Labour secures comfortable win in West Lancashire byelection

Labour’s Ashley Dalton has become the country’s newest MP after a comfortable win in the West Lancashire byelection.

Bitterly cold conditions on polling day and the expectation of an easy Labour hold contributed to turnout of less than 32 per cent.

Ms Dalton, who works part-time for a local charity, secured a majority of over 8,300 over Conservative candidate Mike Prendergast.

The ballot was held on Thursday in the Labour-held seat after Rosie Cooper, who represented the constituency for 17 years, accepted the role of chairwoman of the Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust.

Polls opened at 7am in the constituency, which Ms Cooper last won in 2019 with a majority of 8,336.