By Julian Whittle Political editor

Last updated at 13:19, Wednesday, 24 October 2012

Carlisle MP John Stevenson is leading a campaign to get working-class voters to support the Conservatives at the next general election.

John Stevenson

He is chairing a Parliamentary group, Blue Collar Conservatives, to be launched next month. Forty MPs have signed up so far.

Mr Stevenson said: “This demographic is incredibly important to the Conservative vote and there is a great need for the party to appeal to these voters at the next election.

“I share with many voters in Carlisle the values of hard work, aspiration, taking responsibility for myself and living within the law.

“Blue Collar Conservatives will look at policies that benefit and improve the lives of those who take accountability for themselves and work hard to provide for themselves and their families.”

There was a strong swing to the Conservatives among skilled and semi-skilled manual workers at the last election in 2010.

With the party trailing Labour in the polls, strategists are desperate to hang on to these voters who will be key to holding marginal seats such as Carlisle.

Mr Stevenson had a majority of only 853 in 2010.

The Blue Collar group is co-ordinated by Clark Vasey, a defence analyst and public affairs specialist, who wrote to Conservative MPs earlier this month.

He argues that the Tory Party is strongest when it reaches out to voters of all backgrounds and it needs the support of blue-collar voters to achieve an overall majority.

His aim is to reconnect with working-class voters who flocked to the Conservatives in the 1980s when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister.

Mr Vasey said: “We hope to demonstrate that the Conservatives share the values of ordinary working voters and understand their aspirations.”

But Mr Stevenson’s Labour opponent, Lee Sherriff, was scathing of the initiative.

She said: “In recent weeks the Tories in government have demonstrated time and again how out of touch they are from the real world.

“Hard-pressed families would be more impressed if their MP stood up for their interests rather than supporting a government that puts millionaires before the interests of ordinary people.”

Mr Stevenson has been elected onto the Communities and Local Government Parliamentary Select Committee.

He said: “I look forward to this new role. I have always had keen interest in local government issues, having spent 11 years as a city councillor in Carlisle.”

First published at 12:20, Wednesday, 24 October 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk