Prestonpans: Angela Rayner visits county as part of national tour

Ms Rayner was special guest speaker to an invited audience of more than 100 local residents, including business owners, charity and community organisation leaders, trade unionists and party members.

The MP for Ashton-Under-Lyne spoke about the challenges of her childhood, growing up in Stockport in Greater Manchester, and paid tribute to local organisations in East Lothian which  support struggling families.

Questions from the audience ranged from how best to strengthen supply chains in the UK to provide jobs, to how to inspire young people who see their prospects and opportunities under threat amidst a cost of living crisis.

READ MORE: Scotland Office minister's whistle-stop tour of East Lothian

Douglas Alexander, Labour’s prospective Westminster candidate for East Lothian, also spoke at the event, which was chaired by former county MSP Iain Gray, while Martin Whitfield MSP closed the evening by thanking Ms Rayner and the audience for attending.

The event was part of a country-wide tour by Ms Rayner of seats which are key to Labour's quest for Keir Starmer to become Prime Minister.

 Mr Alexander said it was "a real pleasure" to welcome Ms Rayner to Prestonpans.

“This meeting came almost six months to the day since I was selected by local Labour Party members," he recalled.

“As I said in my remarks at the gathering, one meeting in particular since my selection stays in my mind: On Friday, June 9 I attended the AGM of the East Lothian Foodbank in the Fraser Centre in Tranent.

That morning the foodbank’s brilliant leadership team revealed that last year, in 2022, they supported 4,286 children here in East Lothian.

“The idea that 4,286 local children in East Lothian need to get the support of a foodbank in this day and age, in one of the richest countries in the world, is just wrong.

"In the week kids go back to school after the summer, surely we can pledge to do better? It really does feel that it’s time for change.”