TRADE unionist and socialist Navendu Mishra has won by a landslide to become Stockport’s Labour parliamentary candidate to take on Blairite defector Ann Coffey.

The Star understands that 592 eligible votes by local Labour members were cast and that Mr Mishra won the contest in the first round with 338 votes — approximately 57 per cent.

His nearest rival, Gorton councillor Julie Reid, received 218 votes. Local activist Mike Cain received 12 and former parliamentary candidate Fiona Dent received 23.

The vote was triggered when Ms Coffey, who held the seat for Labour since 1992, defected to The Independent Group in February this year. The seat has a Labour majority of 14,477.

Mr Mishra told the Star: “Words can’t quite express how humbled I am.

“Stockport is a great town with a bright future, but far too many people feel left behind and are struggling far too much.

“It is our duty to fight tirelessly so that our wonderful community is properly represented, once again, by a Labour MP.

“I would like to offer my special thanks to all local members, the nine trade unions who backed me, and everyone who offered a kind word.

“The fight for a better Stockport begins now.”

He became politically active as a shop-floor trade unionist in Stockport.

He later became an industrial organiser for Unison and organised care workers in precarious employment across the Greater Manchester region. He was also locally active in both of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour leadership campaigns.

Last year he was elected to Labour’s governing national executive committee.

In the parliamentary candidate selection he received the backing of Momentum, nine trade unions, shadow chancellor John McDonnell and the majority of Stockport’s party branches.

At the selection count at Brinnington Labour Club members discussed how the victory was “historic” given the dominance of the party’s right wing in the local area.

One member said: “If my father was around today, he would have been so proud.”

The result will be seen as a sign of the growing confidence of the Labour left in north-west England.