DAVID Cameron has appointed shadow ministers for Glasgow and Edinburgh under new Conservative plans to reconnect with inner-city voters.
The Tory leader has appointed David Mundell, Shadow Scottish Secretary, minister for Glasgow, while Lord Strathclyde, Tory leader in the House of Lords, will cover Edinburgh.
Mr Mundell told The Herald: "It is a part of our city initiatives programme. Most major cities will be teamed with a member of shadow cabinet. I'm responsible for Glasgow, Tom Strathclyde will represent Edinburgh, George Osborne, Manchester, William Hague is doing Leeds and Bradford and Liam Fox is responsible for Bristol.
"David Cameron is determined that we reconnect with cities. We want to gain an election foot-hold in the cities but we currently have no MPs in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds or Manchester.
"We want people to know that even if we don't make immediate electoral progress in their area, what is happening there is very important to us, both from a Conservative point of view and a general point of view."
The Conservative Party was effectively wiped out of large areas of UK after the 1997 General Election when the party failed to win any seats in Scotland or Wales as well as many of England's big cities.
Even now, Mr Mundell is the party's only Scottish MP.
Although Mr Cameron made significant gains in the local council elections in England earlier this year, the party failed to make significant inroads in key inner-city areas that are so vital for General Election success.
In a bid to regain momentum Mr Mundell and his colleagues have been asked to carry out their new ministerial responsibilities alongside their current shadow cabinet posts.
The role will involve coordinating the party's activities in areas such as Glasgow and Edinburgh, increasing party membership and fostering better links with community groups.
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