General Election 2019: Why Portsmouth should vote for the Labour Party, writes Jeremy Corbyn

Portsmouth has such a proud history. The heart and home of the Royal Navy and host to the outstanding D-Day event that I attended back in June, when we commemorated those brave troops that fought fascism.

But for all of Portsmouth’s pivotal role in Britain’s military history, recent times have seen your city suffer the harsh impact of Tory austerity forced upon you by the Cameron, May and Johnson governments. Something you will have mostly felt through cuts to local public services.

So what sort of future is Labour offering Portsmouth?

On the NHS, we will protect our country’s most precious institution from the threat of a toxic trade deal with Donald Trump and at the same time properly fund your city’s health services. We will also ensure bespoke, tailored mental health care for veterans and those still serving in our armed forces.

When it comes to work, Labour will kick-start a green industrial revolution, building the new manufacturing centres of the future. We will invest £19bn in the south east of England, including new wind farms along the coast – with profits reinvested in nearby cities and towns.

To ensure people can take on the new jobs that we create, Labour will start a national education service, providing a right to ‘cradle to grave’ education. That will involve serious improvements to primary and secondary schools, free university tuition, and support for those wanting to retrain.

Labour will also deal with Britain’s ongoing housing crisis and across the south east region alone we will build 24,000 much needed new council and social homes each year by the end of 2024. We will introduce rent controls to stop rogue landlords bringing financial misery to struggling families and young people starting out on their own.

We will also tackle the scourge of rough sleeping that blights so many cities. It is a disgrace that people, including many veterans of our armed forces, are forced to sleep in shop doorways. While the Tories try to pass the buck on this issue, Labour will properly support those public services that can help people who are struggling in this way.

This is just a taste of our fully-costed ambitious plan to bring real change to Portsmouth and the rest of Britain. And this coming Thursday, you have a chance to elect Labour representatives, and in doing so put in place a government that will have your back and be on your side.