Anders Hanson

The Yorkshire Post has announced that the Tories have appointed Oliver Heald as Shadow Minister for Sheffield, with the brief to:

“provide “a valuable direct link” between the Tory Shadow Cabinet and activists and the public in Sheffield.”

OK, so I can see a purpose here, but I can’t see it doing them any good. This appointment is not without precedent as under the last Tory government they appointed Ann Widdecombe as a Minister for Sheffield. I can’t honestly say it didn’t make much of a difference in the way that the city was represented and I can’t help but feel that it was a sad reflection on the inability of Sir Irvine Patnick, (then a Tory MP in Sheffield) to represent the city himself.

Still, with the Tories losing by more than 8,500 votes in Sheffield Hallam at the last general election (a former stronghold for them) and with their vote declining in this year’s local elections (losing Dore & Totley Ward where they currently have their only two councillors by 1,100 votes) they are perhaps getting desperate. Oliver Heald said:

“The important thing is to show that there are no parts of the country where we don’t want to know what people are thinking”

Putting aside the incredibly confusing way he’s phrased it, maybe he should just look at the response of Sheffield’s voters if he wants a view on what the people in Sheffield are thinking. The Lib Dems topped the poll across the city with the Tories coming third and with fewer votes than before.

Thanks to Peter and the Apollo Project Blog on Liberal Review for noticing the story, as to be honest the Yorkshire Post is seen in Sheffield as a bit of pro-Leeds pro-Tory propaganda and hence its readership in Sheffield is not high.

Cameron’s Revival Team

THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON “ANDERS HANSON’S BLOG” BUT WAS MOVED TO THIS WEBSITE WHEN THAT SITE WAS REPLACED