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General Election: Emmerdale vicar joins Labour's battle
He's famous for playing Emmerdale's mild-mannered vicar Ashley Thomas.
But in real life actor John Middleton hasn't ruled out a career in the cut and thrust of Westminster.
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Mr Middleton, who has been in the Yorkshire-based soap since 2000, has revealed he has been approached several times to stand as an Labour MP.
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And while he says he loves his job now, he might potentially one day swap the rolling Yorkshire Dales for the Houses of Parliament.
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Bradford-born Mr Middleton, 56, a Labour party member since 1982, said: "I have been asked to think about it many times but every time I have been in the middle of an Emmerdale contract.
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"I do love my job now – who wouldn't – but I'd never say never.
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"My mum and dad were both party members and even as a child I remember running between polling stations and committee rooms with numbers. You could definitely say it is in my blood.
"We know we have a tough challenge but we're ready for them (the Tories]. We thumped them last time and we can thump them again."
Mr Middleton was talking to the YEP at the launch of Labour's Yorkshire election campaign in Leeds yesterday.
Along with Communities Secretary John Denham, he spoke to rally support among candidates, local party members and campaigners on The Headrow.
Mr Denham told the YEP that Leeds had undergone a "real renaissance" since Labour came to power in 1997. He said: "Through what we have done with the regional development agency and with Government investment, the city has been physically transformed."
He said the Tories' plans to axe regional development agencies like Yorkshire Forward would set back the city.
And he also cited Government plans for a high-speed north-south rail link as among the benefits Labour had brought to Yorkshire.
He said people in the city had also enjoyed shorter waiting times at Leeds hospitals, improved cancer care, better education for their children, and 15 free weekly hours of childcare.
* Emmerdale stars Charley Webb and Matthew Wolfenden are celebrating the birth of their first child. Buster Lawrence Wolfenden was born on Saturday and Matthew said: "Buster is amazing and we are both completely besotted with him."
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Weather for Leeds
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
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Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 20 C
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