BLOGGER and former Echo journalist Jack Monroe has announced she is to fight Southend West MP Sir David Amess at the General Election.. and sarcastically thanked Katie Hopkins for being her "campaign sponsor".

Ms Monroe, a food blogger who also campaigns on poverty issues, said she will stand in the Southend West constituency on June 8.

A major platform for her campaign will be a shake-up of NHS  services in Essex, which could lead to the downgrading of Southend A&E.

She announced the news on Twitter and retweeted a post by the National Health Action (NHA) Party which said it was "delighted" that Ms Monroe was standing.

Earlier this year, outspoken columnist Hopkins was ordered to pay £24,000 damages to Ms Monroe at the end of a case dubbed "Twibel" by media pundits.

The former Apprentice star, who faces a costs bill running into six figures, was also ordered to pay £107,000 on account within 28 days.

Ms Monroe complained that two May 2015 tweets accused her of "vandalising a war memorial and desecrating the memory of those who fought for her freedom, or of approving or condoning such behaviour".

Hopkins's defence was that her tweets did not bear the meanings complained of, were not defamatory and it had not been shown that they caused serious harm to Ms Monroe's reputation.

But Mr Justice Warby ruled in Ms Monroe's favour and said the publications "not only caused Ms Monroe real and substantial distress, but also harm to her reputation which was serious".

Ms Monroe tweeted on Friday: "Aaaaand we're off. It's official. I'm standing against David Amess in Southend West, for our NHS."

The NHA Party tweeted: "We are delighted that @MxJackMonroe is standing for us in the General Election! Our NHS is worth fighting for!"

Responding to Twitter users suggesting that she will lose her deposit, Ms Monroe wrote: "For all those gloating that I may lose my deposit, I may well do, but you should be directing your glee to my campaign sponsor, Katie.

"... because nothing feels more right than using money earned through division and hate, to instead promote unity, community, and care.

"So from the bottom of my heart, thankyou Katie for your generous - if unwitting - contribution to saving the National Health Service."

Conservative David Amess won the Southend West seat in the 2015 general election with a 14,000 majority.