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Jeremy Corbyn visits Molineux to sway voters in marginal Wolverhampton seat

Jeremy Corbyn visited Wolverhampton in a bid to sway voters in a marginal seat targeted by the Conservatives.

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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in Wolverhampton with candidate Eleanor Smith

The Labour leader braved the cold to attend Molineux alongside Wolverhampton South West candidate Eleanor Smith.

He arrived to chants of "Oh Jeremy Corbyn" from supporters and was handed a Wolves scarf.

The city seat has been a key marginal since 1997 and is currently held by former theatre nurse Ms Smith, who extended Labour's majority to 2,185 in 2017.

Labour supporters turned out to greet Mr Corbyn next to the Billy Wright statue

Mr Corbyn said in a speech: "It's great to be in Wolverhampton and great to be alongside Billy Wright.

"You should all be very very proud of what we have achieved – and what Eleanor has achieved.

"You're voting for someone who has given amazing service to our community.

"And she's my fantastic colleague in Parliament."

Mr Corbyn said it was 'great to be alongside Billy Wright'

The Labour leader called for campaigners to go out on the campaign trail and "listen" to people as he highlighted universal credit, children in overcrowded classrooms and a lack of funding for the NHS.

In 2017 Ms Smith became the first MP in the West Midlands to be from an Afro-Caribbean background – in a seat held for more than two decades by Enoch Powell.

And now her main challenge comes Conservative Stuart Anderson, a Brexiteer and former British Army sniper.

Eleanor Smith replaced Rob Marris as the Labour MP for Wolverhampton South West in 2017

Political heavyweights from both major parties have visited the area in a bid to sway voters, with the likes of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and cabinet ministers Sajid Javid, Dominic Raab, Johnny Mercer, Matt Hancock and Robert Jenrick.

Other visitors include Labour's David Lammy, shadow cabinet members Jon Ashworth and Dawn Butler along with the Labour leader.

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Both candidates have fought to save the Seven Cornfields and Wood Road surgery, with the two joining forces against Wolverhampton Council's plans for a travellers site off Gorsebrook Road.

Ms Smith, who underwent a testing start to her term when she criticised the Black Country flag, campaigned to make the drug Spinraza available in the UK.

Mr Anderson, who has faced questions over a former business that went bust, wants to bring a new railway station to Tettenhall.

Leo Grandison is standing for the Brexit Party, with Bart Ricketts standing for the Liberal Democrats.