THE Lib Dems are putting their fierce stance against hard Brexit “front and centre” in their election fights in York.

The party has announced its candidates for the two York seats, and said that in a city that voted 58 per cent for Remain, they believe their opposition to hard Brexit could lever votes away from the incumbents. Green party candidates have also been confirmed for both seats.

James Blanchard will be standing in York Outer, while the party’s Nick Love is fighting the York Central seat.

They will be fighting sitting MPs Conservative Julian Sturdy and Labour’s Rachael Maskell, as well as Green party candidates Bethan Vincent in York Outer and Andy D’Agorne in York Central - the only other candidates to have been announced publicly so far.

Mr Blanchard said: “Fifty-eight per cent of York residents voted to Remain in the EU and many more oppose the reckless decision of this hard-right Conservative government to pursue a ‘hard Brexit’. Only the Lib Dems here in York are truly fighting the Conservative plans.”

Green party candidates have been in place since autumn, when the party decided it needed to be ready for a snap election.

Ms Vincent, 26, said she wanted to stand because as a younger person she felt politics did not represent her views, or the views of her peers.The party is fielding candidates in as many constituencies as possible, she added, to give people the “Green option” they might not have had before 2015. In York Outer, fears about fracking will play a huge part in their campaign, she added.

“The impact of fracking on the environment will hit everyone equally, no matter what their economic status.” Andy D’Agorne, already a Green city councillor, is standing for the Greens in York Central and the seat is second only to Sheffield Central as a priority for the party. A council by-election in Micklegate ward - which already has one Green councillor - is also likely to be held on the same day as the General Election. Cllr D’Agorne said they are hoping to boost the 10 per cent vote share their Parliamentary candidate got in 2015.