A political party founded just last year with climate change at the heart of its existence is standing in Selby and Ainsty in its first-ever by-election.

Luke Wellock is the candidate for the Climate Party, which aims to be a more business-friendly alternative to the traditional Greens.

The party, founded by Buckinghamshire councillor Ed Gemmell, describes itself as centre-right. It has announced plans to stand in 110 marginal constituencies, targeting Conservative MPs it believes are ‘obstructing climate action.’

Selby and Ainsty by-election: 13 candidates announced

The Climate Party has been likened to the successful Teal Independents of Australia and its colour is the Blue-Green of the Teal duck.

Luke lives in the Keighley Constituency and describes himself as a “seasoned sustainability professional and proud father.”

Currently taking time out to be a full-time parent, the 35-year-old has spent the past decade helping businesses reduce their environmental impact.

Recently, he launched his own sustainability consultancy, which he says is further solidifying his commitment to a more sustainable future.

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Luke is a former sustainability manager for Morrisons in Leeds, a former corporate responsibility manager for the Leeds Building Society, and a former corporate advisor for Business in the Community. He gained a BA in management from the University of Leeds.

Luke told the Press: “Climate change is the defining issue of our time, and our current political parties are falling short.

“The government's target to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is simply not soon enough. The Climate Party's bold policies to decarbonise by 2030 caught my attention. This isn't just about saving the planet; it's about unlocking business innovation and prosperity for the people of Britain."

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Luke says he is standing in the by-election because he believes that climate change needs to be a top priority for the people of Selby and Ainsty.

 "The Climate Party is a single-issue party, and I'm reaching out to voters from all political backgrounds. If you want to see meaningful action on climate change and believe in Britain leading the global race to decarbonise, I'm your candidate."

The Climate Party’s leader Ed Gemmell is standing in the Uxbridge and Ruislip by-election, the constituency of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose by-election also takes place on Thursday July 20.

The other 12 candidates in Selby and Ainsty are: Andrew Philip Gray (Independent); Claire Holmes (Conservative); Mike Jordan (Yorkshire Party); Dave Kent (Reform UK); Keir Mather (Labour); Nick Palmer (Independent); Guy Phoenix (Heritage Party); Sir Archibald Stanton (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party); Matt Walker (Liberal Democrat); Arnold Francis Ignatius Warneken (The Green Party); John William Waterston (Social Democratic Party); and Tyler Callum Wilson-Kerr (Independent).

The Selby and Ainsty by-election was called following the resignation of sitting Conservative MP Nigel Adams, who held the seat with a 20,137 majority.