THE Conservative candidate for the newly formed Whitehaven and Workington constituency has urged his Labour rival to publicly back west Cumbria’s mine.

The move from Andrew Johnson comes after Labour frontbencher Alex Cunningham MP said the new coal mine would be scrapped under a Labour Government.

Speaking earlier this month the Member of Parliament for Stockton North said that the coking coal mine is “not going to happen”, adding “We’ll be in government before they get to that stage and believe you me – we will not allow that project to go ahead.”

The Labour candidate for Whitehaven and Workington Josh MacAlister has not publicly stated his position on the controversial project.

In the letter, Mr Johnson said: “Your party’s response to the news reporting that followed was clear that you don’t support the creation of thousands of well-paid local jobs, both directly and in the supply chain, and the investment that the mine brings.

“Why do you and the Labour Party believe that steelmakers, regardless of where they are in the country, should rely on coal imported from halfway around the world on diesel ships? Or believe that west Cumbria should not benefit from the continued global demand for high-quality coking coal that will be mined in other countries regardless and in a more environmentally damaging way than here in the UK?

“Will you now commit your party to supporting the residents of west Cumbria and change your position on the Woodhouse Colliery?”

In an update issued last week, West Cumbria Mining, the company behind the new coal mine, said they remain ‘highly confident in the viability of the project’.

The company said meetings had taken place with both the Labour and Conservative candidates standing to be MP for the new Whitehaven and Workington constituency.

Josh MacAlister did not respond to a request for comment by The Whitehaven News.