A MAN from Worcestershire is taking the political fight to the very top - by standing against Tony Blair in the General Election.

Michael Browne has been chosen as the Liberal Democrat candidate in the Prime Minister's historically solid Labour Sedgefield constituency, in County Durham.

Mr Browne, who runs an insurance consultancy in Worcester, faces a huge uphill battle to overturn Mr Blair's massive 17,000 majority.

But he says the General Election is a chance for people who were opposed to the Iraq war to vote against the Labour man.

"The people of Sedgefield have a chance that no one else in the United Kingdom has - to show that Blair has lost the trust of the British people by kicking him out," said Mr Browne, who has lived in Broad Marston, near Evesham, for 30 years.

It is the third General Election in which Mr Browne has taken part.

In 1997 he lost to former Conservative cabinet member Alan Clark in Kensington and Chelsea, and was defeated again in 1999 during a by-election following Mr Clark's death.

He also stood in 2001 in Mid Worcestershire, coming third to Tory Peter Luff.