A 23-YEAR-old who has recently been selected as Labour Parliamentary candidate for Aberconwy intends to hit the ground running with campaigning.

Emily Owen has been selected as the candidate ahead of the next general election.

Speaking to the Pioneer, Miss Owen said: "It is great to be re-selected. We ran a really effective campaign last time and did really well, reducing Guto Bebb’s majority from more than 4,000 to almost 650.

“Our plan is to build on that and campaigning begins now and will build up towards the next election whenever that might be. I will hit the ground running."

Miss Owen is studying for a degree in social policy at Bangor University.

She added: My degree deals with issues such as housing, poverty, gender and health, it is relevant to what an MP does. It finishes in May

“It could be another four years before their is another general election. In addition to my degree I work at Llandudno Football Club as commercial manager and leisure assistant. They have been very supportive and very flexible upon time, but my work with them is non political.

“I think it is really important, especially here in a tourist area, to secure jobs, to increase the minimum wage and lift people out of poverty. There is a lot of food bank use in Aberconwy, and I think that is awful. I want to support small local businesses and that would be good for the economy of Aberconwy."

Miss Owen said she does a lot of working and has three dogs - a Labrador, a Kelpie - an Australian sheepdog - and a Jack Russell.

She explained she found the Kelpie alone on a mountain four years ago and rescued it. She became involved in politics about two and half years ago and stood for election to Conwy Borough Council in a by-election, which she won, but didn’t stand again because of the general election.

She is currently campaigning for Labour candidate Jack Sargeant in the Alyn and Deeside by election to the Welsh Assembly.