A journalism student is hoping to win election to his local council next month after being selected to stand for the Labour Party.

Harry Taylor has been studying journalism at Brighton Journalist Works since September last year but could become a councillor at the 5 May elections.

He has been chosen to stand for Labour in a former safe seat for the party, which was narrowly won by Conservative candidates at the elections in 2007.

Last week, Staffordshire University journalism student Andrew Bettridge revealed he would be standing for Labour at East Staffordshire Borough Council’s elections.

Harry has written a blog on BJW’s website about his campaign to become elected to the Arley and Whitacre ward at North Warwickshire Borough Council.

He writes: “The campaign trail is a constant test, but an enjoyable and constantly exciting one. Everyone has their own story and they want to tell it.

“People want to know what you believe in, what you’re going to do for them and, more importantly, are you local? This little anecdote perhaps sums that up.

“On Tuesday I met Bertie, a veteran of the North Africa campaign of WW2. After having a quick chat about Libya he asked if I was a local lad. I confirmed that I was of local origin and he asked who my grandparents were.

“Bertie gave a loud gasp of amazement as I told him. It transpired he knew my grandfather, whom I never had the chance to, telling me, ‘I used to drink with him in 1958′.

“Thanks to a granddad buying Bertie a half of Mild all those years ago, a lifelong Conservative voter will now be marking a cross for Labour for the first time.

“I always wanted a relatively quiet life of freelance journalism and academia, jobs where it doesn’t matter if you can’t work an iron and can’t be bothered to shave.

“But the campaign so far has introduced me to so many great people young and old, rich and poor that even if I don’t win on May 5, I’d do it all again.”