A former president of the National Union of Students (NUS) has pledged to give voters “a positive choice” at the next general election after being selected to stand as Labour’s candidate in Ilford North.

Cllr Wes Streeting, who has been deputy leader of the Redbridge Labour group since October 2011, was chosen by constituency members on Sunday.

He won a majority in the first round of voting after coming up against three other candidates in hustings ahead of the vote at the Redbridge Institute of Adult Education, Gaysham Avenue, Gants Hill.

The 30-year-old Chadwell ward councillor was elected to Redbridge Council in a by-election in July 2010.

He said: ““My job is to hold Lee Scott to account for the policies he has voted for that are damaging constituents’ lives. I want to give a positive Labour alternative that people can have faith in.”

Conservative Mr Scott held a 5,404 majority over the Labour candidate in the 2010 general election, with the constituency 83rd in a list of target seats for Labour in 2015.

Addressing what will be the key topics in the election, Cllr Streeting said: “The cost of living is a big issue.

“It’s a constituency with mixed affluence – I think everyone is feeling the pinch.”

Mr Scott, who was first elected Ilford North MP in 2005, said: “The big question [of the next election] is whether you want to go back to the past or look to the future.”