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Turning air blue at the White House
CONSERVATIVE election contender Alan Wright has had a political meeting in the White House.
While it might not have been at the home of American politics, the aptly-named Hartlepool pub did attract top Tory Eric Pickles.
The Conservative Party chairman made a flying visit to town to champion the cause of Mr Wright, who is contesting the forthcoming General Election and delivered the message that "it's time for change".
Mr Pickles, MP for Brentwood and Ongar, was appointed chairman of the Conservative Party by David Cameron in January last year and is highly regarded in political circles for being "jovial and blunt speaking".
While casting an appreciative eye over a wide range of real ales on offer at the Hartlepool pub, he sipped a diet coke and pulled no punches in evaluating Mr Wright's chances of success.
He told how he firmly believes the born-and-bred Hartlepudlian, whose nomination was backed by former Tory party leader William Hague and Conservative peer Lord Bates, can turn the air blue come the election.
Mr Wright said: "We both firmly believe that the time for change is here.
"He believes we have a very strong chance of causing an upset and spoke passionately about the need for change and his honest belief that it will happen.
"He spoke of what needs to be done for young people seeking their first jobs, families that are struggling and older people having a hard time in their retirement."
Mr Wright, of Park Road, who was born on the Headland and brought up in West View and Hart Station, attended Henry Smith Grammar School and is now chairman of Soundswright, a company specialising in media training and strategy, which he runs with business partner and TV presenter Wendy Gibson.
He has had a successful broadcasting career between 1975 and 2002, primarily as a BBC current affairs presenter and producer.
The grandfather of two, a long-standing Mail columnist, has been involved in numerous community ventures and was previously a non-executive director and vice-chairman of Hartlepool Primary Care Trust and has also sat on the board of the Hartlepool Local Strategic Partnership.
Mr Pickles visited Hartlepool as part of a whistle-stop tour which also took in North Tyneside, Sunderland and Durham City.
Mr Wright added: "He told how he was visiting constituencies where it is felt the Conservative Party has a real chance of winning."
National party bigwigs have already promised that should Mr Wright be elected and they win the national contest then the University Hospital of Hartlepool will be saved from closure.
Other prospective candidates at the General Election, widely-expected to be held on Thursday, May 6, include sitting Labour MP Iain Wright, Lib Dem hopeful Reg Clark and UKIP's Steve Allison.
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Weather for Hartlepool
Monday 13 February 2012
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