Copeland MP's hospital pledge

Trudy Harrison - voted back in just four months after a fiercely-fought by-election saw her take the job - has spoken to the News & Star about her plan for the next four years in post.

She has revealed her vision to tackle issues including health, education, and Brexit.

Mrs Harrison said: "Nuclear, is my number one as well as industry and job creation generally. There's health and education.

"Specifically with health I'm talking about securing the future for the West Cumberland Hospital and making sure we get that investment for the final phase of construction.

"Working with new plans so we can train more new nurses and doctors locally to work in the hospital."

Speaking about education, she disputes claims about funding cuts for schools, saying: "There are no cuts to schools. It's quite clear in our manifesto.

"But more than that I want to make sure the schools that have been left behind have the opportunity for investment in their buildings and in their facilities."

Mrs Harrison highlighted areas such as roads, rail and digital connectivity that need improvement.

And she has also focused on the need for technical apprenticeships.

She said: "Technical apprenticeships are key in an area such as ours.

"Skilled and practical technical apprenticeships offer a fantastic opportunity to grow the world class skills we've got."

Brexit - which was the reason why the General Election was called - is also a priority.

"It's about making a success of Brexit," explained Mrs Harrison. "The way that I'll be doing that is organising business forums and other opportunities to speak with groups of people in the constituency to understand their needs.

"One of those groups of people are the EU nationals living in this constituency.

"But also, it's about working with farmers and businesses, making sure their needs and their opportunities are understood down in parliament and that information coming into parliament ca be relayed to the farmers, the businesses and to people who for leaving the European Union, has consequences."

Mrs Harrison, a mother-of-four, continued: "It's a very clear plan in my mind."

During her campaign, when she was talking to voters on doorsteps, most people had "a quite grown up and responsible attitude" towards our fiscal responsibilities for the country she insisted.

"We cannot just spend, spend, spend money that we don't have to incur debt for our children and grandchildren," she said.

"We need to create a stronger economy and to do that it is about reducing corporation tax and making it attractive for businesses to set up in this area."

So, is she looking forward to the challenge ahead?

"I just want to get on with it. I'm so coiled up," said Mrs Harrison, of Bootle.

She has responded to claims that she had not achieved enough in her short term in post after the by-election, saying: "I stood because I want to make a huge difference to this area, so to not be able to do that, held up for a number of weeks, to run through an election campaign was incredibly frustrating.

"But on the plus side, it has provided a wonderful opportunity for our team to work together here in Copeland to meet people, to visit the places and to get an even deeper understanding of the issues."

She thanked everyone who voted for her, her friends, family, friends, local association and volunteers.

"Without them this wouldn't be possible," she said.