Lord Ahmad visits Halifax on Conservative campaign trail

It’s a key marginal seat for the party after sitting Labour MP Holly Lynch clinched victory in 2015 with a majority of 428.

And two weeks ago, Theresa May put Halifax at the centre of the election campaign when she launched the Conservatives’ manifesto at Dean Clough.

Lord Ahmad joined candidate Chris Pearson, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, MEP Amjad Bashir and local Conservatives on the visit.

He said this election was one of the “most important” of his lifetime and said Brexit would be crucial in defining the future direction of the country.

“I think there’s no better person than Theresa May to lead us in this,” he said. “I’m not just saying it because it’s the thing to say.

“I think you need someone who is determined, who has great focus, great principle and who also carries enough authority on getting the job done.

“Certainly that encompasses Theresa May. Coming today to Halifax is part and parcel of what we need to do as a country.

“It’s about getting out and about in those key battlefield marginals such as Halifax and ensuring that we do get a Conservative Government with a strong majority in the House of Commons.”

Lord Ahmad described Halifax as an area “we need to win, we should win and I hope we do win”.

He said: “We’ve got an excellent local candidate who knows Halifax well, someone who has served in the local council, so he understands local issues.

“Those are important, you need a voice in Westminster of someone who can appreciate what it means to be local and get behind the issues that matter, but at the same time someone who will have strength in Parliament for what the Conservative party presents to the country as a whole, which is strong leadership in the guise of Theresa May.”