SHADOW business secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Labour candidate Josh MacAlister have been questioned about whether they thought new companies looking to expand into the area should be given tax break investments. 

Mr Reynolds said: "Everything that we're focused on doing is about increasing the competitiveness of every bit of the UK and how attractive a place to invest every bit of the UK is. 

"For me, it's not just about increasing investment in West Cumbria but how we do that in every part of the UK. 

"We're an innovative economy, we've got so much going for us and yet we have the lowest rate of business investment of any major developed country, everyone should be sitting around in this town full of business and ingenuity and think 'how can we be in that position.' 

"Our plans for proper industrial strategy, giving people confidence that there is going to be long-term policy in the UK again, not something that changes budget to budget. 

"We do have things like our Green Prosperity plan which is about investment in things like ports, new nuclear and renewable energy. 

"To regain a lot of private investment the state's going to have to play a role in some of that.

"The third thing is making Brexit work and getting a closer relationship with the European Union in terms of making that trading relationship everything it can be.

"We do believe we're putting forward a proposition that will deliver more investment in Cumbria."