A CONSERVATIVE minister came to the region's most marginal seat today (Wednesday) to set out a plan which he said would create 50,000 more jobs.

Minister for Cities, Greg Clark, originally from Normanby, near Middlesbrough, launched the Conservative Plan for Working People in the North-East in the highly marginal Stockton South constituency.

The plan aims to create 200,000 apprenticeships and provide for 20,000 new primary school places. It would see the A1 dualled in Northumberland and lower taxes for small business to create "a northern powerhouse."

He also said a Conservative government would support plans to create a Teesside Combined Authority to replace Darlington, Stockton, Middlesbrough, Redcar and east Cleveland and Hartlepool councils. Cutting income tax would boost income for 1.1 million people.

Mr Clark also said a Labour alliance with the Scottish National Party (SNP) could lead to the cancellation of proposed infrastructure projects, including aforementioned A1 upgrade, widening the A19 and the introduction of high speed rail between the region and Manchester.

Speaking at ValvTechnologies on the Preston Farm Industrial estate, near Eaglescliffe, Stockton, Mr Clark said: "We're the only party offering the North-East a real vision for the future and we've got a track record for success."

However, Mr Clark's plans and comments about the dangers of a Labour and SNP political agreement were dismissed by former Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett who visited Redcar where Labour hope to win back what was once a safe seat from the Liberal Democrats.

Speaking near the town's famous clock on the High Street, the veteran MP said the Conservative-led Government had actually taken money out of the North-East. He cited Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's budget, which he said had been cut by a third, largely due to the slashing of Government grants.

Mr Blunkett said the idea that the North-East would lose out to Scotland was "scare stories."

He said: "It's just a nonsense. The idea that we would take money from our heartlands and direct it elsewhere is cloud cuckoo land. What is actually true is that the Conservatives have taken money from the North-East and Yorkshire and have given it to the South-East. For every £5 spent per person on transport in the North-East, £2,700 is spent in London."

Asked if the Conservative's idea of a "northern powerhouse" had stolen Labour's thunder, Mr Blunkett said: "It would have done if they were actually doing it. Yes, there's something for Manchester (which will benefit from a high speed rail link) but there's absolutely nothing for the North-East or Yorkshire."

Asked about the last Labour government's decision not to intervene to support Redcar's steelworks which went on to close for a period, Mr Blunkett, said previous governments had been "too enamoured with market forces" and should have intervened more.