The newest Labour MP in the House of Commons made much of his local work to get elected for the Stoke on Trent Central constituency – but Gareth Snell was brought up in Stowmarket.

East Anglian Daily Times: Gareth Snell won a community award in 2003 while a Stowmarket High School student.Gareth Snell won a community award in 2003 while a Stowmarket High School student.

His grandfather Ron Snell was mayor of the town and a member of Mid Suffolk council and Gareth lived with him and his grandmother Thelma when he was growing up.

As a youngster he was always interested in politics – and in 2001 at the age of 16 he campaigned for Chris Mole in the Ipswich by-election.

Thelma said the whole family was very proud of the fact that he had now been elected MP after seeing off a challenge from UKIP.

She said: “He rang us this morning soon after he was elected. We’re so pleased. He has done very well.

“He’s done a lot of work for the party over the years and this is really what he wants – we really proud of him. We hope he’ll be back to see us soon but we know he’s going to be very busy!”

Mr Snell went to Keele University which is just outside Stoke on Trent after getting his A levels at Stowmarket High School. In 2003 he was recognised for his work in the community.

While at Stowmarket he also did unpaid work for the Labour group which was then running Suffolk County Council in coalition with the Liberal Democrats.

County council leader at the time Bryony Rudkin said he was always a very keen helper: “He was very good with our computer systems and many of us have kept in touch with him.

“I still see him at Local Government Association meetings.”

Mr Snell remained in the Stoke area after graduating from university, got married and started a family – although he did stand for election to Mid Suffolk Council as a Labour candidate in 2007.

In his new home he was elected to Newcastle Under Lyme Council – next to Stoke – becoming leader of the authority before being selected to fight Thursday’s by-election.

During the campaign he was attacked for portraying himself as a “local candidate” although he had tweeted in 2011 that he was “Still a Suffolk boy at heart.”

During the campaign it was pointed out in his defence that after living in the Stoke area since 2004 he probably was aware of the political issues in that part of the country.