A TEESSIDE MP has praised the steelworkers’ union’s decision to nominate Owen Smith in the current Labour leadership contest.

Tom Blenkinsop, Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland where many people once worked at Redcar steelworks, is backing Mr Smith ahead of current leader Jeremy Corbyn.

He said: “Our steel industry is in crisis. We need a government that will offer us real solutions. This nomination shows that British steel workers from Skinningrove to Port Talbot see Owen Smith’s vision for the country offers real hope. The Tories’ inaction has contributed to the steel crisis and Jeremy has offered no solutions. While Jeremy may have worn a ‘Save our Steel’ badge in last week’s leadership debate it was Owen who put forward policies that could actually help.

“The deeper we get into this steel crisis the more people need Labour budgets not just badges.”

The union, one of the fourteen affiliated to the Labour party, announced their nomination last week in an article for the website LabourList.

Anna Turley, MP for Redcar, is also backing Smith as is Alex Cunningham, MP for Stockton North and Hartlepool MP Iain Wright. Both Ms Turley and Mr Cunningham. Mr Cunningham and Ms Turley both gave up positions in the shadow cabinet in the recent attempted coup.

Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald who has been appointed shadow transport secretary, is backing Jeremy Corbyn. In a recent interview, he said: “Lots of our communities in de-industrialised areas are alienated. They need someone to speak to their concerns.”