The people vying to become Colchester's Labour parliamentary candidate

Labour has finished second behind the Conservatives at the last two general elections, with MP Will Quince’s current majority standing at 9,423.

But with a Labour surge in the polls, the hopeful candidates believe Colchester could turn red for the first time since 1945.

Colchester Council culture and heritage boss Professor Pam Cox is also head of the department of Sociology at the University of Essex.

She said Colchester “has a great chance to return a woman MP for the first time in its history”.

She said: “Labour needs to win seats like Colchester at the next General Election if we are to form a majority government.

“I have won for Labour in my ward securing a 21 per cent swing in the 2021 local elections in a Lib Dem stronghold and helping two more Labour candidates to win there in 2022.

“I believe I can do the same for the Parliamentary constituency.”

Lee Scordis, 35, who has served as a Colchester borough councillor since 2016 and as an Essex county councillor since 2017, has also put his name forward.

Mr Scordis said he believes Colchester “can be so much better than it is”.

“We not only see crime on the rise, buses being cut and businesses suffering - I also see fundamental issues being ignored,” he said.

“We have a red-herring of a bus statione, a town centre dealing with the implications of having an out-oftown shopping centre.

“The Roman capital of Britain that does not even make the most of Gosbecks where the Emperor Claudius accepted the surrender of the Britons.

“We can and should be one of the top five names people mention when talking about tourism.”

According to LabourList, former barrister Henry Tufnell, who works as an organiser with the Cleaners and Allied Independent Workers Union, is also standing.

Matt Bennett, a former deputy leader of Lambeth Council, also told the publication he was considering putting himself forward.

Chris Vince, leader of the Labour group on Harlow Council, is also standing.