'Voters have been let down in the North' - Angela Rayner joins Labour campaign in Hartlepool

Ms Rayner said Labour wants to protect industries and build jobs in Hartlepool as she visited the pipe mills, at Brenda Road, in support of her party’s by-election candidate Dr Paul Williams

The deputy leader and Dr Williams were also joined on the campaign trail today – Saturday, May 1 – by Labour party leader Sir Keir Starmer, who has in recent weeks visited both Hartlepool Power Station and Camerons Brewery.

Ms Rayner told the Mail that she feels voters in the North have been “let down” by the Conservative party, adding that the Labour party needs to ‘rebuild’ trust across the town.

The latter point echoed calls made by her party’s leader, who said he was ‘here in Hartlepool again’ to talk to the electorate, and fight for every vote.

She said: “There’s loads of businesses here across Hartlepool that want to invest in the area and that want Government support and need a local champion but they don’t feel like they get that at the moment and that’s disappointing.

"Dr Paul Williams has the energy, enthusiasm and knowledge to deliver all of this on the ground.

"He’s local, he has been delivering the vaccine roll-out and he has fought tooth and nail to get the services back here in Hartlepool and it’s made a real difference to people.

"He has a plan about how he’s going to make sure that industries like Liberty Steel are here for our kids to get proper skilled work.”

Speaking during his third visit to Hartlepool of late, Labour leader Sir Keir said Dr Williams is the right man to give the town a ‘powerful voice’ going forward.

Ms Rayner added that the doctor “wants to see the town doing well.”

She continued: “I understand that people have been frustrated with the Labour party but seeing what Dr Paul Williams has been doing on the ground here is fantastic and myself and Keir have said to our voters that Labour is listening.”

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