Earlier in the week I wrote about how the party is targeting seats in the South West of England.
Today, the Yorkshire Post focuses on the battleground constituencies falling within its jurisdiction, most of which fall within West Yorkshire. The party currently holds just one seat in that county - Shipley, gained by Philip Davies in 2005.
And of the target seats which would deliver a Tory majority of the Commons of around 40, all but three of the thirteen constituencies in the Yorkshire and the Humber Region are in West Yorkshire:
3. York Outer21. Colne Valley
24. Calder Valley
58. Cleethorpes
69. Brigg and Goole
76. Bradford West
80. Halifax
82. Dewsbury
95. Leeds North West
100. Keighley
107. Elmet and Rothwell
111. Pudsey
133. Batley and Spen
(NB Figures based on notional results calculated by Professors Rallings and Thrasher of the University of Plymouth and including some newly-created seats)
The Yorkshire Post contrasts how the parties are funding their campaigns in these crucial seats:
In total, [Conservative] accounts reveal that more than £150,000 has been handed in grants to constituencies including Colne Valley, Calder Valley, Brigg & Goole, Harrogate & Knaresborough, York – which oversees the two new seats of York Outer and York Inner – Elmet & Rothwell and Keighley & Ilkley.
Today a Yorkshire Post investigation into the parties' election preparations also shows the extent to which Labour constituencies are reliant on the unions to bankroll them. Labour constituencies in Yorkshire pocketed nearly £100,000 from trade unions in the past two years as they attempt to fight off challenges in a string of seats from both Tories and the Liberal Democrats
But while the other parties have filled war chests with private donations, Labour has registered less than £24,000 from supporters or businesses.In contrast, Tory constituencies have secured donations totalling nearly £150,000, on top of the funding from the central party.
There's no question the party is putting serious effort in to win this crucial string of marginal seats, helped by the creation of the Northern Board and, of course, a party chairman who knows the patch intimately:
Tory chairman Eric Pickles, a former leader of Bradford Council, admits he was "very worried" about Yorkshire a few years ago because the party was too obsessed with internal affairs, but claims the Tories have proved they now "get it" and dismisses Labour accusations that David Cameron is yet to appeal to northern voters. The party came top in June's European elections in Yorkshire and the Humber and also made significant gains in local elections in the region last year, which has buoyed campaigners.
In a separate piece, the Yorkshire Post also reports on the "army of young volunteers" who are getting involved in Conservative Future in the region, although also cites figures from several constituencies suggesting a fall in overall local association membership.
Jonathan Isaby
