Jeremy Corbyn launches Labour local election campaign in Nottinghamshire

Video: Jeremy Corbyn talks to Notts TV’s Hugh Casswell about the local election

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn visited Nottinghamshire to fire the opening shots in his party’s battle to maintain control of the County Council.

Mr Corbyn was at Holy Trinity Community and Partnership Centre, in Newark, to address local Labour members ahead of the local election on May 4.

Nottinghamshire voters will be asked to decide who should represent them on the council, which is currently Labour-controlled by an 11-seat majority over the Conservatives.

And people are being asked to check their poll cards – because many district boundaries have moved along with polling stations.

The changes mean the total number of county councillors will reduce from 67 to 66 with nearly all the divisions changing in name, size or both.

The May 4 election will be fought for control of County Hall, West Bridgford.

Mr Corbyn said: “It’s always a problem when boundaries change because they tend to reflect population moves, and sometimes it means we have more difficult contests because the Labour vote is dispersed in to new wards.

“But we’re fighting the council elections in order to win them, we’re fighting on the record of Nottinghamshire County Council, which has been a very good one, it’s particularly proactive on investment and jobs across the county.”

May 4 could also be seen as a health check for Labour in what has traditionally been a red county – close results in some local elections not withstanding.

All but one of Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire’s seven Labour MPs supported the Remain campaign ahead of the 2016 EU Referendum – but overall 58 per cent of people in the city and county voted to leave the union.

Labour’s Cllr Alan Rhodes currently leads Nottinghamshire County Council.

“The referendum result was clear,” added Mr Corbyn.

“We absolutely accept the result. This country is leaving the European Union. A majority of Labour voters voted to remain [nationally] but a substantial minority of Labour votes voted to leave, and so we have the responsibility to straddle that divide.

“We straddle that divide by simply saying this. We recognise we are going we will defend workers’ rights and environmental protections on leaving the European Union, and we will absolutely hold the Government to account.”

There was a moment of embarrassment for Mr Corbyn when he called the Labour Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Alan Rhodes, ‘Alan Rouse’.

Cllr Rhodes laughed off the mistake on Twitter, saying “I’ve been called much worse” when replying to BBC Nottingham Political Reporter Peter Saull.