Labour Parliamentary candidate Jonathan Brash outlines his hopes for Hartlepool ahead of general election battle

Labour’s Jonathan Brash, who is battling to regain the Hartlepool seat from the Conservatives, insists the public “have the chance to change who represents us and, in doing so, change our town for the better”.

Hartlepool borough councillor Brash is seeking to overturn Jill Mortimer’s near 7,000 majority following her 2021 by-election victory.

Outlining why he’s standing for Parliament here, he said: “I’ve only ever wanted to represent one place, Hartlepool.

"The place I grew up, the place I met my wife, the place where we are raising our young family, the place I’m proud to call home.

“Hartlepool people inspire me, their defiance, their grit, their determination to succeed in the face of challenge.

"Even in the toughest of times, when those who would seek to do us harm do their worst, we come together. Stronger, more united, standing up for each other.

“Everywhere you look in our town you see courage, community, compassion.

"Hartlepool people are demanding change and this year we can achieve it.”

He added: "I remember my dad, a doctor in Hartlepool for over 30 years, coming home from a night on call (GPs did that in those days), having a quick bite to eat and then heading straight back out for his morning surgery.

"Some people still call me ‘the doctor’s son’ and to me it’s a badge of honour.

"His career spent in the service of others shaped my values and my belief that only by putting our town first can we achieve the change we need.

“Sadly, it’s those values that have made the last 14 years so painful. Nothing seems to work.

“We struggle to see a doctor or a dentist and our NHS waiting lists are at record highs.”

Coun Brash, who represents Burn Valley, continued: “I want to live in a town where our streets are safe, where our NHS is fit for the future, where our children can achieve their dreams, where we can harness our history of innovation to bring in new jobs and industries, where our businesses can thrive and where every person can enjoy the prosperity that hard work should provide.

"That’s the change we need.”

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