Boris Johnson tours Tetley Tea's Eaglescliffe factory on election campaign trail

Boris Johnson, who has been in office for just over 100 days, called into the Tetley Tea production facility in Eaglescliffe near Stockton, to try and spread his campaign to "Get Brexit Done" to staff from across the area.

Before a tour of the site on Durham Lane on Thursday morning, Mr Johnson in full Tetley branded overalls sat down with production staff, where he discussed how the country could move forward once Brexit was done.

Boris Johnson enjoys a cup of Tetley tea as he chats with staff at the Eaglescliffe factory. Picture: Northern Echo

Mr Johnson, with a cup of freshly-brewed Tetley Tea, told a room of staff: "I would say get Brexit done - if we can get this whole thing off our backs, we can do things differently."

Mr Johnson's visit to the North-East as part of his campaign to keep the Conservatives in Number 10, came almost four years after former Prime Minister David Cameron visited the Tetley Tea factory. 

Boris Johnson poses for the cameras during his tour of the Tetley tea factory in Eaglescliffe. Picture: Northern Echo

Boris Johnson shares a joke with staff during his tour of the Tetley tea factory at Eaglescliffe. Picture: Northern Echo

At the time, Mr Cameron revealed he had chosen the factory as his first visit to a location outside of London, after being elected in 2015.

But back on Teesside, the visit which began at around 10am, came as just 24-hours ago the Prime Minister was in Birmingham, pledging the same slogan to both remain and leave supporters to "Get Brexit Done."

• Jobs are in the bag as Tetley pours cash into Teas-side

Putting talk of Brexit on hold to see how around 600 North-East workers helped played a part in the production of 18 billion teabags globally, Mr Johnson was ushered through the site.

Concluding his tour, where he witnessed the production process, The Northern Echo spoke to Mr Johnson about The Northern Powerhouse, Brexit and the region. 

He said: "I think the potential of this whole country needs to be unleashed. Coming to Teesside today, members of staff have said Brexit done.

"We are the party that with just nine more seats will have a working majority. My pledge to the people in this area, we will get this deal, we will be out in January and then focus on everything else.

"In the long term, get this deal done and it will unleash a tidal wave of investment into the UK. The delay that is going on at the moment is corrosive for this country."

Speaking about The Northern Powerhouse, Mr Johnson said he believes in bringing the country together, and that government was supporting infrastructure, education and technology in the region.

He also said he supported the Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen and his work in bringing Teesside Airport into public ownership, earlier this year.

Boris Johnson with Thursday's Northern Echo during a tour of the Tetley Tea factory

Responding to John McDonnell of The Labour Party, who today (Thursday) pledged to move parts of government out of London and into the North, Mr Johnson said he was a "big supporter" of devolving power and government around the country.

In response to the Prime Minister's visit, Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen told The Northern Echo that the public pledge had given him the support needed to expand Teesside Airport "not just across the world, but the rest of the country".

He added: "I have been working with government and Number 10 to see what we can do to support the rebirth of our airport. 

"The public pledge that the Prime Minister has given me is a welcome one, and one that we have known about."