Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took to Teesside on Saturday (June 1) to officially launch the Conservatives general election campaign.
Parked at Redcar Racecourse this morning was the brand new Conservative battle bus emboldened with the slogan ‘clear plan, bold action, secure future’ - marking the start of the party’s election campaign ahead of the all-important polling day on July 4.
Speaking at the event was PM Rishi Sunak who was joined by fellow local conservatives Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, Jill Mortimer, Matt Vickers and Jacob Young.
A soundtrack of indie and pop from the 2000s and 2010s played while Tory supporters held placards ahead of the Prime Minister’s arrival.
Songs included Mr Brightside by the Killers and Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People, both US bands.
Mr Sunak then greeted a flock of supporters who cheered him on as he walked out on to the racecourse to make a short speech, which touched upon his work as Prime Minister and his plea to voters.
He said: “The last few years have been tough. You know that I know that. COVID, the war and Ukraine, but I hope you also know that during these tough times, I had your back.
“Whether it was with the furlough scheme and support for energy bills. Together as a country, we are now through those tough times and look at what’s happening.
“Inflation down from 11% to 2%, the economy growing faster than France, Germany, and America, energy bills falling, wages rising and that shows that our plan is working.”
“The economy has turned a corner and you know what I know it is only the conservatives that can deliver that economic stability.
“Now that we have that hard one economic stability the choice at this election the question for the country is who do you trust to turn that foundation into a secure future for you, your family and the nation?”
The Prime Minister then went on to hit out at Sir Kier Starmer's Labour Party, suggesting that should they get in to power, tax bills will rise.
He said: “We all know that with the Labour Party, the only certainty they have is that they are going to run out of your money and put up your taxes. They do it every single time as clear as night follows day.
“We've totted up all the numbers - it means a £2,000 tax bill for every working family in our country and that’s what we are going to stop.”
The PM then went on to say that the world is a more ‘dangerous’ place and discussed “bold” action in the form of the Rwanda scheme - despite the fact that he has previously admitted that no flights will take off before the election.
“Keir Starmer and the Labour Party want you to believe this election is over before it has even started”, Mr Sunak continued.
“(They want you to believe) the result is a forgotten conclusion but you know what? I’m going to work my socks off every day on this campaign talk to as many people as I can.
“I think the public don’t like to be taken for granted... we are putting bold ideas on the table. We have heard nothing new from the Labour Party - not a single new idea about what they would do for the future.”
Mr Sunak then spoke of the party's latest pledge - to give 30 towns £20 million in a levelling up effort.
However, he has faced criticism claiming the scheme was targeted mainly at Tory constituencies.
As part of the “levelling-up” scheme, the Conservatives pledged that local people, not those in Westminster, will decide how the money will be spent.
Some of the towns proposed to be added include Tamworth, Preston, Corby, Halifax, Bognor Regis, Newtown, Flint, Perth and Newry.
More than half of the towns – 17 – standing to benefit were represented by Tory MPs in the last parliament.
Asked about accusations that he is trying to buy votes there, Mr Sunak told broadcasters: “These 30 towns come on top of the 70 towns that have been announced – that’s 100 towns across our country that are going to receive £20 million each.”
Also on the campaign trail today was the Labour Party, who unveiled their campaign bus in Uxbridge near London - the seat of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
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Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told supporters: “All week (Ms Rayner has) been showing me photographs of her bus and now I’ve come to see this fantastic bus.
“It’s rather like Tory defectors. You wait for ages and then three come along in a row.”
The party say they will use its bus to champion its “power up” agenda, which could become a successor to the Conservatives’ flagship “levelling up” thread if Labour is able to form a government next month.
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