Letters
| NORTH YORKSHIRE |  | | | CLEVELAND | | | COUNTY DURHAM | | |
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We’re the opposition
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.
10:54am Friday 16th May 2008
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