Wythenshawe MP, Mike Kane is to launch a “Catholics for Labour” group at the party’s annual conference this weekend.

The shadow schools minister, is among eight Catholic Labour MPs who will establish the group at the 5pm Mass at the Church of St Mary Magdalen in Brighton on Sunday.

Commenting on the Diocese of Shrewsbury website, Mr Kane said the purpose of the new group is to assist “left-of-centre” Catholics to fulfil vocations of service in public life.

“We want to see more Catholics standing for public office both locally and nationally,” said, Mr Kane, who also took part in last year’s launch of Caritas Diocese of Shrewsbury, the new social justice and action agency of the Diocese,

“At the moment in Wythenshawe of 18 councillors only two are Catholic. There used to be a much higher proportion,” the Shadow Schools Minister said, adding that because “the call to participation in the community” was a key strand of Catholic social teaching “we want to see an organisation which supports people coming forward”.

Other MPs involved setting up the group include Jon Cruddas, Keith Vaz, David Crausby, Stephen Pound, Emma Lewell-Buck and Conor McGinn.

A letter signed by the eight MPs said: “Catholics for Labour has lofty ambitions. We are not about standing still or merely making observations of the world around us.

“Our hearts and minds are firmly focused on social justice and guided by the teaching of the Catholic faith we will work together to actively shape that world and prepare members for a life in public service.”

At present there are about 70 MPs who are Catholic and about 40 of them belong to the Labour Party.