DAVID Cameron defended his Government's public sector cutbacks on a campaigning visit to the region today (Monday, April 13).

A university study has suggested that the North-East lost nearly twice as many jobs in the public sector than the national average between 2008 and 2014.

And the Institute for Fiscal studies has said that a new Conservative Government would have to make a further £50bn of cuts a year to reach its aim of balancing the budget by 2020.

But Mr Cameron, speaking in the highly marginal Stockton South constituency, said the rebalancing of the region's economy from the public to the private sector was paying dividends for the North-East.

And he rejected claims that poorer, North-East councils were hit harder than richer authorities in the south.

He said that, for example, Stockton Borough Council was spending 17 per cent more this year in cash terms than in 2010. He also argued that there are now 47,000 more jobs in the region than in 2010 when he was elected.

The Northern Echo challenged Mr Cameron on the quality of the new jobs compared to the thousands of civil service positions lost across the region, including more than 600 in Stockton.

Speaking in the Icon Plastics factory in Eaglescliffe, which has recently taken on more workers, Mr Cameron pointed out the number of claimants in Stockton South had dropped by 43 per cent by one estimate and said: "I don't accept that (the new jobs are inferior).

"The overwhelming number of new jobs are full-time. Wages are now growing ahead of inflation. Any local authority in the North-East tends to be funded more than elsewhere. But I am not saying everything is perfect."

Mr Cameron went on to say Labour's pledge to cut tuition fees was the "wrong priority".

Asked about a recent opinion poll in the Stockton South constituency which put the labour candidate, Louise Baldock, ahead of Conservative James Wharton by five per cent, Mr Cameron accepted the election fight was "quite crucial" for an overall Conservative victory and said: "We should recognise there's only one poll that counts."

He went on to praise Mr Wharton as a "strong local MP with a great track record".

On a lighter note Mr Cameron was asked whether he ever eaten a parmo, a well-known Teesside chicken and cheese dish, watched the TV show Geordie Shore or ever had a fish and chip tea at the North-East coast.

He responded by saying he was no fan of Geordie Shore and joked that he had eaten so much food on the election trail that he was having to be careful. He did take time to praise the region's beautiful scenery.

After the visit Ms Baldock criticised a Conservative Party statement announcing Mr Cameron's visit published in The Northern Echo which said the sun was shining on the North-East and added: "Our plan is giving people from York to Darlington the security they deserve."

Ms Baldock said: "It's good there's a special plan for the area between York and Darlington, but where's our plan?

"The Tories don't have a any plans to benefit Stockton, Teesside or the North-East in truth."

UKIP is set to win its first seats on a Labour-run town council.

Labour will not field candidates in all 21 seats on Hetton Town Council being contested on May 7, which means Ukip will automatically win six seats on the local authority.

The remaining 15 seats will be contested between Labour, Ukip and Independent candidates.

Richard Elvin, Ukip’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Houghton and Sunderland South, said: “This is a clear illustration that the traditional dominance of Labour in the North East is coming to an end.

“A healthy democracy thrives when there is an effective opposition.

“For too long the North East has been a one party state and this has not been good for the region”.