Parties target key Yorkshire seats

Tory leader David Cameron was the first to arrive when he launched his campaign in Leeds the day the election was called, declaring the region was vital in his quest for power.

During the next 48 hours he was followed by Shadow Chancellor George Osborne, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling, Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague and, perhaps most importantly, his wife Samantha who visited Leeds and Brigg and Goole.

Over the four-week campaign, members of the Tory Shadow Cabinet have come to Yorkshire more than 70 times.

After a quiet first week Labour struck back with Transport Secretary Lord Adonis, Schools Secretary Ed Balls and Yorkshire Minister Rosie Winterton all touring the region.

Gordon Brown visited Sheffield on April 13, and the following day faced voters for the first time when Yorkshire Post readers were given the chance to grill the Prime Minister at a question and answer event in Leeds.

The Liberal Democrats were quiet during the early weeks of the campaign – only leader Nick Clegg from their high command made the trip when he launched his party's campaign in Leeds during week one.

But then came the leaders' TV debates and the party attempted to capitalise on their surge in the polls by dispatching Mr Clegg, Treasury spokesman Vince Cable and home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne to Yorkshire.

Mr Clegg has travelled through the region – where he is also fighting his own campaign in Sheffield Hallam – three times in the last five days of the campaign.

The three main party leaders came to Yorkshire 13 times during the last four weeks. They sent most their resources to a handful of key battleground areas, Halifax receiving the most attention with 11 high profile visits, followed by Pudsey with 10.

The close three-way marginal seat of Leeds North West was also the scene of much attention with eight visits, while Colne Valley, the Tory's number three target in the region, had seven visits and Keighley six.

Halifax was particularly important, because not only is it a close Labour and Tory battle, it is also the place where the problems of the banking crisis could hit the hardest with thousands of people employed by HBOS.

Tory candidate Philip Allott said: "It is clear that West Yorkshire is incredibly important to the Conservative Party, there are more target seats close together here than just about anywhere else in the country.

"What is important is that West Yorkshire, and in particular Halifax, has for years been punching below its political weight.

"We are trying to change that and high profile visits help highlight the issues, the main one here is jobs and attracting investment."

Labour rival Linda Riordan said: "People understand what we have done for this town by saving HBOS. Had the bank gone under the town would have been devastated, 4,000 people here work there."

In Leeds North West all three parties have sent in high-profile support, but despite four visits from top Tories, incumbent Liberal Democrat Greg Mulholland believes it is a two-horse race with Labour.