Call for people to make their voice heard and vote in the General Election

The country goes to the polls today after two months of compaigning sparked when Prime Minister Theresa May called a snap election.

Four candidates are set to contest the election in a bid to become the town’s new MP.

Bosses at Hartlepool Borough Council have called on people in the town to use their vote.

Peter Devlin, Hartlepool Borough Council’s acting returning officer, said: “It is so important that people use their vote.

“The democratic process in our country exists to give people a voice and I hope that those eligible to vote take the opportunity on Thursday.”

Standing for election in the town are Andrew Hagon (Lib Dem), Mike Hill (Labour), Phillip Broughton (UKIP), and Carl Jackson (Conservatives).

It comes after former MP Iain Wright, 45, took the decision not to stand after he represented the constituency since 2004,and was recently chairman of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee.

He is now set to succeed Dr Stan Higgins as chief executive of the North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC), the organisation which represents the region’s chemical industry.