Settled: Greatest living Yorkshireman is... Michael Palin

DAVID Cameron’s claim that William Hague is our greatest living Yorkshireman has suffered a fresh blow after a poll showed the Rotherham-born politician beaten to that title by Monty Python star and world traveller par excellence Michael Palin.
By Mark Casci
Published 9th Oct 2014, 01:00 BST
Michael Palin with Maggie Smith in the wartime comedy A Private Function, by another celebrated Yorkshireman, Alan BennettMichael Palin with Maggie Smith in the wartime comedy A Private Function, by another celebrated Yorkshireman, Alan Bennett
Michael Palin with Maggie Smith in the wartime comedy A Private Function, by another celebrated Yorkshireman, Alan Bennett

A study of 2,133 people carried out by YouGov showed the former Foreign Secretary and Richmond MP to in fact be the region’s seventh favourite son, just ahead of the Bradford-born artist David Hockney.

Those who polled ahead of 
Mr Hague included actor Patrick Stewart, playwright Alan Bennett, broadcaster Michael Parkinson, cricketing legend Geoffrey Boycott and TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson.

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Other notable inclusions in the study, released exclusively by YouGov to The Yorkshire Post, were triathlete Alistair Brownlee and Sheffield actor Sean Bean.

Mr Palin, who recently participated in the hugely-successful Python reunion, was born in Sheffield and retains strong links with the region.

As well as his work in the comic troupe he filmed several well-received travel series, most notably re-enacting the fictional journey of Phileas Fogg.

The poll was conducted in the wake of the Prime Minister’s line about Mr Hague at the Conservative Party conference. The claim vexed Mr Boycott, who took to social media to question it, resulting in the PM writing to the former Yorkshire batsman.

Related topics:William HagueDavid CameronRotherhamJeremy ClarksonPatrick Stewart