Shropshire Star

Jeremy Corbyn in Telford: 'Another election coming soon' - with photos and video

Another general election will be called ahead of the official five year term, according Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn predicted on a visit to Telford.

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A selfie with these supporters

Mr Corbyn said he was "absolutely certain" the party could win.

Joined by Councillor Kuldip Sahota, the party's candidate in the election in June, Mr Corbyn was given a tour of Newdale Primary School where he raced cars built by the pupils before heading to the Arena in Telford Town Park, where hundred of supporters turned out for a rally.

It was his third visit to Telford in three months.

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It also confirms the town as one of Labour’s target seats, included in a national list of constituency the party must win if it is to triumph in a future general election.

Mr Corbyn has set out plans for a summer campaign in almost 100 target seats, including Telford, along with a “social media blitz” as Labour seeks to keep up its momentum from the general election. He told the party’s MPs and peers about a campaign to target the 95 most marginal Tory-held seats.

He plans to visit 40 before the party conference in September, travelling the whole country in July and August, including five days in Scotland.

Speaking in Telford yesterday, Mr Corbyn said: "Labour have an absolutely brilliant chance of winning in Telford.

"I came here twice in the run-up to the election, once to address the National Association of Headteachers having their conference her and then for a campaign rally just before the election itself happened in fact it was a couple of hours before we did the historic six ralliess across the country by live link from Birmingham with Steve Coogan.

"Telford has historically been a see-saw seat between the parties and I am very proud of the campaign we mounted and we are going to do it all again as soon as the election comes and we're going to win.

"I am sure that is going to be sooner than five years because this government has no majority, it has managed to find a billion pounds to spend in Northern Ireland to please the DUP and nothing for the rest of the country and I don't think it is a sustainable position and we're challenging them on public spending, public sector pay cap and challenging them all the way, and we will carry on doing that."

He said healthcare in Shropshire would remain a priority for Labour. He said he was "sad" the party lost Telford in 2015.

Mr Corbyn said: "Investment in health and security in provision so there is decent provision all across the county of Shropshire and I am concerned about the removal of the maternity unity from Telford across to Shrewsbury because a great deal of money was spent on it in the first place, it seems to me an unwise use of public expenditure not to use it to its fullest potential.

"But the other key point is investment in a growing economy for the future, investment in future sustainable industries and ensuring that our young people all get a decent chance in life."

Yesterday afternoon Mr Corbyn told hundreds of supporters who gathered for a rally at Telford Town Park that Labour was ready to “take on the Tories”.

Mr Corbyn said he was proud of the efforts made by the party ahead of the general election in June and said that he was confident that Labour would win at the next election.

Speaking before the rally, Councillor Kuldip Sahota, Labour’s candidate for Telford in June and the former leader of Telford & Wrekin Council said he was really pleased with the leader’s interest in Telford.

Mr Corbyn said he wanted people to get involved with Labour’s policies so that the party was ready to “take on the Tories”.

He said he was confident that Labour would win back the Telford seat, adding: “When Theresa May decides to hold another election, we’ll be there to win it.”

He said he welcomed a health service that didn’t divide Telford and Shrewsbury. And talking about Brexit, he said the country needed to ensure trade with EU, which was important to businesses in Telford.

Hundreds of people turned out for the rally from across Shropshire, with cheers when Mr Corbyn mentioned increasing corporation tax for big businesses and lifting the public sector pay cap. He also said the party was keen to see the nationalisation of the railways and utilities like water.

Addressing the crowd, he said: “We built something very strong that means whenever Theresa May calls another election, we’ll be there, we’ll be ready and we’re going to win it. I’m very proud of the election campaign we fought all over the country, we should be proud of the efforts that were put in by so many people who came and helped our campaign.

“I am very proud of that support we got. What our campaign did was bring together a lot of people because of the ideas that we were offering and the excitement that was generated by that.

“And we now have a situation where the Tory government with no majority, I don’t hear too much about strong and stable any more. The only coalition of chaos is the one I look at when I look across the House of Commons.It is time for an investment-led and growing economy, you start by paying people properly and you continue by investing in the future.”