By Jonathan Isaby
In the last few days, Jackie Whiteley has been announced as Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Rotherham in South Yorkshire.
She contested the seat at the 2010 general election, increasing the Conservative vote to 16.7% and leap-frogging the Lib Dems to take second place.
There is no by-election immediately in the offing, but the man who retained the seat for Labour at the general election, Denis MacShane, has been without his party's whip since last October after the parliamentary Standards watchdog referred him to the police over his use of parliamentary alowances.
Jackie Whiteley said:
“It is a real privilege to be the Parliamentary Spokesman for Rotherham. Having previously campaigned in the seat at the general election and as the owner of a small business, I have got a real understanding of the issues and concerns of Rotherham’s residents and local businesses. I will continue to campaign passionately for jobs, investment and a brighter future for the community.”
