JOE DOCHERTY, the chief executive of Tees Valley Regeneration, has firmly denied reports that he has been selected to fight for a seat in Parliament at the next General Election.
Rumours have circulated the region that the urban regeneration company chief executive was chosen by the Labour Party to stand as a representative in Glasgow.
But the 34-year-old Glaswegian described the suggestion as "totally, utterly untrue".
He told The Northern Echo: "I have been an active member of the Labour Party all my life and I am a strong supporter.
"However, there is no truth in this rumour whatsoever. I have not set foot in Glasgow since Christmas Day."
A spokesman for the Scottish Labour Party said: "We have not selected a Joe Docherty, not in Glasgow or in any of our constituencies."
Mr Docherty has a strong commercial background, having worked as a director of urban and regional economic development for Barclays Bank. He also chaired the group that devised the preliminary regional economic strategy for One NorthEast and was a former special policy advisor with the Northern Development Company (NDC).
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