Conservative Party co-chairman backs South Tyneside candidates' General Election campaigns

Tory Party co-chairman James Cleverly visited South Tyneside on Wednesdaydecember 4, to meet Jarrow candidate Nick Oliver and South Shields challenger Oni Oviri.

Although both need to overhaul five-figure Labour majorities following the 2017 election, Mr Cleverly said they were “fantastic candidates” and insisted: “They do have a chance.

“Views are changing in party politics and we are winning Labour voters who have had enough.

“They do not like Jeremy Corbyn, they feel ignored and are ready for change in these type of seats.”

Mr Oliver, who is seeking to overturn a 17,263 Labour majority in Jarrow, said: “It is a real honour to get someone like Mr Cleverly here and it shows how seriously we are taking the North East. It is very exciting and we have a real chance.”

Miss Oviri, who aims to overcome a 14,508 Labour majority in South Shields from 2017, added: “It is a pleasure to get ministers to take time out of their busy schedule to come here and we are hopeful that a number of cabinet members will also be coming up.”

The pair met Mr Cleverly after he travelled to South Shields for a private meeting with businesses at the Port of Tyne.

Mr Cleverly suggested South Tyneside would also benefit from the Conservatives’ Tuesday pledge to upgrade the Metro rail system as part of a £4.2billion investment in public transport.

But Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald greeted the promise by saying: "This announcement is a pathetic attempt to cover up the Government's disastrous and incompetent failure to invest in public transport.

"Tory cuts have caused public transport fares to rise at twice the rate of wages and thousands of bus routes to be cut, worsening congestion on our roads as a result.”

The other Jarrow candidates alphabetically are Mark Anthony Conway (Social Democratic Party), James Paul Milne (Green Party), Richard Leslie Monaghan (Brexit Party), Kate Osborne (Labour Party), John Andrew Robertson (Independent), Shaun William Sadler (Independent) and David Wilkinson (Liberal Democrats).

The other South Shields candidates alphabetically are Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour), Sarah Jean McKeown (Green Party), William James Shepherd (Liberal Democrats), Geoff Thompson (Independent) and Glenn Michael Thompson (Brexit Party).