James Wharton MP

This morning I attended a meeting with local Party representatives from across the Cleveland and Durham areas to start the process of selecting candidates for the Police and Crime Commissioner elections in November.

I spent this morning meeting constituents in Stockton, including representatives from the local charity Blind Voice to talk about welfare reforms. In the afternoon I went up to Newcastle to record the regional Sunday Politics programme.

This morning I visited Yarm medical centre, then All Saints School in Ingleby Barwick. I held a number of surgeries at the office through the afternoon then an open surgery in Yarm library in the early evening.

A number of constituency meetings today including with Avanta, one of the providers of the Work Programme, to hear about the work they are doing in the region. I also visited Halifax Bank in Thornbay to meet staff and managers, did an interview for a University student’s dissertation project and in the evening spoke at a dinner for Berwick Conservatives in Bamburgh.

I spent this afternoon in Darlington, where there are two local government by elections. I was out knocking doors for the excellent Conservative candidates. Neither of the wards were Conservative at the last election but I am hopeful that with good candidates and a strong campaign they will have a impressive showing when polls close tonight.