Labour MPs hit the streets to raise awareness of the rising cost of childcare in the capital.

The group, which included MPs Sadiq Khan, the Shadow Minister for London, as well as Diane Abbott, Steve Pound, Emily Thornberry and Heidi Alexander, posed for a mock-up of Oscars host Ellen DeGeneres' well-known selfie at Queensbury Tube station this week.

But the day had a more serious purpose. More than 30 activists joined a canvassing session to raise awareness of childcare costs, which now costs more than the average mortgage, according to a report by the Family and Childcare Trust.

Labour has pledged to extend free nursery hours for three and four-year-olds of working families to 25 hours a week.

Uma Kumaran, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Harrow East, said: “The cost of childcare is an issue that affects a great number of people in Harrow.

“Under this Tory-led government, the cost of childcare has gone up by almost one-fifth in twelve months. We are now in a situation where many parents simply cannot afford to go back to work because they can’t afford childcare.”