Monday 10 May 2010

Polling backlash over steelworks closure

The mothballing of Corus steelworks in Redcar has been blamed for the loss of two Labour seats in Teesside at last week's general election.

Vera Baird was beaten in Redcar by the Liberal Democrats, while Dari Taylor lost Stockton South to the Conservatives.

Both MPs had campaigned to save the town's Corus plant which has been mothballed with 1,600 job losses.

The government had pledged £60m to help Teesside recover from the mothballing, but critics argued the money would have been better spent keeping the steelworks open.