Boris Johnson hit the campaign trail in a “Red Wall” north of England constituency, claiming the Tories were making “colossal” investments in public services and offered better value for money than Labour-ran councils.

Ahead of local elections next week, the Prime Minister spoke to students and apprentices in engineering at Burnley College, in a former Labour stronghold now held by the Conservative Party.

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(PA Graphics)

Mr Johnson said: “I think what this election is about is who delivers value for money across the country. Who delivers better services.

“This election on Thursday, just a week’s time, is about dynamic Conservative councillors offering better value for money and making sure your pot-holes get filled in.

“Making sure your bins are collected when you need them collected.

“But doing it in a way that respects the importance of tax-payer value at a time when there’s pressure on family budgets, it’s more important than ever we council tax as low as we can.

“That’s what we offer on May 5.”

Boris Johnson visit to Burnley
Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets engineering students (Peter Byrne/PA)

Mr Johnson was mobbed by some students, who took selfies with the Prime Minister as he was shown high-tech robotic and computer aided design suites at the college.

And he claimed his Government was putting in record amounts of cash in the North and across the UK.

He added: “What you are seeing here in the north west and across the country, is record investments, the biggest ever investments in the integrated rail programme.

“We have £96 billion not just to extend HS2, but to build northern powerhouse rail, which will be a massive benefit to the North West.

“Four new, five new hospitals in the North West alone, including Manchester General Hospital, which I have visited.

“What we are doing in investing in public services is colossal. “But the reason we are doing it is, we believe in the capacity of this part of the country to grow and change and become an absolute global magnet for investment.

“You look at the businesses that these young people at Burnley College are working in, some cutting edge businesses that are attracting investment from around the world.

“This is one of the areas that produces fantastic high-tech goods sold around the world that are of massive importance to the UK economy.

“We are driving that. We believe in it. “That’s what our levelling up agenda is all about.”

Voters go to the polls on May 5.