Hartlepool Labour leader Brenda Harrison discusses their local elections victory

Transcript

00:00 Hiya Brenda, obviously a great night for Labour in Hartlepool. It's cancelled back in charge

00:05 the first time since 2019. It's been quite a journey since then, what's your reaction

00:10 to the results tonight?

00:12 It has been a journey and it's been a long journey and we haven't just gone out in the

00:17 last few weeks to knock and canvas for people, we've actually been doing it since 2019 and

00:25 we've tried to get the message across that we are a group and a party that can be trusted

00:31 in Hartlepool and I think that's what's happened tonight. People have decided that they might

00:38 put their trust in us and hopefully we will deliver for them.

00:43 What do you think has been key in getting that trust from people to get their votes?

00:46 I think engaging with them, I think asking their opinions, listening to them, talking

00:52 to them, not just making decisions without considering what people have been saying.

01:01 And on a personal level this will make you the first female leader of Hartlepool as a

01:05 party, what's that like for you personally?

01:08 So I think it's a great achievement for Hartlepool, I don't see it as a personal achievement,

01:13 I see it as a team that's done this and it's really good to have a female leader at long

01:22 last.

01:23 And what are going to be the priorities of the Labour group now that they're leading

01:28 administration?

01:29 So we're looking at the budget, we're looking at the cost of living crisis, we're looking

01:35 at council tax, we're looking at some of the immediate issues that we might be able to

01:41 change quickly to make things better for the residents of Hartlepool.

01:46 You mentioned the residents of Hartlepool, what has been the reaction from them when

01:50 you've been out on the doorsteps, obviously you said recent weeks but obviously all year

01:54 round.

01:55 Have they been raising issues on a local level with Conservatives, has it been a national

02:00 issue, what's been your sort of swing at with them?

02:03 So a mixture, I think that they've been quite concerned nationally with the National

02:12 Party and the government, there's a lot of faith gone from the present government and

02:21 I think that's reflected locally as well.

02:26 Obviously there's expected to be a general election coming up potentially later this

02:30 year but for now at least Hartlepool has a Conservative MP in Jill Mortimer, how do you

02:36 think it's going to be working with her from a council and an MP perspective?

02:39 It'll be interesting I think, yeah.

02:43 And last thing then, have you got any messages for the residents of Hartlepool, those who

02:47 voted Labour tonight and those who didn't as well?

02:50 The message for the people of Hartlepool is that we will do our very best as a united

02:56 group to lead the council and to make life as better as we can for the people of Hartlepool.

03:06 That's great, thanks.