Labour announces candidate for expected by-election in Runcorn and Helsby
The by-election is expected to take place following Mike Amesbury's resignation after he was handed a suspended prison sentence
Labour has selected Karen Shore as its candidate for the expected by-election in Runcorn and Helsby. The by-election is expected to take place following Mike Amesbury's resignation after he was handed a suspended prison sentence for attacking a constituent.
Amesbury, who represents the Runcorn and Helsby constituency in Parliament, was handed a 10-week prison sentence, later suspended after an appeal, after he admitted assaulting Paul Fellows following a night out on Frodsham in Cheshire last October.
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Amesbury was suspended from the Labour Party after the incident and later left the party altogether. Today, Labour has announced Karen Shore will stand for the party. Karen Shore is a former teacher who worked in schools in the Wirral and has worked for over 10 years as a councillor in Cheshire West and Chester.
She said: “This by-election is our chance to keep delivering the change that the people of Runcorn and Helsby voted for last July.
“This Labour Government has hit the ground running, delivering an extra 2 million NHS appointments, earlier than promised.
"Delivering security and dignity for working people and raising the minimum wage for 12,000 people locally. And we've committed to the biggest increase in defence spending since the end of the cold war. That’s the difference a Labour government makes.
“And that’s the change we’re delivering in Runcorn and Helsby. We’re fixing seven million potholes this year by investing £4m locally, we’re investing in policing so we can put officers back on the streets and last week we announced a £20million fund to improve Runcorn.
“This is only happening because we have a Labour government and it’s a Labour government that’s only just getting started. Now we need a strong, local voice for Runcorn and Helsby at the heart of Government, to keep delivering the change we need.”
The Labour Party said: "While Reform descends into chaos and division, their only plan is to make people pay for NHS treatment. Karen's campaign will be focused on the voters of Runcorn and Helsby, fixing our NHS and delivering the change people need."
Following the selection of Karen Shore as Labour’s candidate for the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, the Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party, The Rt Hon Keir Starmer MP, said: “Karen Shore will be a champion for the people of Runcorn and Helsby.
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“She’s local and her experience as a teacher and serving the community as a councillor will give people a strong voice in the House of Commons. That’s what people in Runcorn and Helsby deserve in their Member of Parliament.
“I look forward to her working hard with ministers if she is elected to deliver the local change that the area and our country deserve.”
