RUNCORN MP Mike Amesbury has pledged to hold the government’s welfare policies to account after being promoted to a new role in Labour’s shadow team.

The Weaver Vale MP has been appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Debbie Abrahams.

The role puts him in the team that will scrutinise government policy in how it relates to the work of the Department of Work and Pensions on issues such as benefits, disability entitlements and pensions.

A PPS is an unpaid assistant to a Minister or an opposition shadow Minister selected from backbench MPs to act as his or her eyes and ears of the House of Commons.

They often advise on the state of parliamentary or party opinion and serve as a two-way channel of communication between the Minister and backbench MPs.

Mr Amesbury said: “One of the biggest areas of concern for my constituents since I was elected has been the government’s shocking approach to things such as personal independence payments (PIP) assessments and the shambolic rollout of Universal Credit.

“Myself and my team have seen and heard many examples locally of the suffering caused by these policies and it’s something that comes up at my constituents surgeries again and again.”

The move comes just six months after Mr Amesbury, who previously served as a Manchester City councillor for 11 years, won Weaver Vale for Labour from Conservative Graham Evans, who had held the seat for the previous seven years.

Mr Amesbury added: “My role as constituency MP for Weaver Vale won’t be impacted at all.

“I will continue to put the interests of my constituency first, both locally and in the Commons, at every opportunity.

“This new role will also allow me represent my constituents’ interests as part of Labour’s front bench team, while also helping to hold the government to account on these extremely important issues.”

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