Tory MP says Tory messages work better in the North – but mixes up Blackpool and Manchester

Update: the Guardian have made the following correction:

“This article was amended on Friday 5 October 2012. The Labour party conference was in Manchester, not Blackpool as we said in the original headline. This error was made by the Guardian, not Guy Opperman and the Northerner apologises for it.”

We’re happy to amend the record and note that this error was the Guardian’s, and not Guy Opperman’s.

Remember Tory MP James Wharton, who argued that the North East doesn’t exist? Well now the other Tory MP for the North East Guy Opperman (Hexham) has written a post for the Guardian arguing that “it is the Conservatives delivering for hardworking families up here in the north”. Despite admitting “I must confess I didn’t catch much of Labour’s conference” Opperman seems quite keen to talk about it….

Despite that, Guy is someone who has spent much time on these issues, so I was willing to give him a chance. Until I realised that he has muddled up Blackpool and Manchester. The headline reads:

It’d be easier for the Tories to win in Northern cities, perhaps, if they could tell them apart…