MORE than 50 people have joined the Labour Party in Colchester since the general election.

Outgoing local party chairman Jordan Newell, who polled 7,852 votes for Labour at the election, coming third, saidhe thought the upsurge reflected increased support for Labour locally.

He added: “Far from simply showing their support by voting Labour, people in Colchester are now joining the party and want to be more involved in our activities.

“This is a crucial time for the Labour Party, with the forthcoming leadership election and important local elections in Colchester next year.Ilook forward to welcoming our new members to our annual meeting next month.”

The meeting, at Hythe CommunityCentre,is at 7pm on June 3. A new executive committee will be elected as Mr Newell, and a number of other officers, are standing down.

Mr Newell said: “After five years at the helm of the local party and two general elections, I feel the time is now right to pass on the baton.”