Labour’s campaign in the Pudsey constituency was boosted today with a visit from the party’s higher education minister David Lammy.

Mr Lammy helped parliamentary candidate Jamie Hanley on the campaign trail, gauging the party’s support in the strong Labour area. His candidature comes on the back of the previous Labour MP for Pudsey, Paul Truswell, taking the decision to stand down this year.

The pair, along with other Labour party supporters and the campaign team, were out on the doorsteps of the Harley Road area of Pudsey pushing the Labour message to voters.

Mr Hanley, who is a member of the party’s Regional Board and sits on the National Policy Forum, told the Telegraph & Argus that the campaign was a “close and tough” one.

“The Tories are very well funded with big centrally-funded billboards throughout the constituency. We are not funded by Lord Ashcroft, but we are working really hard getting our message across. It’s interesting the number of national issues that have arisen when we speak to people on their doorsteps.

“Locally Leeds Council is run by the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives, so people know that when you vote Liberal, you get a Tory.

“People see what the Tories have done locally in closing some day care centres for the elderly and the threat to one in Farsley.”

Mr Lammy added: “People are saying to us that they have voted Labour traditionally and that they will vote Labour again this time. After 13 years they are asking us to make the case to them.

“This is not an election we can take for granted – it’s work, work, work. And I think particularly after the televised debates, people are raising national issues to us – jobs, security for their children, apprenticeships and university places.

“They see those national issues that the Government ought to be doing something about.”