Labour Party deputy leader Tom Watson has defended Hyndburn parliamentary candidate Graham Jones’ decision to not prominently display party leader Jeremy Corbyn on his general election literature.

Mr Watson visited Accrington on the campaign trail and spoke to residents and shoppers around the town centre.

Stopping for a brew in the Market Hall, Mr Watson told the Observer that local candidates ‘should run the best campaign they can’ and urged the electorate to ‘vote for the MP rather than the leader’.

He said: “It’s up to them. As a campaigning MP myself I’ve rarely put any leader on any of my leaflets because I think it gets in the way of talking about the local issues. That’s a personal choice.

“People have complex choices to make in an election, it’s not just about the leaders of parties, it’s who is best to represent you locally. So when people look at their candidates I hope they look at their track record.”

Mr Watson said some of the big issues facing the borough include policing and NHS funding and the impact of Brexit.

He said: “We respect and understand the decision of voters in the (Brexit) referendum. That’s why we supported triggering Article 50 and we want the very best deal we can for when we come out of the EU.

“It’s critical for areas like Hyndburn that we allow our businesses to get tariff-free access to the European market.”

Labour Party deputy leader Tom watson MP visiting Hyndburn on the General Election 2017 campaign trail. Pictured in Accrington Market Hall with Hyndburn and Haslingden MP Graham Jones.

Mr Jones, who has previously been a critic of Mr Corbyn, said his leader does get ‘a mention’ in his latest election leaflet despite not being pictured.

He said: “I’ve just done a leaflet and filled it with all the local stuff. I was going to put him on and I haven’t put him on because I couldn’t get him on at the end.

“He’s got a mention because I think what Jeremy said about a national education service is very important. That gets a mention and I did want to put him on about that because Jeremy’s got some good ideas and I think the public need to know about those ideas.

“There’s a chance to get some of Jeremy’s issues on my leaflet and they are on the first leaflet.”

Mr Jones, who is standing in his third General Election, said the voters ‘have a choice on Brexit’.

He said: I think the choice going forward now is a ‘workers’ Brexit’ or a ‘bosses’ Brexit’. The Labour party is the Brexit for workers and the Tory part is the Brexit for bosses.”

Labour’s Mr Jones held a majority of 4,400 over the Conservative Kevin Horkin at the 2015 election, with UKIP’s Janet Brown a strong third with 21.3 per cent of the vote, ahead of the Green Party’s Kerry Gormley and Liberal Democrat Alison Firth.

The general election will take place on Thursday, June 8, just five weeks after this week’s county council elections.