Former Shadow Chancellor and Strictly Come Dancing star Ed Balls explains why he is supporting Local Newspaper Week.

OUTSIDE of the Westminster bubble, life is truly local.

Local newspapers are central to local life and are being read by bigger audiences than ever before.

During my time as an MP, I saw first-hand how local papers underpin the democratic process at a local level, whether through holding local councils to account, conducting investigations to expose wrongdoing or reporting on the courts.

Like journalism, politics is fundamentally local and no-one understands local affairs better than the journalists who cover those communities.

And, perhaps most importantly, local newspaper readers know that their local paper is on their side and they trust what they read in its pages.

Online, local news media content is nearly three times more trusted than social media content.

Since leaving Westminster, I have watched the debate around fake news with great interest.

My hope is that at the end result is a new appreciation of the role journalism plays in our lives and how it defends and enhances democracy.

I am delighted to support Local Newspaper Week and the Making a Difference campaign. It is absolutely right that we celebrate the enormous value local papers contribute to our society and shout about it from the rooftops.