FORMER Conservative leader William Hague admitted yesterday that there was no "magic bullet" to revive his party's fortunes in the North.

The MP for Richmond has been appointed the first chairman of the party's Northern Board, which holds its inaugural meeting next week.

The Tories hold 19 Parliamentary seats across the North-East, North-West and Yorkshire and Humberside - but would need to win a further 27 targets for David Cameron to become the next Prime Minister.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Mr Hague has been charged with leading the party's fightback in the region.

He said: "If we have extraordinary gains elsewhere, then of course we can win without the North, but it isn't something I would want to see - it is an important part of the Conservative Party's revival that it takes place in the North.

"People are looking for an alternative in the North of England. There are people who are utterly fed up with Labour at a local and national level.

"I don't think there is a magic bullet - it is about endless persistence."

He added: "We have to make sure that the party in the North influences the party nationally, so that when we come to the next elections our policies are presented with the North-East in mind."

Mr Hague was speaking during a visit to Ramside Hall, in Durham City, where he met some of the 25 members of Conservative Future expected to contest seats in the city's forthcoming council elections.