SKIPTON and Ripon not having a Tory MP is not as far fetched as it sounds (Pollster tips MP could lose seat, Craven Herald December 7).

We have a strong group of campaigners in the local Labour party and we are fully aware of how fed up people are with the Government from our many street stalls and door knocking sessions of the last couple of years.

What we have to do now is convince traditional Conservative voters that they should switch to Labour. The national party is continuing to develop our policy offering and this will accelerate as we get closer to the General Election.

Locally the Labour members of Skipton Town Council have done great work in the last couple of years, for example on the anti-social behaviour initiative, engaging with young people and setting up regular ward surgeries with residents.

We will shortly begin the process of selecting a Parliamentary candidate at which point our campaign will move up a gear. We will fight for every vote, and by doing so we hope to show the voters of Skipton and Ripon that the Labour party has a credible plan, both nationally and locally, to properly represent the area after years of mismanagement and decay under the Tories.

Doug Clark

Chair, Skipton and Ripon Labour Party

Cononley