LABOUR'S shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds has said his party 'can't see a long-term future' for developments like the Whitehaven coalmine.

Mr Reynold made the comments on a visit to Whitehaven on Monday.

Accompanied by Whitehaven and Workington Labour candidate Josh MacAlister, Mr Reynolds toured around the town visiting small local businesses. 

The pair said they are 'passionate about securing a good future for the area' and are taking all economic-related factors into account - including the proposed mine. 

Mr Reynold's said: "I come from the coal mining belt of County Durham. I know about the identity and the local economy was based around that kind of work. 

"One of our big plans, if we win, is green steel and working with the steel industry to move away from the very carbon-intensive forms of steel industry we've got in the UK.

"There's not going to be a long-term demand for coking coal in the UK steel industry. I know a lot of this is set for export but I would say, is there really a long-term future in that area for coal extraction for steel-making, when we know the future of the steel industry is contingent with moving away from those long-term forms of very carbon intensive activity?

"At the moment we can't see a long-term future for this kind of development.

"Josh will be the local MP, someone who is the advocate for investment in good jobs in all parts of the constituency.

"But it's hard to see how we keep a development like that consistent with our long-term plans to move to net zero when we know it isn't for the domestic steel industry.

"It is a difficult issue."

Mr MacAlister added: "What I want to see is job opportunities for west Cumbria that are going to last and give the area a sense of pride and identity again.

"That's the test that the coal mine needs to be put against. So my job over the next few months is to work with businesses, work with the community and come up with some really tangible plans that can create that sense of identity and that sense of prosperity in west Cumbria again."

The Woodhouse colliery on the edge of Whitehaven is expected to extract nearly 2.8 million tonnes of coal per year for use in steel making. The mine has backing from local Conservative MPs including Copeland’s Trudy Harrison and Workington’s Mark Jenkinson.

The Tory energy minister Lord Callanan recently said that in approving the mine, the Secretary of State had 'carefully considered' the different factors including the demand for coal, climate change and the impact on the local economy.