A NEW chair of Warrington South Constituency Labour Party (CLP) has been elected after highlighting why the party 'needs to win' the next General Election.

Almost 150 members attended the branch's annual general meeting at Bold Street Methodist Church on Friday as elections for positions took place.

Latchford West councillor Maureen McLaughlin, executive board member for public health and wellbeing, takes over from Cllr Steve Wright as the new chair after being elected following a 'passionate' speech.

She said: "Everyone struggling to pay the rent, heat their home and put food on the table needs Labour to win.

"Every worker forced into insecurity through zero-hours contracts and dubious 'self-employment' schemes needs Labour to win.

"Every sick person waiting far too long for NHS treatment, every older person needing social care or disabled person needing help to live an independent life, needs Labour to win.

"This is about dignity, fairness and justice.

"These are Labour's core values."

Commenting on her new role, she added: "I am committed to ensuring that all of our members can get involved and help Faisal to win in the next General Election.

"This is very much about teamwork and ensuring we use everybody's talents to the full.

"We have a great team of dedicated and committed officers and I look forward to working alongside them in the year ahead.

"When we work together, enabling and supporting one another and focusing on the task in hand, we are unstoppable."

Warrington South MP Faisal Rashid made a short speech thanking members for their support throughout his first year in Parliament and said Cllr McLaughlin will make 'a brilliant chair'.

Mo Hussain, who is the general secretary of Warrington Ethnic Communities Association and vice chairman of Warrington Islamic Association, was also elected as the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) officer on the CLP's executive committee.

The Great Sankey resident admitted the support from members left him 'overwhelmed'.

He said: "I am quite new to politics but have been a volunteer community worker for more than 20 years.

"We have a lot of party support from people from BAME backgrounds but only around 30 BAME members in Warrington South.

"I want to get more people involved with the party, so they can be heard during the decision-making process.

"I want to achieve bringing all communities together but not just from within the Labour Party.

"I hope to get everyone together to get rid of a lot of the difficulties that communities are facing."