BRADFORD'S textile and woollen trade could enjoy a resurgence in the wake of Brexit, according to a Conservative election candidate.

Mark Trafford, who is standing in Bradford East, spoke after visiting the Bradford-based British Wool Marketing Board yesterday. Mr Trafford said the trades which made Bradford an internationally renowned city in its heyday could again see a boost in years to come, with consumers from countries like China eager to buy quality British goods.

He said: "If you say something is made in Britain, you say something about quality."

Mr Trafford said the British Wool Marketing Board, which collects, grades and promotes British wool, gave Britain the edge in the global woollen trade as it "provides the quality control they don't provide anywhere else".

And he said Bradford should be ready to take advantage of the global markets Brexit would offer.

He said: "What we are doing in Brexit, we are not saying goodbye to Europe, we are saying hello, but we are saying we want to be open to the rest of the world."

He described Bradford as a "bellwether" city, saying its fortunes after Brexit would determine generally whether leaving the EU had been a success.