A SOUTHAMPTON MP has been been given a new role in Parliament.

Alan Whitehead, MP for Southampton Test, has been named shadow energy minister and will be part of the Shadow Energy Team alongside Shadow Energy Secretary Lisa Nandy.

Dr Whitehead has a long record of working on energy issues both in Parliament and in his constituency and he said he is looking forward to having the opportunity to work alongside the Labour Energy and Climate Change team to work on the issues that he feels are important.

He added: "I’m very happy to have been asked to put forward the Labour energy and climate change policies from the front bench.

"There’s an enormous amount of work to be done in this area not least because of the government’s current disregard for renewable energy policies and plans to develop fossil fuel sources.

"I look forward to developing Labour’s alternatives to these failed policies and taking the fight for cleaner energy forward from the front bench."