Yorkshire finale for leaders in last drive for votes

NICK Clegg brought down the curtain on the fight for Yorkshire's crucial votes with a rally in Sheffield at the end of a frenetic day of campaigning by party leaders yesterday in which the region was placed at the centre of the battle for Downing Street.

At least the Liberal Democrat leader had secured himself a decent sleep the previous night in contrast to his rivals. By the time Gordon Brown arrived at Bradford University just after 11am, he had already fitted in a visit to Leeds flower market at the crack of dawn after a late night at Sheffield's Forgemasters steelworks.

And Tory leader David Cameron could hardly have been accused of slacking, with a middle-of-the-night visit to workers at Morrison's distribution centre in Wakefield before meeting fishermen in Grimsby.

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If there has been one outstanding feature of this election campaign compared with those of recent times, it has been the unpredictability of its outcome and yesterday the party leaders were taking no chances in the drive for every last vote.

Mr Brown began the final push on Wednesday night among the flames and sparks of Sheffield Forgemasters, which recently benefited from an 80m package of Government loans to finance a new giant press so it can play a leading role in manufacturing the new generation of nuclear power stations.

After a tour of the works – arranged at short notice – he addressed staff where he told them: "We are building a manufacturing future for Britain and we are building the skills and apprenticeships for that future.

"Let us be sure that modern manufacturing future is intact. Let us make sure by electing a Labour government on Thursday."

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As the Prime Minister's entourage headed to Leeds where it turned in for the night, the Tory leader's round-the-clock campaign was motoring on. Having flown from Belfast to Scotland the Cameron battlebus headed down through Cumbria to Wakefield where it rolled up after 3am.

Baffling as the idea of campaigning in the early hours may be to many voters, he found a group of workers awake and ready to listen at Morrison's distribution centre at Wakefield Industrial Park, just yards from the Coca Cola plant he visited last week and in the Morley and Outwood constituency where the Tories are trying to embarrass Schools Secretary Ed Balls.

This was part of the Cameron plan to meet people "baking the bread, landing the fish, running the emergency services" and convince voters his was the campaign with momentum behind it.

With the aroma of freshly-baked bread wafting over him, Mr Cameron welcomed the newly revealed endorsement of X Factor judge Simon Cowell telling workers: "That's welcome news at any hour of the day but particularly in the middle of the night.

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"But in the end this election is going to be decided by millions of people with their pens hovering over the ballot paper. I hope they vote for change."

Most voters were still sleeping as Mr Cameron continued clocking up the miles with a trip to Grimsby to meet fishermen landing their catch from the Jubilee Spirit shortly after 5am.

Meanwhile in Leeds the Prime Minister was up and about, touring an early-morning flower market before a flurry of media interviews and off to Bradford University.

Reminded of John Major's victory against the odds in 1992, and convinced there were signs that people were "coming our way" as the election nears, he said: "I am determined and I am resolute and I am fighting not for me but for Britain's future."

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In a speech in the university atrium, the Prime Minister said there were "many" undecided voters who were more important than his detractors in the media, and attacked the Tories' "selfish individualism".

"I know there are people who say, or hope, that the election is already over," he said. "But I tell you that tomorrow is the time for the thousands of people to speak for themselves."

Mr Brown admitted he was "not the star candidate or the best PR man", adding: "But this is who I am. I tell you, adversity has been my teacher, honesty has been my best guide, and faith in the future the greatest source of my strength."

And last night Mr Clegg finally arrived back in Sheffield, where he will cast his vote today in his Hallam constituency, to hold his final rally of supporters, to whom he spoke from the steps of Sheffield City Hall