A NEWLY elected Labour councillor has spoken on his victory in this month's local elections.

Dr Michael Hanley, who was elected as the Labour councillor for Alston and Fellside, said: "I am grateful to the voters of Alston and Fellside for placing their confidence in me, and to those who worked so tirelessly on my campaign.

"I look forward to working closely with the other councillors elected in Eden to represent everyone, those who voted for me and those who didn't.

"The political geography has changed beyond recognition but the actual geography remains the same, and we will be fighting for locally-led services which reflect our needs as a relatively isolated community.

"However, there are also enormous disparities of wealth and resources across Westmorland and Furness and I am proud to be joining the strong Labour group on the new council.

"Together we will be working for parity across the authority and for a fair distribution of resources between the favoured and less-favoured areas."

Until April 1, 2023, Dr Hanley remains an Eden District councillor for Alston Moor, alongside Labour Cllr Lissie Sharp, while Labour Cllr Claire Driver continues to represent Alston and Fellside on Cumbria County Council.

READ MORE: Local elections 2022: key results