THE Labour Party has announced its candidate to run in the Tees Valley Mayoral election in May.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council leader councillor Sue Jeffrey won the race for the party’s name on the ballot paper.

Cllr Jeffrey beat Stockton Borough councillor Chris Barlow to be selected to stand for election.

Outlining her ambitions for the role if she wins the election, she said: “This is a strong strategy that has been designed by Labour Councils in partnership with business and which will make a real difference to people’s lives –over the next 10 years that means – 25,000 additional jobs, 2,000 new businesses, 40,000 new residents, and our economy set to grow by a massive £2.8bn.

“But what will I bring extra as mayor? My aim will be to ensure that our economic recovery and growth is sustainable and delivered to all parts of the Tees Valley.

“We need to remember – our economy is bound together. When SSI shut down in Redcar – 2,000 people – living right across the Tees Valley lost their jobs, the companies that supplied SSI were based in all parts of the Tees Valley, the families that were affected by the closure are everywhere in the Tees Valley.

“The same is true every time the UK economy hits the rocks, the whole of the Tees Valley suffers. That’s why we need to stand together as one to make the best of our economy to benefit us all.

“But to make the mayor work for everyone I mean to listen, to hear what people of the Tees Valley have to say about our economy, their jobs and the kind of future they want for their children.”

Speaking in front of an audience of party members, she added: “We must make sure that having a mayor makes a difference. We must make sure we get the most we can from the devolution deal and we must make sure that the Tees Valley succeeds.

“And these are some of things I will be talking about: we are planning for new jobs but they must be high quality well paid jobs my goal will be full employment built on local investment, diversifying our economy and reducing our dependency on foreign capital and labour.

“And it is not just about new jobs – I will also want to tackle the existing shameful levels of low pay and poor job security that blight so many families and allow this Tory government to claim their employment policies are working – we don’t have to put up with that.”

Other candidates are yet to be formally announced.