WITH Leigh voting Conservative for the first time in its history at the last election, the Labour candidate trying to regain the seat said that the party "is listening to towns like ours".
With Labour suffering its worst election defeat since 1935 five years ago, it also lost traditional red-wall seats like Leigh for the first ever time.
Five years later, Labour is projected to win a landslide victory in the upcoming election on July 4, while a YouGov poll predicts that Labour will regain the newly-formed Leigh and Atherton constituency back from the Tories.
With many voters turning their back on the Tories after their handling of covid and the cost of living crisis, Leigh and Atherton's Labour candidate says that the party has been winning back voters by re-engaging with what matters most to local people.
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James Grundy won a shock victory for the Conservatives in 2019 (Image: Leigh Journal)
Serving as Leigh's MP from 2017 to 2019, Jo Platt previously said that part of the reason for her election defeat was that Labour had "forgot towns like [ours]."
Ms Platt said that Leigh had been "neglected, ignored, and betrayed" for years, and with much of this anger directed towards the EU, she felt that the Labour Party failed to do enough to resonate with northern voters who felt disengaged from politics.
However, following the election of Keir Starmer as leader of the party, Ms Platt said that Labour has “completely changed” and is now "listening to towns like ours".
Although Sir Keir has been criticised for abandoning policies since being elected, Ms Platt said that he has "shored up the party" and has been listening to community concerns such as declining town centres and anti-social behaviour.
Jo Platt says that Keir Starmer has 'completely changed the party' (Image: Labour)
Jo Platt said: "One of the party's number one priorities, on a regional and national level, is to take back our high streets.
"This starts with making our town centres safer by having more police officers, with greater powers, to deal with repeat offenders and anti-social behaviour, and the issues that are making people feel unsafe.
"This is a crucial step to encourage people to invest in our town centres, and I know there is so much potential with our local businesses and organisations that we can tap into and help restore this pride of place."
Many residents have complained about the decline of local town centres (Image: Leigh Journal)
With Labour planning to attract further investment for Leigh, Atherton, and Tyldesley - following Leigh’s £11.4m regeneration funding and ten-year £20m cash pot - Ms Platt said that the party will also revive the pride and industry that has been lost in places like Leigh with its 'Great British Energy' commitment.
This commitment aims to create new jobs within 'green' energy industries, while also aiming to cut down household energy bills after the cost of living crisis.
Further ways that the party aims to restore pride is by fixing the housing crisis and giving people more opportunity to get back on the housing ladder.
The Labour candidate says that the party will do this by introducing planning reform to ensure developers are building on brownfield first, are adhering to planning requirements, and build an an influx of genuinely affordable and social houses.
Labour has also committed to cutting down NHS waiting lists and launching a new 'Border Security Command' to curb illegal immigration, as opposed to the Tories' Rwanda policy.
Jo Platt believes that a Labour government will bring back pride in Leigh and Atherton (Image: Jo Platt)
With Labour constantly criticising the Tories' austerity cuts over the past 14 years, one thing that the party will be judged on, if elected, is how it grows the economy under difficult financial circumstances.
On this point, Ms Platt believes that the party's pledges will help to grow the economy by taking away extra burdens from local councils, and she said there will be no further cuts to public services under a Labour government.
Jo Platt said: "Labour hasn't been elected to govern for 19 years and hasn't been in office for 14 years, so it does feel like a long time since anything has changed for people.
"Our town centres have got worse and people are angry about it, but I know there is so much to be positive about across our area.
"I want everyone else to see the talent and skills that we have in our area, and for people to feel safe and invest in our town centres.
"I believe that only a Labour government can do this and bring back the pride of place lost in so many towns like ours."
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