The Labour Party has unveiled its candidate for the upcoming by-election in the constituency of West Lancashire.

A vote is being held as incumbent MP, Labour's Rosie Cooper, is leaving her role in Parliament after 17 years to take a job as chair of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Ashley Dalton has been named by Labour as their candidate for the seat.

A mother, carer, cancer survivor and Lancashire lass, Ashley has spent 25 years working with grassroots communities in local government.

She currently works part-time for a charity in the county, and is passionate about helping people and improving local services.

If elected, she has pledged to tackle issues affecting the area such as food and fuel poverty, rising energy costs, fracking, community safety and fly-tipping.

After being selected, she said: “My offer to voters is simple. I will put the people of West Lancashire at the top of my priorities, in everything I do.

"I'll listen to local people and tackle the issues that are affecting us. I want West Lancashire to be a better place to live and work.

"The Conservatives are destroying our economy, our fuel bills are sky-high and fracking in West Lancashire is not the answer.

"The Labour alternative would be a publicly owned Great British Energy Company, reducing bills for families and investing back into our country.

"I will stand up for local people and be your champion in West Lancashire.

"The Conservative economic crisis we are facing was made in Downing Street, paid for by hardworking people across West Lancashire facing higher mortgages and soaring costs.

"Only a Labour Government is going to deliver for working people and deliver the fairer, greener future our country deserves.”

A date for the by-election has yet to be announced but is expected to be in the winter.

No other parties have announced their candidates for the vote yet.

At the 2019 General Election, Labour won the seat with 52 per cent of the vote.

Election predictions site Electoral Calculus currently has Labour having a 100 per cent chance of retaining the seat, with an enhanced percentage of the vote.