Len Tingle Regional Political Editor BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

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Mill towns of the Colne Valley turned Liberal in the 60s and 70s

Viewers of BBC One's 'Last of the Summer Wine' could be forgiven for thinking the Pennine mill towns where it is set are timeless. Far from it.

Look closely at the huge granite mill buildings in Holmfirth, Meltham, Marsden and Slaithwaite and you will see many have been converted into loft apartments, discount stores and even a theatre caf�.

That creeping gentrification of this attractive edge of the old West Riding of Yorkshire should herald a switch towards the Conservatives according to Brendan Evans, the veteran Professor of Politics at nearby Huddersfield University.

Richard Wainwright: Charismatic Liberal MP

In fact, the Liberal Democrats have this feeling that this is really their territory." Says Professor Evans.

That is because in the Sixties the charismatic Richard Wainwright emerged and allowed them to retain the seat for two decades.

It did not last long after he retired and the Tories came back for a decade before Labour took the seat in the landslide of 1997".

Elisabeth Wilson: A new leader will give us a boost

But there is a frustrating contradiction in Colne Valley for the Liberal Democrats. At local Government level the party does far better than in the General Election.

It is the biggest party on the local Kirklees Council where it regularly takes around 36% of the popular vote.

In 2005, the Liberal democrats candidate for Colne Valley managed to poll just 24% of the vote.

"I think people are more complex in their voting intentions," says Elisabeth Wilson who fought the seat for the Liberal Democrats at the last general election."

They are prepared to vote one way in the local elections and another at General elections. Our local policies are clearly very popular."

So all this begs the question ... will a new face allow them to convert that local government popularity into winning the parliamentary seat?

Professor Brendan Evans: Economically this ought to be Conservative Country

"A new leader will give us the boost that we need, "says Elisabeth Wilson. "I found it difficult to choose who to vote for but I think any of the three would help us here."

In fact, she backed Chris Huhne who was a distant second in the election to Sir Menzies Campbell.

"It is going to be tough," says Brendan Evans. "The changing face of the constituency means it will be tough for Labour to hang on.

"Objectively, this is Conservative country and on the evidence of how David Cameron has performed so far any new Liberal Democrat leader will have a big issue in winning back a seat like the Colne Valley."

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