Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting visits Hartlepool

Transcript

00:00 So we're here with Brenda Harrison, the leader of the Labour group, and Wes Creighton, Shadow

00:07 Health Secretary in York Road and Hartlepool. Wes, what do you think the priorities are

00:12 for people in Hartlepool as we come to the local elections and general election?

00:18 I think similar to lots of places, the economy is in a real state and I think people are

00:23 really feeling the pinch with the cost of living crisis. The NHS isn't just on its

00:28 knees, it's on its face. I know people are struggling to get a GP appointment, NHS dentistry

00:33 barely exists in the way that it used to. And in our local NHS trust here alone, there

00:40 are over 22,000 people on NHS waiting lists and actually more than 360,000 across the

00:46 whole of the North East. So we know that this set of elections, we've got to get people

00:56 out voting, choosing change, actively voting for change, not just at the general election

01:02 later this year but in these local elections. Because one thing I always feel when I've

01:07 been back to Hartlepool so many times over recent years, this town has sure a proud history

01:14 but I really think it has a bright future as well. We've got to make sure we've

01:18 got a Labour council, a Labour mayor and a Labour government working together to unlock

01:23 that potential, to make sure that as a Labour government is delivering new jobs, new industry,

01:29 particularly in terms of the energy sector, that we get those jobs on Teesside, benefiting

01:35 people right across the region, that as we're rebuilding our National Health Service and

01:41 the hospital appointments that people need, the GP appointments, that Hartlepool gets

01:44 its fair share. And you've got such a strong team here in Hartlepool, whether it's Brenda's

01:49 team on the council, Jonathan Brash our parliamentary candidate, there is a really strong dynamic

01:56 team and if we get Chris McEwen elected as the Tees Valley Mayor as well, that's just

02:01 a really strong team I think to deliver for this town and make sure that people look to

02:06 the future with the same pride and optimism as people look to Hartlepool's past.

02:12 And Brenda, what are you seeing on the campaign trail on doorsteps?

02:15 Very positive responses. Still some who don't know but are listening to us and it's about

02:23 getting their trust and making sure that we let them know that we'll do a good job when

02:31 we get there and as Wes has said, with other people throughout the Tees Valley. Because

02:37 we're the only council at the moment that don't, that aren't Labour throughout the Tees

02:42 Valley, so on the cabinet of the TVCA with the Mayor, we are the only council that aren't

02:53 Labour and if we can put that right and get a Labour Mayor as well, I think that the potential

03:01 will be unlocked.

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