its people that he collected during his time in newspapers to try to impress the voters during the month-long campaign.

His career took off as a trainee at the Solihull News, before a move to the Evening Mail, where he covered crime, then education and social services.

He had a spell in the marketing department before moving to Westminster as political correspondent for the Birmingham Post for three years. He returned to Birmingham as deputy editor.