The thing I would add to that is just that, in a specifically Teesside context, we're getting paid attention to the by the Government since we've elected a Tory mayor and in particular since we started returning significant numbers of Tory MPs and narrowing the gap in other constituencies so that they might legitimately be in play.
Take Middlesbrough for instance. Historically a constituency which returns a Labour MP with a majority of over 10,000 until 2019 when it was 8,000 (whilst had dipped that low in 2010 I suspect that had far more to do with tiredness at the thirteen years of Labour government and tiredness at the same MP since 1983 who was getting into a bit of strife with the MP expenses scandal and accusations of being 'lazy' than actual Labour party weakness). Whilst it would still take a lot of work Middlesbrough is far more in play now than it probably has been in decades. A little bit more money for the local Tory mayor, a bit more of a reminder that "we got Brexit done" (Middlesbrough 65% in favour of leave), continuing to play well on social issues (tough on crime, tough on immigration, proud of Britain, anti-woke, etc) and I can see it flipping Tory in 2024 (I was actually a little surprised it didn't flip in 2019, Andy McDonald, the MP, does not seem all that popular locally).
So if I'm the Tory party of course I'm going to continue focusing in on Teesside, what we're doing and the taxpayer money we're spending is working! If I play my cards right (see
@AlterEgo's good points regarding that) then I can probably not only lock up a few seats but probably convert a few more. Certainly whilst Labour continue to their own internal ideological battles and continue to refight the last war (as it were). Oh for the Corbynistas and Momentumites to realise that the problem isn't saboteurs in their own ranks (there's only one group that I can see sabotaging Labour and, ya know, it's them) or the evil BBC and other media or, even worse, that the voters are too stupid to know what's good for them...