City of Chester: Cost of living and buses on new MP's agenda

Samantha Dixon was elected MP for the City of Chester at a by-election on 1 December

The new MP for Chester has said the cost of living and bus services in the city are high on her agenda as she marks her first week in the role.

Labour's Samantha Dixon was elected MP for the City of Chester at a by-election on 1 December in what was Labour's best ever result in the seat.

She said she wanted to "fight the corners of local people who are having difficulties making ends meet".

The contest was triggered by the resignation of Christian Matheson.

The previous Labour MP had stood down after Parliament's watchdog recommended his suspension for "serious sexual misconduct".

Ms Dixon secured more than 17,000 votes in the by-election for a seat held by Labour since 2015, giving her a majority of almost 11,000 over the Conservative candidate Liz Wardlaw, who came second with 22% of the vote share.

She told BBC Radio Merseyside the main issue she would be raising would be the rising cost of living, describing it as "very worrying".

"It's a very troubling time and we need a strong voice in Chester to fight the corners of local people who are having difficulties making ends meet."

She also highlighted local bus services.

"There are parts of the city that don't have regular evening buses but if you look at Liverpool and Manchester, they have the power to run their own bus services," she said.

"That would be something that Chester, along with other towns and cities, would like to have."

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner says Chester voters had shown they "want a Labour government"

Ms Dixon - a former leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council - said she had wanted to be the city's MP after seeing "problems in the community around you and you just get frustrated and want to see a way that you can help".

"My family has always been involved in the Labour Party but as a mum with three daughters I really want to show people that it's something you can do too," she added.

On Monday she was sworn in as an MP, taking an oath of allegiance to the Crown and on Wednesday she was welcomed to Parliament by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

He said: "The best ever result in the 105 years that we've been fighting that seat and a staggering 61% of the vote, so that is absolutely brilliant.

"You're joining a brilliant team of Labour MPs and what we're showing is Labour has changed, we've got the answers to the challenges the country has and it's not just by-elections we want, it's a general election we want."