In a proud and troubled UK town, voters wonder whether their election choice will make a difference

A lot of politicians have promised change to voters in Hartlepool, a wind-whipped port town in northeast England. For decades, Labour Party representatives said they would fight for working people, even as well-paid industrial jobs disappeared. Later the Conservatives vowed to bring new money and opportunities on the back of Brexit. But as British voters prepare to elect a new government Thursday, Hartlepool’s many problems with unemployment, crime and drugs persist. Opinion polls put center-left Labour well ahead nationwide, but many voters remain undecided. To regain power after 14 years, Labour must win back disillusioned voters in Hartlepool and other former industrial towns where jaded voters say they have been disappointed before.