TRADE unions are more important to the success of the Labour Party than ever before, the party’s youth representative has said.

Lara McNeill, a medical student who was recently elected to Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) as youth rep, said that “unions are for life, not just for elections.”

She made the comments in response to NEC member and Momentum director Christine Shawcroft’s suggestion earlier this month that it was “time to support disaffiliation of the unions from the Labour Party,” which was met with widespread condemnation.