Town ‘pivotal’ in Tory plans
Wednesday 7th April 2010, 2:36PM BST.
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Telford will be a key battleground in next month’s General Election, Tory big-hitter Ken Clarke said today.
Mr Clarke made his comments in a visit to the traditional Labour stronghold – which he said was winnable for the Conservatives.
He said the seat would be “pivotal” and he believed the outcome in the town would be reflected nationally.
The Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills stopped off at lunchtime in Oakengates during a whistle-stop tour of the Midlands.
He was in town to meet Conservative Party candidate for the Telford seat, Tom Biggins, at the launch of his electoral campaign.
Mr Clarke, a former Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer under John Major, said: “I think the way Telford goes on May 6 will be a good indicator of the way the whole country goes.
“It is a pretty pivotal seat but it is very winnable. If we fail to win Telford we are not going to have a very good majority.”
The Telford seat is the only one held by Labour in Shropshire, with David Wright commanding a majority of 5,406.
Mr Clarke, who went on a brief tour of shops and businesses in Oakengates during his visit, said the Tories were actively targeting Telford.
He added: “It is an election being held in the middle of one of the longest and deepest recessions we have had for some time.
“The Government is very largely responsible for the worst of what we are suffering.
“We need a young, new, Prime Minister, one who can tackle debt purposefully.”
Mr Clarke claimed a hung parliament would be bad news for the country, adding: “The trouble with minority governments is people like the Liberal Democrats support you if you are doing easy things but then back off when things get difficult.”
Mr Biggins, who would become Telford’s first Conservative MP if he were elected next month, said: “This is an election we absolutely have to win for the good of Telford and our country.”
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Well if they plan on running the country in the same vein a they run the council then they certainly won’t be getting my vote.
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if comments from our local MP of calling tories “scum sucking pigs” is true then i dont want to be represented by him
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It will be very interesting to see the way telford go.
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Just seen photo in Star of Ken Clarke & Tom Biggins, how scruffy they look.
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Who the devil is Tom Biggins? Never heard of this tory type?
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As the Leader of the Liberals says, a vote for Labour or Consevative is a vote for corruption.
The have been fiddling you for years and YOU WILL STILL GO OUT AND VOTE FOR THEM.
You get what you deserve.
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Increase welfare for single mothers and cut VAT on cheap gold jewellery and tracksuits – that will get you the Telford vote!
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dave 2 they are not some one hacked his twitter account
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A vote for Lab or Con may be a vote for corruption according to Clegg, but not voting Labour in Telford risks a Tory Commons majority, whilst further up the Tory target list in the Wrekin not voting Tory risks another Labour one. The Lib Dems should focus on retaking Ludlow.
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well said grey i totally agree tory record in local government is about cuts to important services without any improvements and they moan about labour tax rises but shrewsburys been tory for years and council tax just goes up and up, so they cant blame the government for all
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Am I right in thinking that the BNP are standing in Telford? The first time since 1979? In which case Telford with a huge amount of unemployment and working class population are more likely to be there for the plucking by the BNP
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You are forgetting that Telford has a very large natural Tory voting population in areas like Priorslee, The Rock, Ketley Grange, Ironbridge, Horsehay etc.
It really is a winnable seat.
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we’d better vote labour then, lib dems will take votes off labour as good as putting the cross in the tory box then
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ad 8 he still made derisory comments against torie voters on twitter. The serverity is a matter of conjectour. How can he gain favour for Telford representing us in this way. he’s disgrace to the people of Telford, and does no justice to us!
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i like ken clarke but its cameron and osbourne i cant stand to vote for sorry but i’d rather stick with the devil you know, and have a steady hand to steer us through this banking mess
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Y Mab Darogan –
In answer to your question:-
The BNP are standing in Telford and will be represented by candidate Phil Spencer.
It is in fact the first time the party has fought a seat in Shropshire.
The BNP will be represented by candidates in all five Shropshire constituencies.
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As the Tory’s have made a primary commitment to make immediate and massive reductions in the spending on government IT contracts (even cutting existing contracts), I would have thought voting in a Tory government would be a disaster for Telford seeing as how 2 companies in Telford employ around 4000 people working on these contracts. As far as Telford is concerned the Tory’s are saying vote Tory and vote yourself out of a job – with all the knock on social problems it will bring.
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Let’s hope they all lose their deposits though in Phil Spencers’s case, Kirsty will be very cross!
If Shropshire is location, location, location for the BNP then the sheep must have got the vote.
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Laurie and eddie mc I completely agree with both your sentiments. my point is not with whom governs the country, were damned if we do and damned if we dont (cuts and taxes here we come) my point is the manner in which im being reprensented by the member for Telford.
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