This week has been significant for the people of Hartlepool, as Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer both visited the town ahead of the upcoming by-election on Thursday 6 May.
On Thursday 1 April, Mr. Johnson visited Hart Biologicals accompanied by Conservative by-election candidate Jill Mortimer.
Ms. Mortimer aims to be the first Conservative MP of the town since 1964, when Edward Leadbitter overtook the Conservatives with 52.9% of the votes to their 47.1%.
Mr. Johnson claims the Conservative Party are heavily invested in the area and believe this will be a clear win for them.
“I think people will vote Conservative because we’re investing massively in the North East… in Hartlepool in particular we’re putting £3.5 million into improving the hospital. Babies are going to be born in Hartlepool for the first time for a very long time,” said Johnson.
Mr. Johnson also supports the creation of a Teesside Freeport claiming it will attract businesses and create jobs for the area.
“What we’re offering is a vision of change and hope and we want to build back better from the pandemic.”
Mr. Johnson praised Hart Biologicals for their work making testing kits to diagnose bleeding and clotting disorders, claiming it to be “an incredibly important business.”
But rival Dr. Paul Williams, Labour by-election candidate, did not agree.
The Tories don't have a clue about Hartlepool pic.twitter.com/LrMoQQlePl
— Dr Paul Williams (@PaulWilliamsLAB) April 1, 2021
Dr. Paul Williams was accompanied by Keir Starmer on Tuesday 30 March in a visit to Hartlepool’s EDF Energy nuclear power station.
With just over a month to go until until the by-election, the stakes are set with neither side able to predict which way the results will go.
Madeleine Raine
Featured image courtesy of Johannes Plenio via Unsplash. Image license is available here. This image has in no way been altered.