NOW the dust has settled on the events of the General Election, it is time for Bradford to look to the future.

Our area has somewhat bucked the national trend – becoming more Labour-focused as the country once again has a wholly Conservative government.

And that could mean there are real challenges ahead for Bradford. We have a Labour council and three Labour MPs in our major constituencies, and we must ensure that we are not at odds with central government.

Both David Cameron and George Osborne have gone on record with their pledges to improve Yorkshire’s lot, and the county will be looking to the new government to stick to those promises.

Anyone looking at the map of how the country voted will see that there is now a very real north-south divide, in political terms.

With the huge gains the SNP have made in Scotland, and Labour emerging very clearly as the party of the north of England, there is a sharp comparison with the Tory gains in the south.

The real challenge for the future is whether Labour MPs will be able to find a way to work with the Conservative Government to make sure Bradford does not miss out in any way.

There is a lot going for Bradford, with its ongoing regeneration, and there are many projects in the pipeline both here and in West Yorkshire that must not be jeopardised.

There must be no party political spats allowed to develop between our Labour MPs and the Government which could in any way damage the great work that has already been done.