Labour is to field three of its councillors to contest the trio of Medway seats at the general election in June.

The three have been nominated by the party’s regional board, who took over the selection process because of the time scale for the snap election.

The three candidates who stood in Medway in 2015 all decided to opt out of the contest.

Andy Stamp, councillor for Gillingham North ward will contest Gillingham and Rainham, the seat currently held by Rehman Chishti who has a majority of 10,530.

He said: “It’s a real privilege to have been selected as Labour’s candidate for Gillingham & Rainham. This is the place where I was born, where I grew up, and where I still live.”

Teresa Murray, councillor for Rochester East ward and deputy leader of Medway Labour Group will fight the Rochester and Strood seat, held by Kelly Tolhurst with a majority of 7,113. She stood as the candidate in 2010.

She said: “The general election is a great opportunity to stand up for people in Rochester and Strood and offer them a real alternative to Tory cuts and more of the same. I am looking forward to the election and will fight for every vote.”

And in Chatham and Aylesford, the well-known councillor Vince Maple, leader of the opposition group on the council and councillor for Chatham Central ward, will stand in Chatham and Aylesford. The seat is held by the sports minister Tracey Crouch, who has a majority of 11,455.

He said: “For too long, we have had a government which has left too many people behind. I’m proud to be a Labour candidate, for the community I call home, standing up for the many, not the few.”

The three face an uphill battle to challenge for victory. In 2015, UKIP leapfrogged over Labour to take second place in Rochester and Strood and came close to doing so the other two.