LABOUR’S new advertising van has visited Colchester after Sir Keir Starmer set out his “first steps for change” during a visit to Essex.
The Labour leader visited Thurrock on Thursday to unveil a pledge card with six steps his party would take if it were to win the next general election.
The steps include measures to invest in the NHS, education and policing, to set up a new national energy company and an elite border force, and to promote economic stability.
Labour’s campaign will include its biggest advertising spend since the previous general election, including an ad van which was unveiled in Shoebury by shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves on Thursday afternoon.
The van travelled to Colchester where it was met by Labour campaigners and councillors, including parliamentary candidate Pam Cox, outside the Jumbo water tower in the city centre.
Sir Keir and Ms Reeves’ visits to Essex marked two weeks since the local elections where, despite failing to secure an overall majority, the Tories remained the biggest party in Colchester.
But political forecaster Electoral Calculus predicts Pam Cox will enjoy a landslide victory in Colchester at the next general election, with a 95 per cent chance of winning the seat.
Elsewhere in the county, Labour took control of Thurrock Council and became the largest party in Southend and Basildon, while the Conservative Party lost every seat it held in Castle Point after voters had their say on May 2.
Ms Reeves said: “It is clear that under Keir Starmer’s leadership, there are no more no-go areas for Labour.
“We’re not taking anything for granted. There’s not a single vote yet cast in the general election and we know that we have to fight for every vote in Essex and right across the country and we’ll be doing just that.”
Asked about the party’s response to the crumbling concrete crisis which affected more schools in Essex than anywhere else in the country, she criticised the Tories’ move to axe Labour’s Building Schools for the Future programme.
“That was a mistake on their part and the people paying the price for that are our young people,” she said.
The prime minister previously said the scheme would have been “time-consuming and expensive, just like the Labour Party”.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel