Prudhoe visit for Shadow Chancellor on campaign trail
LABOUR’S Shadow Chancellor has been campaigning in Prudhoe ahead of the general election. Rachel Reeves spoke to voters alongside the party’s candidate for the Hexham Constituency Joe Morris during a visit to the North East on Thursday. The party feel there is a possibility of taking the seat from the Conservatives at the next election despite the fact it is considered a safe Tory seat that has never been held by Labour.
The New Statesman’s poll tracker model, built by Britain Elects, currently predicts the party will indeed win the seat from incumbent Guy Opperman. Labour are currently at 41.4% in the constituency with the Conservatives on 31.5%.
However, Mr Opperman has held the seat since 2010 and has already declared he will be standing for election again. Nick Cott will stand for the Liberal Democrats and William Clouston is the SDP’s candidate.
Speaking following the visit, Ms Reeves said: “Labour has never held this constituency before, but we are committed to fighting to win all across the country, and Joe Morris will make a fantastic MP for the area he grew up in.’
“In Prudhoe the message from residents’ was clear, our country and our communities need change. Labour has a long-term plan to grow the economy and tackle the root causes of the cost-of-living crisis.”
Mr Morris added: “I was delighted to speak with Rachel about the challenges facing Prudhoe and the Tyne Valley. We deserve a Labour government and a Labour MP that will fight for good jobs, good housing and tackle the cost of living. I’ll always champion this area - it’s where I call home and where I grew up. If Labour are able to form the next government, we need an MP who can be part of that, and who will work with the leaders of that government to deliver for our communities.”
Ms Reeves also visited the Hitachi Plant in Newton Aycliffe on Wednesday, as well as Cramlington on Thursday morning. In Cramlington, she visited the Merit construction company’s base alongside Labour’s North East mayor candidate Kim McGuinness and Cramlington and Killingworth parliamentary hopeful Emma Foody.
She said there was “huge potential” for the North East to become the “clean energy power centre of the UK” - with developments in offshore wind, carbon capture and storage, and green hydrogen.