THERESA May could be welcomed back as the Conservatives bid to turn Cumbria blue.

Trudy Harrison, MP for Copeland, said she hoped the prime minister would be making a third visit to the area this year in the run up to June's general election.

She said: "I hope our prime minister does come back. I would certainly welcome her and I know my constituents were really happy she came up earlier this year, not once but twice.

"We've never had a prime minister in Copeland before and certainly never in Bootle."

The recently elected Conservative MP took to the streets in Barrow and Roose to show her backing for candidates in the local elections.

She said: "I had a lot of support during my by-election campaign from the candidates who are running in next month's local elections.

"It was important to me to repay that because we all look after each other.

"We want to help turn Cumbria blue together."

The MP was keen to stress the strong similarities between the towns.

She said: "In Copeland it's about campaigning for Moorside nuclear energy and here in Barrow it's a similar situation.

"The government has an excellent record here and you wouldn't have that if Jeremy Corbyn was leader.

"Nuclear is our backbone and Corbyn has a lifetime career's worth of campaigning, not just to decommission existing sites and projects but also against new ones.

"That would be devastating for my constituents and for the people of Barrow."

Meanwhile, the constituency Conservative Party in Barrow is expected to select its candidate early this week.

Members are expected to show their backing for 2015 candidate Simon Fell, who came within just 795 votes of taking John Woodcock's seat.