It’s one for the money and two for the show, but don’t you step on my blue suede shoes.

And while Shadow Minister Ken Clarke’s famous suede shoes were in the traditional brown rather than Tory blue, it was the cash crisis that he was keen to focus on during a visit to Oakengates.

Mr Clarke was in town to launch the campaign of Telford’s Tory candidate Tom Biggins and the two of them, supported by a crowd of more than 30, did their best to put on a show.

And after getting off to a poor start yesterday by mistakenly calling the constituency Telford & Wrekin instead of just Telford, Mr Clarke, reminded that the Tories already hold The Wrekin seat, addressed his party faithful.

He said: “It’s an election being held in the middle of the worst and longest and deepest recession we’ve had in modern times. It’s the worst financial crisis anyone alive can remember and we are having an election in the middle of it.”

Mr Clarke then spent close to 45 minutes strolling the streets with Mr Biggins as the pair attempted to turn the Telford electorate blue.

Right Price owner Nick Singh, where the politicians stopped first, said: “We are finding people are cutting back on what they’re buying and it’s the same for us – we’re saving costs where we can. I’m pleased to see that Ken Clarke is down here.”

And at the Duke of York, where the Tory juggernaut paused for lunch, pub spokesman Lorraine Doody added: “A lot of people in here and in Telford are disillusioned with politics and don’t really care about this election so it’s good he is here. It’s also good to see the local candidate so people can see who they’re voting for.”

And in the Old Fighting Cocks, where Mr Clarke stopped for a beer from the Ironbridge microbrewery on site, pub regular Cyril Griffiths, from St Georges, said: “I had no idea who the local candidate was until he came in here behind the bar. I will definitely be voting and it’s good that Ken Clarke has come to Oakengates.”

But not all the pub’s punters were overwhelmed by the MP’s visit.

One asked “Who’s that?” when he saw the Conservative entourage enter the premises. When told it was Mr Clarke, he responded: “Didn’t he used to play for Leeds?”

Alas former Leeds footballer Allan Clarke was nowhere to be seen and it’s that sort of apathy and general disregard for politics that Mr Clarke, Mr Biggins and the rest will have to overcome if they want to turn the last remaining Labour seat in the county blue.