A DEPUTY mayor is hoping to make history by becoming Middlesbrough's first-ever independent MP.

Antony High, who is also a ward councillor for the Ayresome area, has launched a campaign which he hopes will end years of Labour rule in his hometown.

He wants to topple Labour's Andy McDonald at the next general election. Middlesbrough is traditionally one of Labour's safest seats in the UK.

Mr High was voted in alongside independent mayoral candidate Andy Preston in May, in an election dubbed Independents' Day.

Cllr High, 36, said the Labour Party “continually fails the town”, but he conceded that he is the underdog, and faces a huge battle to defeat one of Labour's strongest majorities.

Mr McDonald's most recent general election victory in 2017 saw him win comfortably with a 14,000 majority. The town is Labour's 38th safest seat.

But Cllr High, a former drugs worker, said: “All the main political parties have failed our town during their years in power,” he said.

“None of them have done anything for Middlesbrough and I believe only an MP who is independent of the big political parties can put Middlesbrough and its people first.

“I’m not prepared to sit back and watch career politicians from national political parties continue to fail our town.

“The London-based parties have never done anything for Middlesbrough and now they’ve made a mess of the country.

“I’d love to be my hometown’s independent MP, standing up for Middlesbrough on a national level.

“Since April, I’ve had the privilege of being Middlesbrough’s deputy mayor. But I feel I could make a greater impact in a role as my hometown’s first independent MP.”

Cllr High said there 'would be no cronyism' on his watch, and would demand a better performance from Cleveland Police, something he felt Mr McDonald had not done with Barry Coppinger.

He pledged to 'fight tooth and nail' to win a better deal from government for the town and tackle the 'national prejudice' he said it faced.

The former Whinney Banks and Acklam Grange pupil launched his campaign in Middlesbrough town centre this week.

Cllr High's campaign launch came just after Andy McDonald received strong backing as he was reselected by party members.

Every ward branch and trade union branch in the town unanimously voted to reselect him as the candidate for the next General Election, which is expected to be soon.

He said: “It is the greatest honour of my life to represent the town where I was born and raised. I am immensely grateful to the party members and Union activists who have chosen to put their faith in me."