Residents in coastal town Hartlepool voted 70 – 30 to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum. The town, which is run by a Brexit Party-Tory council, saw a rise in UKIP supporters just before the referendum. But Hartlepool has firmly remained Labor since the seat was created in 1974.
Peter Mandelson represented the area for many years, but Mike Hill has been the MP since 2017
Now voters are slowly drifting away from the party they have identified with their whole lives as Labor is starting to “irritate the hell” out of them.
Danny Paterson, 47, told The Times: “I’ve been labor all my life.
“For the first time I ‘m not going to vote Labor.
“I’ve never been one for the Conservatives, but Boris Johnson is trying to get Brexit through.
Jeremy Corbyn may be losing support in Hartlepool(Image: GETTY)
“It might be necessary for me to vote Tory to make that happen.
“It irritates the hell out of me – we voted to Leave and three and a half years on, it hasn’t happened.
“I don’t like to get angry, but I am . It’s supposed to be a democracy and parliament has just said, no, we don’t like that result, let’s have another referendum. ”
Mr Paterson’s son Charlie, 20, he felt frustrated, but may still vote Labor “because me grandad’ll kick me a **** if I vote Tory”.
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Hartlepool voters are growing tired of Brexit not being delivered(Image: GETTY)
Howard Pearson, 78, a former insurance broker, voted remain “but I’ll go along with the majority to get it done. That’s democracy. ”
Mr Pearson usually votes for the Conservative Party.)
He considered not voting at all this time around, “but the wife’d string me up.”
He likes Richard Tice, the businessman and MEP standing for Brexit in Hartlepool, but is not sure whether this will split the Leave vote.
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Peter Mandelson represented the area for many years(Image: GETTY)
He said: “I’ll have to think about that. I’d like to see the Conservatives back out here to beat Labor like Farage did in their seats. ”
Meanhile, he said Mr Corbyn “is a Communist who could create havoc in our country”.
John Edmondson, 74, will vote Conservative as he usually does, but agrees Mr Farage’s offer of withdrawing candidates from Tory-held seats, was “a gentlemanly thing to do ”.
Mr Edmondson, who voted Leave, said: “I like Farage and Boris is a bit of an idiot but I’ll stick with the Conservatives.
Voters are slowly drifting away from the party they have identified with their whole lives(Image: GETTY)
“We fought the Second World War for our freedom, we can’t give it away to Brussels. It’s an insult to the chaps who died. ”
Ian Millican,, a former pipe fitter, added he’s voting “for anyone who’ll get us out of Europe”.
David Evans, 41, a care worker, voted Remain but “we’ve got to get it done now, it’s caused so much damage, financially and socially ”.
Diane Stevens, 52, is anxious about the election not delivering a majority for Brexit.
He said: “I’m Labor normally. But I may change, not just because of Brexit because I voted Remain but because I’m worried about democracy if Brexit doesn’t happen. I think there could be violence. ”
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