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The Labour Party will promise to expand the Port of Tyne and build 7,000 council homes in the North East in its new regional manifesto.

Launching on Friday, Labour's scheme specifically for the North East also includes plans for a steel recycling plant in Redcar, the creation of 80,000 "good, green jobs" in the region, and an expansion at Teesport.

The party's 'Green Transformation Fund' also features a Crossrail for the North scheme, linking up the North's big cities.

Ahead of the manifesto launch in Middlesbrough, North West Durham candidate and Labour’s Shadow Employment Rights Secretary, Laura Pidcock, said the manifesto described "what it looks like when a government actually cares about the North East."

She said: “In our region, devastating Tory cuts have held us back for nearly a decade. Since 2010, the North East has grown 70% slower than London, and weekly wages are now more than £200 less than in the capital.

“For family and friends of mine, those Conservative cuts have meant the anxiety and sometimes physical pain of waiting weeks and weeks for surgery. They have meant funding basics like books for their kids’ primary school themselves. They have meant seeing the number of homeless people sleeping in the cold rise every Christmas for nearly 10 years.

”We’ve had enough. This must end now. Our region, and the country, need real change."

The party is set to launch manifestos for each region. In his foreword to the documents, leader Jeremy Corbyn said his party was planning "investment on a scale our country has never known."

He added: “This is about the jobs at the end of your road. It’s about breathing new life into your area; reviving your high street; restoring the pride to your community."

But Conservative rivals dismissed the 'regional manifesto' idea, insisting Boris Johnson's party would "level up the entire country", citing the party's regional towns fund promise and its plans to improve transport infrastructure.

Jake Berry, the Northern Powerhouse Minister, said: “This is a clear distraction from Corbyn’s failure to set out a Brexit plan.

“Every region in England outside of London voted to leave the European Union. If Corbyn’s Labour want to deliver for the people who live there, he should start with that. The only thing on offer from Labour is the chaos of another two referendums."

Conservative leader Boris Johnson has previously insisted his Government was "already delivering" on his vision for the North, after regional news organisations including ChronicleLive called on politicians from all parties to 'Power Up The North' and explain how they intend to support the region's growth.