Hilary Benn becomes Labour's champion for the East Midlands
Hilary Benn
An illustration of the task facing a Labour revival in the East Midlands comes with the party's choice of its "regional champion". It's Hilary Benn, a Yorkshire MP with not too much connection with the East Midlands. It was a point acknowledged by Hilary Benn, on a visit to Derby to meet party workers.
"Ed Miliband wants there to be a direct link between the regions and the shadow cabinet. There isn't an East Midlands MP in the shadow cabinet at the moment, so I'll be taking that on," he told me.
The era when the East Midlands had three MPs (Margaret Beckett, Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt) at a Labour cabinet table are long over. Labour's Minister for the East Midlands Phil Hope lost his seat in the General Election, as did his predecessor Gillian Merron.
So is Hilary Benn's appointment a sign of desperation? Not so, he says.
"It's really about supporting our East Midland MPs, councillors and candidates in these very important elections that are coming up in May."
The Conservatives in opposition also appointed "shadow ministers" to boost Tory morale in regions where the Labour party was then dominant. Alan Duncan was given Newcastle and Tyneside, where you couldn't find a bigger contrast with his Melton and Rutland constituency. And the current Health Secretary Andrew Lansley was given the brief for greater Nottingham.
Hilary Benn is the current Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, but expect to see him around the East Midlands over the next few months in particular. Local council elections are upon us.
"We will be fighting very hard to win in key places like Erewash, Ashfield, Chesterfield and Gedling.
"As people come face-to-face with the consequences of the cuts, people are looking at the Coalition and are asking themselves: 'Does this lot really know what they are doing'," he added.
But he may have some political firefighting on his hands sooner than he thought. Labour leaders in Nottingham have resisted government requests to put online all council spending over £500.
There's been a war of words between the Communities & Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles and the Labour council over the issue, as I've reported in earlier blogs.
Nottingham says it would cost £100,000, and Labour leaders say that can't be justified when budgets are being squeezed. Labour's new East Midlands champion agrees.
"Transparency's a good thing. But Nottingham says that's going to cost money and when times are tight and tough, it's a question of priorities. If it's a choice of that or cutting something else that really has an impact on the people you represent, I can understand why the council has taken the decision it has."
Labour's new East Midlands champion may find Eric Pickles breathing down his neck.
Hello. My name is John Hess. I'm the BBC's Political Editor for the East Midlands and this blog will offer my musings on the political scene from Westminster to closer to home. 
