UK's Labour 'fighting very hard' for northern England's Hartlepool in key vote

FILE PHOTO: British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer delivers a virtual speech on Britain's economic future in the wake of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, at Labour Party's headquarters in central London, Britain February 18, 2021. Stefan Rousseau/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party is fighting "very hard" for every vote in the northern English town of Hartlepool, leader Keir Starmer said on Tuesday, taking aim at an election that will be a critical test for his leadership.

The election on Thursday of a new lawmaker for Hartlepool, which has struggled since its steel and shipbuilding industries went into decline in the 1960s-70s, is becoming a key test for Starmer, who is keen to prove he can reinvigorate the fortunes of the Labour Party after a 2019 election failure.