Copeland's Labour candidate Gillian Troughton has spoken for the first time about her decision to run again for MP - just months after a historic defeat by the Conservatives.

The local councillor lost out to Tory candidate Trudy Harrison by just over 2,000 votes at the recent high-profile Copeland by-election.

It was a humiliating blow for the Labour Party, which had previously held the Copeland seat since 1935. It was also the first time in 35 years that the official opposition lost a by-election to the Government.

But Mrs Troughton, who was selected above local health and homelessness campaigner Rachel Holliday, believes she can put all of that behind her by running again and seizing the seat back.

The Copeland councillor, who is also fighting to retain her county council seat at the local elections, said: "I'm absolutely delighted. I was keen to do it again because I feel we can win. We are fighting to win."

Mrs Troughton, of Moresby Parks, will again face Conservative MP Mrs Harrison, who served just two months in Parliament before the snap General Election was called.

But she believes that was largely due to potential Labour voters not turning out, and believes the party can change the outcome if they can mobilise those individuals to go to the polls.

She also claimed her opponent, Mrs Harrison, had failed to deliver on her promises since the by-election.

She added: "We have a strong message to tell people about the failures of this Government to meet their needs, and the fact they need an MP that will fight for this area."

"Also last time there was a general feeling that voters could send a message, because it was a by-election. This is more serious. We weren't going to change who was in government last time. This time it is about getting the Conservatives out of government.

"We need to make sure we have a strong campaign, keep talking to people and make sure they understand our message."

Last time Mrs Troughton, a member of Cumbria Health Scrutiny Committee, focused strongly on the NHS during her by-election campaign, stressing that she would fight against plans to downgrade consultant-led maternity and paediatric services at the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven.

However, following the by-election she was among a number of councillors involved in a controversial scrutiny committee decision on whether or not to refer the NHS plans to the Secretary of State.

Although she supported the referral of the maternity service decision, she was among the member who backtracked on a key vote on paediatrics, meaning that matter was never referred.

She later explained that she changed her mind because she was reassured that plans to transfer seriously ill children to Carlisle were safe.

This has angered local campaigners who dubbed the meeting a "shambles" and are now fighting to get the decision reversed.

Asked whether that had damaged her, Mrs Troughton said: "When I've spoken to people about that they understand what we did. They understand that there is a bigger picture."

Political analysts also believed that Labour were damaged in Copeland by questions about leader Jeremy Corbyn's stance on nuclear.

But Mrs Troughton says this was scaremongering.

"It was blown up out of all proportion. We are fighting for investment in Moorside," she said.

Also standing again in Copeland is the Green Party's Jack Lenox, while the Liberal Democrats and Ukip have yet to announce their candidates.