THE Labour Party has launched a campaign to get a Labour MP elected in the Hexham constituency. 

The current MP is the Conservative's Guy Opperman, who is also the Minister of State for Employment.

The campaign launch was marked with a film night, organised by the Bywell Branch of the Labour Party, at Wylam Insitute. All proceeds from the evening have now been poured into the General Election campaign fund.

READ MORE: https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/23109619.hexham-boundary-commission-review/

Door-to-door leafletting sessions are also planned for parts of the constituency after canvassing in Ponteland, Wylam and Hexham.

John Hanley, chair of the Hexham Constituency Labour Party, said: “We are getting a very encouraging reception on the doorstep.

"Many people are very depressed about the current state of politics in our country. It is difficult to point to anything which is going well.

"There is an appetite for change and voters are very receptive to the ideas now being clearly articulated by the Labour Party.

"We will be out campaigning regularly and look forward to making the case for a Labour MP in Hexham constituency. It’s time for a change”

Hexham has an electorate of just over 60,000 potential voters and has been Tory since 1951.

"Hexham is desperate for new representation and from the people I have spoken to, want to have a fresh MP and to build on the hope Labour offers the country", said Northumberland Labour leader Scott Dickinson. "We are excited to be supporting the constituency campaign and look forward to talking to lots of local people and working with local Hexham Labour Party members on the campaign."

In 2019, when the last General Election was held, 75.3 per cent of the electorate turned out to vote. Labour had been predicted to take the lead but Mr Opperman held 54.5 per cent of the vote.

Under fresh proposals by the Boundary Commission for England (BCE), Callerton and Throckley in Newcastle, as well as parts of Ponteland and Longhorsley, could become part of the Hexham consistency to level the number of voters across different areas.

MP Guy Opperman was contacted for comment by the Courant.