The Prime Minister has spoken of his confidence of retaining seats in the General Election after travelling on the East Lancashire Railway (ELR).

Rishi Sunak went to Burrs Country Park in Bury on Friday after arriving on an ELR steam train.

Bury is a primary target for his party with both the Bury North and Bury South seats named as two of the most important areas in the country Labour is looking to win. 

Both constituencies voted in Conservative MPs at the last General Election in December 2019, including Bury North’s James Daly, who beat Labour opponent James Frith by just 105 votes – making the seat the most marginal in the country.

Lancashire Telegraph: Bury North MP James Daly with Prime Minister Rishi SunakBury North MP James Daly with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Image: James Daly/X)

Read more: JAMES DALY COLUMN: We will offer dignity and financial security to pensioners

The Labour-run council has criticised the government amid a £40m budget shortfall it has to make up.

But the PM says tens of millions of pounds have been invested in Bury.

Speaking to our sister paper, the Bury Times, at Burrs Country Park, Mr Sunak said: “We have a fantastic local MP and candidate in Bury in James Daly where everyone can see how hard he works and how much he’s delivered for the local community.

“There’s a wonderful spot you can stand in Bury where you can visibly see about £100m worth of government investment in Bury in the market, the college, and the football club as well.

“That’s what James does for his local community, he delivers for them and I think people will see that at this election and certainly from talking to people here.”

Lancashire Telegraph: Rishi Sunak during the visitRishi Sunak during the visit (Image: James Daly/X)

Mr Daly added: “One thing we should be very proud of in Bury is we have one special educational needs high school already built and we have two already coming.

“In terms of levelling up, which is what this prime minister is all about, levelling up opportunities for everyone no matter the challenges in their life.

“We have three special educational needs schools serving one constituency in the North West of England.

"I’m very grateful for the Prime Minister for providing the funding for that.”

Mr Sunak said he was confident of retaining seats in the area due to his party's policies on migration.

He repeated that if he is re-elected, flights will go to Rwanda to transport asylum seekers as part of controversial plans to stop illegal migration.

He said: “Keir Starmer has said that he will let everyone out of the detention centres, so all the people we’ve detained will be let out, those flights will be cancelled and instead he’s going to offer an amnesty to illegal migrants, making us a soft touch of Europe and a magnet for illegal migrants.

“That doesn’t deliver a secure future for anyone.”