THE all-woman shortlist for Labour’s Durham City parliamentary candidates has been revealed.

It includes Gateshead councillor Mary Foy, Durham councillor Maura McKeon, Nurse and co-founder of Durham Labour Left Angela Hankin and Taiwo Owatemi, a pharmacist from London.

Labour is selecting a new candidate following the announcement that Roberta Blackman-Wood, who has been the city's MP since 2005, will not be standing in the next election.

Cllr Foy, who is a member of Gateshead’s cabinet, wrote on Twitter: “I’m pleased to announce I’m standing to be Labour’s next candidate in City of Durham – a place I worked for years supporting local people to have their voices heard.

“I want to see us transform our communities & country with our radical manifesto.”

In a longer message posted on social media, that began “Dear Comrades”, Cllr Foy vowed to fight for local people in the face of what she described as a “hard right” Boris Johnson Government.

She wrote: “I have lived and worked in the North East all my life and am passionate about fighting for our people in the face of the threat of a hard right Johnson Government.”

Cllr Foy also re-tweeted an endorsement from trade union boss Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite the Union, as well as the bakers, food and Allied Workers Union.

She wrote: “My trade unionism runs through everything I do, and if I’m fortunate to be selected as the candidate for City of Durham it will inform all of my campaigning and representation.”

Cllr Foy has been a Labour member for 30 years and is chair of Blaydon CLP.

She was elected to Gateshead Council in 2006 and was appointed to the cabinet in 2009, where she holds the portfolio for health and well-being.

Also on the shortlist is Durham councillor Maura McKeon, who currently represents the Coxhoe ward.

Cllr McKeon is the county council’s deputy cabinet member for children’s and young people’s services and is chairwoman of the Durham Women’s Gala group, which brought the historical rally back to the city last year after 40-year hiatus to celebrate a century since women in the UK won the vote

She confirmed in a tweet posted this weekend that she had made the final stage of the selection contest for her home city.

She wrote: “I am so unbelievably proud that Labour has shortlisted me to be our candidate in my home City of Durham, I’m brimming with excitement to take my vision for our area to the members.”

Nurse Angela Hankin, Durham Constituency Labour Party vice-chair and co-founder of Durham Labour Left, also features.

Ms Hankin posted on Facebook that she is “incredibly honoured” to be given the chance to be a prospective parliamentary candidate.

Taiwo Owatemi a pharmacist from London has also made the cut.

Dr Blackman-Woods announced over the summer she would not be standing for re-election, citing “largely personal reasons.”