KEIR Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, will make his first visit as part of the Hartlepool by-election campaign today (Tuesday), where he will say that Labour’s candidate Dr Paul Williams will be ‘a tireless champion for the great town of Hartlepool’.

Dr Paul Williams has been working at Hartlepool hospital on the frontline of the Covid pandemic.

Since being selected, Dr Paul has continued to work shifts in Covid clinics in the town alongside his campaigning.

Keir Starmer and Dr Paul Williams will visit Hartlepool’s nuclear power station in support of protecting and creating good, well-paid jobs in the town.

The power station, operated by EDF Energy, is a major employer locally and a Hartlepool landmark. It is a key part of the energy network to power local industry.

With the Liberty Steel plant in Hartlepool at risk, Labour has also called for a ‘Plan B’ from the government to safeguard jobs and domestic steel-making capacity, and secure the long-term future of the plant.

Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, speaking ahead of the visit, said: “Dr Paul has been on the frontline during this pandemic. He knows first-hand how the Conservatives are letting down the NHS. They neglected the NHS and it went into this crisis without the support it needed.

“The Tory record here is dismal, and people need to look at what they have actually done over the past decade. When they came to power there was an A&E in Hartlepool, a magistrates’ court in the town, and a full custody suite at the police station. That has all gone and people feel that sense of loss.

“Dr Paul will be a tireless champion for the great town of Hartlepool. He understands the issues people care about and shares their concerns. He’ll be fighting for local hospital services, for jobs in the town, and police on the streets.”

Dr Paul Williams, Labour candidate for Hartlepool, said: “It will be great to show Keir around Hartlepool, it’s a great town with a bright future. But we need more good well paid jobs here and to keep the ones we have.

“The nuclear power station here is a major employer and there is strong backing locally for new nuclear. But the government has no proper plan for the future of our power network.

“The 1945 Labour government gave birth to the civil nuclear industry and the next Labour government would back the industry in the future too. The Labour Party is under new leadership nationally and locally and people are looking at Labour again.”