LEADING Labour politician Peter Hain came to one of the region's two Conservative constituencies early today and argued for a radical change in Government economic policy to stimulate the North-East's economy.

Mr Hain, a former cabinet minister, visited Stockton South, one of the most marginal seats in the country, to open a new campaign centre for Labour candidate Louise Baldock who will stand against Conservative MP James Wharton in May's General Election.

The former anti-apartheid campaigner was following in the footsteps of Ed Miliband who walked on the same Oxbridge Lane street in Stockton on a campaign visit in late 2013.

The Northern Echo took the opportunity to ask the exact same question asked of Mr Miliband on the previous occasion.

The question was: 'A majority of the people in the North-East have voted Labour for many decades and yet the region remains the poorest in England. Why should they vote Labour again?'

Mr Miliband had mentioned a plan to reverse the 'bedroom tax' benefit change in which claimants are penalised for having a spare room and focused on his plans to force a better deal for customers from energy companies.

However Mr Hain took a far broader view and argued the Government should invest more to stimulate the economy, especially in areas like the North-East.

He said: "What our Labour Government did between 1997 and 2012 was initiate record investment in the North-East. It was similar in South Wales, where I am based, and cities were rebuilt. But a lot more needed to be done and and then in came the Tories with these savage cuts."

Asked to specify what investment was needed Mr Hain mentioned the possibility of infrastructure projects and stressed the need to work closely with business. He said: "The thing is, when business is flat, as it has been, it needs the Government to step in. That's what happens in Germany with great success and we need that to flourish."

Louise Baldock said the new campaign centre meant a lot to her because she worked in the area for nearly ten years and it was where she joined the Party in 1992. She said: "An old Labour Party leaflet has been dug out of the archives where I was the editor 20 years ago calling for improvements to Oxbridge Juniors amongst other things. I will be putting it on the wall with some old photographs if local people would like to pop in to say hello and have a look.

“Our Thornaby campaign centre is as close to the town centre as we can get and means we are very accessible for anyone who wants to come in for advice or volunteer. We will always have the kettle on”.

Stockton South, which encompasses Hartburn and Oxbridge in Stockton and nearby communities of Yarm, Ingleby Barwick and Thornaby, was Labour before the last General Election, when Mr Wharton won by just 332 votes. Voters in the constituency often vote for the party that goes on to form the Government.

Labour candidate, Louise Baldock, has also recently opened a campaign centre in Thornaby. The only other Conservative seat in the North-East is Hexham in Northumberland.