Party hopes to take mayoralty from Tories but incumbent Ben Houchen is still popular with voters, defying national mood
Politicians have been known to warn each other against parking tanks on their lawns. For the Labour candidate in one of the most keenly anticipated May mayoral elections, the phrase has added bite: Chris McEwan has hundreds of them.
He shows photos of a room at his house in Darlington with an astonishing collection of small model tanks, all neatly laid out. His grandchildren think it’s a toyshop. “It’s a throwback to when I was a child, really,” he said. “I believe in peace.”
