We’re the opposition

10:54am Friday 16th May 2008

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Sir, - A lot has been said in the media about the performance of the Conservatives in elections this month, and about how they are managing to make a breakthrough in the north.

However, this is based on a superficial reading of results.

Beneath the surface lies a rather less favourable story for them.

Even after 11 years of a very unpopular Labour government, the Tories have failed to have a single councillor elected in Liverpool, Newcastle, Gateshead or Durham City. They have very few in Manchester or Hull. And there's more: this month they lost their remaining presence on Sheffield Council.

Much has been made about the Conservatives winning control of Bury (though they will rely on the mayor's casting vote to do so). But Bury is far from typical of northern Labour heartlands - it had two Tory MPs until 1997 and contains affluent Manchester commuter areas. It is certainly not Salford or Easington.

There is a reason for this. People in the north remember how bad it was under a Tory government.

Even a decade of Labour's nannying, corruption, authoritarianism and general ineptitude has not persuaded the north to back the Tories again.

By contrast, Liberal Democrats run councils in Liverpool, Newcastle, Hull, Sheffield, Stockport, Burnley and Durham, and are the biggest party in Warrington and York. It is clear who is the main opposition in the north.

BILL HOULT Leader, Liberal Democrat Group, North Yorkshire County Council.