Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner visits monument to the Jarrow Crusade

Ms Rayner visited Jarrow town centre and the famous Spirit of Jarrow monument, which pays tribute to the Jarrow Crusaders, on Friday alongside local MP Kate Osborne.

It was her first visit to the constituency since being appointed deputy leader in 2020.

During her visit, she addressed Jarrow Labour Party members at their Annual Dinner at the Clarion Hotel, in Boldon Colliery, the first time local members have been able to get together since covid restrictions were lifted.The meeting raised money for local party funds as well as the Ukraine appeal.

Constituency party Secretary Coun Wilf Flynn and member Joan Marriot were presented with long service awards.

Ms Osborne said: “Angela and I visited the Jarrow Crusade statue and we were reminded of the economic troubles the generation of the Jarrow Marchers suffered during the 1930.s

"Now we see people facing similar pressures today and the collective memory of hunger has come back to haunt working class communities like Jarrow.

"The awful choice many people face between eating and heating stems directly from this Government’s failures to regulate our energy sector, instead choosing to allow big business and their cronies to make billions in profits whilst families struggle.

“We’ve had years of misery under the Tories who have made a complete mess of this country and not for the first time it will be down to a Labour Government to pick up the pieces.”