A POLITICAL heavyweight will help launch a Conservative election campaign to try to win back a seat for the first time in nearly 20 years.

William Hague will attend a hustings and question and answer session in Darlington next month as the party attempts to win the seat in this year’s General Election.

Labour has held the Darlington constituency since Alan Milburn defeated Michael Fallon in 1992.

However, Tory chiefs in Darlington said Mr Milburn’s decision to step down would give them the best chance of regaining the seat. Mr Milburn held a 10,000 majority at the 2005 election.

Charles Johnson, chairman of the South Durham Conservative group, said: “We have already had one or two highprofile people up here and that will continue.

“We are pushing very hard and I think that since Alan Milburn resigned, it levelled the playing field somewhat.

“The incumbent usually carries a few thousand votes with him each election. He has disappeared and so we are quite confident that this is the best opportunity for us for some time.”

The public event, from 4pm to 6pm on February 17 in the Dolphin Centre, will include a speech by Mr Hague and a question and answer session with Mr Hague and Tory candidate Edward Legard.

Mr Hague has been Richmond MP since 1989 and was the party leader from 1997 to 2001.

Mr Legard will also hold a question and answer session at 7pm tomorrow in the Railway Athletic Club, Brinkburn Road.

Mr Legard, a barrister, originally from Scarborough, now lives in Malton, North Yorkshire, where he is a councillor.

He will contest the election against Jenny Chapman (Labour), Mike Barker (Lib Dem), Charlotte Bull (Ukip) and John Hoodless (BNP).