Comedian Eddie Izzard brought box-office charm and charisma to Runcorn on Saturday, April 4, as he stopped off on the campaign trail with election candidate Julia Tickridge.
Lifelong Labour supporter Eddie posed for ‘selfies’ with fans, signed autographs, posed for pictures and gave a podium speech at Runcorn Shopping Centre before heading off to knock on doors in Brookvale with Mrs Tickridge, Labour's parliamentary candidate for Weaver Vale.
The award-winning comic urged residents to ‘above all’ make sure they vote but argued that they should pick Labour.
Mr Izzard, who repeated his desire to stand either as an MP or in the race to become London mayor in 2020, slammed the ‘bedroom tax’ and said Labour would cut student fees.
There was no sign of campaign-trail fatigue or a star not living up to their reputation as the award-winning comic, who earned thousands of plaudits when he ran 43 marathons in 51 days for Sport Relief, arrived in the shopping centre’s town square in high heels, tights, black skirt and jacket and red lipstick and Labour rosette.
Speaking to the Chester Chronicle's sister paper, the Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News, he said that Labour would abolish the ‘bedroom tax’ while ‘keeping the NHS’, adding that government should ‘do the heavy lifting’ to deal with the deficit rather than residents on low incomes having the ‘toughest time’. He said the nation’s financial woes were caused by ‘toxic debt’ being repackaged and sold on by the banking sector.
Asked whether he was qualified to advise Runcorn residents who they should vote for, he said: “It would be wrong of me to comment on the local issues.
“Julia is here to deal with the local issues and be the representative for the areas.
“If people want to make things better, vote for Julia Tickridge.
“I believe in fairness and the Labour Party.
“We need to cut back but not as far as the Tories have done it.
“I believe in people. I want everyone to do well.
“I believe in meritocracy with people doing well but also with a safety net.”
Discussing the nation’s finances, he said: “Like after World War Two, we had a debt which was phenomenally large – we paid it off in 2007.
“We can do it in an easier rate so the people on the bottom line don’t have a tough time.
“The very richest people haven’t skipped a beat. They haven’t had a problem.
“It’s the people on the low incomes who have the toughest times.”
On Europe he said the zone had enjoyed been conflict-free since the 1940s. He said: “Nigel Farage wants to run and hide from Europe.
“We don’t want to run and hide, we want to change Europe and that’s what the Confederation Of British Industry say.”
Speaking to the crowd on Saturday in a speech applauded by shoppers, he said: “The Tories throw money at billboards but it’s people like you that get out and change the word.
“If it was up to them they would conserve everything bad that went on before.
“We want a fair society.
“If the Tories wanted a fair society the Tories would join the Labour Party.
“There are only five weeks to the election.
“This is Runcorn, this is a Tory seat, with only a 991 majority.
“It’s a scant majority.”
He added: “I’m here to encourage people to vote for any party but please remember the Labour Party and Julia Tickridge.
“People don’t know Runcorn New Town is part of Weaver Vale which has a Tory MP.
“If you want to get rid of the bedroom tax and get rid of the cuts you can change it – we can in five weeks time.
“It’s going to make a total difference.”
