A DESCENDANT of a man who condemned Guy Fawkes to death is hoping to become an MP in Fawkes' home city.

Conservative Susan Wade Weeks, who has been selected to contest the York Central seat at the next General Election, is related to Sir William Wade, Lieutenant in the Tower Of London at the time of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot.

Now, 400 years after her forefather brought York-born Fawkes to justice, Ms Wade Weeks is hoping to create some political fireworks and spark a Tory revival in the city.

Ms Wade Weeks, who is also the mother of TV actress Honeysuckle Weeks, who starred in Foyle's War, and can trace her direct family line back to William the Conqueror's parents, will do battle with sitting Labour MP Hugh Bayley, composer Christian Vassie, of the Liberal Democrats, and Andy Chase of the Green Party, whenever the next election is held.

Speaking to The Press for the first time since her selection, Ms Wade Weeks said she was captivated by the history of York, and its Minster and stained glass.

She said: "The whole heritage thing is very important to me. I have studied history of art, and I hope to join York Conservation Trust."

She said York was once a "seriously important place" and could be again.

Ms Wade Weeks is in the process of moving to York from Chichester, where she is a councillor, but denied she had been "parachuted" into York.

She has relatives in Yorkshire, and said she relished the challenge of getting into Parliament via a difficult seat, rather than winning an easy one.

She said she would spend the coming weeks getting to grips with local issues, but said it was already clear traffic and housing were big issues, and she said she supported calls to dual the outer ring road.

She said she also hoped to set up a White Rose Club for young mothers.

The next election, likely to be held in 2009 or 2010, will see the constituencies in our region redrawn to include a new York Central seat, surrounded by a doughnut-shaped York Outer constituency.