Labour leader Keir Starmer has promised new jobs for Merseyside if his party get into government at the general election.
In a major campaign pledge, Sir Keir, who is favourite to be the next Prime Minister after the July 4 vote, said Labour will deliver industrial decarbonisation in Merseyside, which he said will protect thousands of jobs in heavy industry.
He said his party’s policies will also create many more jobs for the region by investing in the sectors of green hydrogen and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).
MORE: Jeremy Corbyn to run as independent at General Election
MORE: General Election 2024 full list of Merseyside candidates seeking your votes
CCS is a process in which a stream of carbon dioxide from industrial sources is separated, treated and then transported to a location for long-term storage.
The Labour leader was speaking during a visit to Leyland in Lancashire where he promised to “reverse the decline of manufacturing and to “build more in Britain, for Britain” as he outlined his party’s plan to create 650,000 jobs across the country through a Green Prosperity Plan.
He said these jobs will be created from upgrading homes, boosting opportunities for construction workers, plumbers and installers, while there are also proposals to build over a thousand local power projects.
The visit comes as new Labour analysis of official government statistics confirms that 74,000 manufacturing jobs had been lost between now and the last general election in 2019. This includes 4,000 jobs lost in the North West of England.
Labour says it wants to “revitalise” the country’s industrial heartlands through a £7.3 billion National Wealth fund. The plans will also see £2.5 billion of investment into the steel industry, while funding will also go into eight electric battery factories to boost the UK car manufacturing sector.
As well as the promised investment in Merseyside industry, Sir Keir pledged to upgrade ports along the North West coastline as part of a £1.8bn port infrastructure scheme.
Speaking at the visit, Sir Keir said: “The North West has a proud manufacturing sector that creates good jobs for thousands of families, but after 14 years of Tory chaos and decline, there are fewer jobs in the manufacturing sector here than there were at the last general election.
“It’s time for change. Only a Labour government will reverse the decline in manufacturing – our plans will build more in Britain, for Britain and create thousands of good jobs in our industrial heartlands and coastal communities.
“This General Election will be a choice – a choice between five more years of Tory decline in manufacturing, in living standards, and in our public services – or a changed Labour Party who will rebuild our industrial heartlands.”
The Liverpool Daily Post newsletter delves into the biggest stories on Merseyside