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The businessman and presenter on news channel TalkTV told the Mail the town is a key target for the party at the next general election.

At a press conference in Reform UK’s new campaign office, in Stockton Road, Mr Tice said the party’s policies would put more money in people’s pockets and deliver on opportunities of Brexit which he accused the Government of failing to do.

Mr Tice previously stood for MP for the Brexit Party in the 2019 General Election, coming third.

Richard Tice addresses the media at the Reform UK press conference in their new Hartlepool office. Picture by FRANK REID

But in the 2021 by-election won by Conservative Jill Mortimer, Reform UK finished fifth with just 1.2% share of the vote.

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Mr Tice said: "I had over 10,000 people vote for me when it was the Brexit Party which we rebranded as Reform UK and we’re getting a great reception from people.

"There’s no more patriotic community than Hartlepool and people know we could be doing so much better, but we’ve been let down by both of the main parties, and there’s a real appetite for change.

Richard Tice outside the Reform UK campaign office in Stockton Road, Hartlepool. Picture by FRANK REID

"People want to know they’re being properly represented by someone who’s got a national voice, who’s always going to bang the drum for Hartlepool and it’s never had that.”

Asked by the media what he could do for Hartlepool, which has high levels of deprivation, Mr Tice responded: "The best way to deal with poverty is to increase incentives to earn, make sure bring jobs and money to towns like Hartlepool, but that people keep more of the money that they earn.”

He added: “This campaign office is a serious demonstration of my personal commitment to Hartlepool.

“It’s one of our key, key target seats. We did really well in December 2019. We will do what it takes and we relish the battle.”

Mr Tice also used the occasion in Hartlepool to announce a key new policy to nationalise half of some utilities and energy firms with the other 50% to be owned by British pension funds.

He said it was in response to most utility companies being foreign-owned saying billions of pounds in profits and dividends are benefiting taxpayers in those countries instead of Britain.

Reform UK leader Richard Tice says Hartlepool is a key General Election target and he would be 'a national voice' for town