difficult to cut through with local issues when everyone wanted to talk about partygate and other national issues, and labour have said the same, that national issues played on the doorstep for them as well. but it hasn t been as positive for labour across the north of england. in hull, they lost the council, now in control of the liberal democrats, and in hartlepool they haven t made any gains, the tories have made gains, and danny savage has been gauging reaction in the town. hartlepool, one of those traditional labour strongholds that just last year was won by the conservatives. that direction of travel hasn t really changed. plenty of people voted tory here yesterday. i voted conservative. voted tory here yesterday. i voted conservative. have voted tory here yesterday. i voted conservative. have you voted tory here yesterday. i voted conservative. have you been i voted tory here yesterday. i voted conservative. have you been put l voted tory here yesterday. i voted i conserva