A FORMER special advisor to Tessa Jowell is the new Labour parliamentary candidate for Warrington South. election.

Nick Bent was selected at a secret hustings that took place yesterday to select a successor to outgoing Labour MP Helen Southworth, who steps down from her role at the next election.

He said after his selection: "I’m proud to have been selected by the members of Warrington South . The campaign starts here to keep Warrington Labour and I will be fighting on the issues that matter."

"Here in Warrington, people are beginning to see what happens when the Tories and Lib Dems win power; the Council has a £10m budget deficit; Ofsted says child protection is a national disgrace; there's been cuts to voluntary sector grants and even ramping up of burial charges."

Originally from Altrincham, Nick studied at both Oxford and Harvard Universities and worked for Tessa Jowell for four years while she served as a minister for culture, media and sport.