Labour shadow team visits Teesside high street

A trio of Labour frontbenchers have visited Teesside, where they met with local shop workers.

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, deputy leader Angela Rayner and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper were in Yarm, near Middlesbrough, to coincide with the party unveiling a five-point plan to “breathe life” into high streets.

Ms Cooper told the BBC on Wednesday "too often over the last 14 years we've seen our town centres go into decline".

Conservative candidate for Stockton North, Niall Innes, said he was "delighted" Sir Keir Starmer's top team had visited "such a bustling high street" to see levelling up "in action".

"We've had £20m for here in Yarm. We've seen the town hall done up, it's looking fantastic," Mr Innes added.

Labour's proposals include a crackdown on shoplifters, more community banking and a reform of business rates.

Jemma Joy, the Liberal Democrats candidate for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said her party would introduce a progressive tax system, which would make commercial land owners responsible for the tax burden, rather than small business.

Shop workers spoke of their experiences of retail crime during the visit, when the politicians called in at Sainsbury’s in Yarm High Street, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Manager Sophie Tweddell, from Middlesbrough, explained to the shadow cabinet members how she and six colleagues each had access to body worn cameras.

She also described how she could press a button on the camera unit should help be required, which she had done at least once a week.

Ms Cooper replied: “You should not have to feel unsafe at work.”

The store manager said crime and anti-social behaviour issues had got worse over recent months.

Assaulting a shop worker will be made a separate criminal offence in England and Wales as part of a government response to a wave of retail crime.

The political visit continued to Fulmine clothing shop and travel agents Hays Travel.

The trip to Teesside came with less than a month to go until the Tees Valley mayoral election on 2 May.

Luke Walton, Political correspondent, BBC North East and Cumbria:

"On the face of it, bustling and genteel Yarm might seem a surprising place to promote Labour's policies to "breathe new life" into the high street.

"In a region where empty shop fronts are an increasingly common sight, the town is one of the few where vacant units are few and far between.

"What this part of Teesside does have, however, is lots of floating voters.

"And the arrival of three of Labour's shadow cabinet suggests the party fancies its chances of unseating the area's Conservative mayor Ben Houchen, as he seeks re-election in May.

"Back in 2021, the now-Lord Houchen won by a country mile. This year's contest is expected to be much closer."

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