Inside the UK town set to be epicentre of May 7 political earthquake as diehard Labour voters turn to Reform

ASK people in Hartlepool where they are from and they barely pause.  “Born and bred here.”  In most towns, it’s something you say without thinking.  Here, it’s a badge of belonging - an inheritance that once meant shipyards, foundries and steady work.  But those giants of industry are gone now, and the jobs that shaped generations disappeared in their wake.  What remains is pride, pain,...