The former Mayor of Harrow has announced she will stand for Parliament in the next general election.

Former Harrow councillor Nana Asante announced she will fight for the Harrow East parliamentary seat representing the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) at next May’s election.

The former Edgware representative lost her seat on the council at this year’s local election, where she stood as a candidate for the Independent Labour Group.

She said: “I want to promote true socialist values, which was about prioritising and serving the needs of ordinary people and promoting social justice and an alternative to cuts and austerity.

“The reason I chose to stand was the same reason I got into politics in the first place, because I want to help people.

“For me it is about showing people there is an alternative to the main parties and I want to engage with people and stimulate debate.

“For myself and members of the coalition we do not believe that Labour’s austerity-light will help and we don’t believe in the Tory’s cuts.

“I have been campaigning and meeting with people since the election in May and I have found there is an appetite for discussion and debate about the issues.

“I am very excited about the campaigning months ahead and meeting with the people of Harrow.”

Ms Asante will be running against incumbent Conservative MP Bob Blackman, Labour candidate Uma Kumaran and Liberal Democrat candidate Ross Barlow.

As a councillor she was one of eight who broke away from the then ruling Labour group in March 2013 to form the ILG.

The group held control of the council under the leadership of Thaya Idaikkadar before they were replaced by the Conservative group in September last year.

The TUSC was founded in 2010 as a group to represent members of trade unionists, community campaigners and socialists against the government austerity cuts.

At the general election next year the groups says it aims to field 100 parliamentary candidates and around 1,000 candidates in local elections.