This is my Constituencey

[London Calling]

what about yours..................

Hackney South & Shoreditch
CANDIDATES
Name Party Votes % +/- %
Gavin Baylis Liberal Democrat
Meg Hillier Labour
Jonty Leff Workers Revolutionary Party
John Moss Conservative
Dean Ryan Respect-Unity Coalition
Ipemndoh dan Iyan Green

2001 Result: Won by LAB, majority 49.6%

Profile: As its name suggests, this is the southern part of the inner London borough, bordering on increasingly fashionable areas at Hoxton and De Beauvoir town. But for the most part it is poor, ethnically mixed and working-class. The borough of Hackney is the fourth most deprived in the country. Seventy per cent of properties are rented, of which half (35%) are in local authority ownership. There are also a significantly high proportion of single person households. Extensive regeneration programmes are now taking place in Hackney - with 15 tower blocks demolished and replaced with more traditional dwellings.

A deliberate attempt has been made to use local labour. The old Hackney Empire music hall has undergone a multi-million pound refurbishment and re-opened at the beginning of 2004. The area is likely to improve still further when the East London line extension is completed. The MP here is Labour's Brian Sedgemore who has represented the constituency since 1983. He was previously MP for Luton West 1974-9 and sat on the Commons Treasury select committee from 1987-2001. He is standing down at this election.




2001 RESULT FOR HACKNEY SOUTH & SHOREDITCH
Labour 64.2%
Liberal Democrat 14.6%
Conservative 13.8%
Others 7.4%

 

[lost in london]

I think about as different from yours as it is possible to be, and only a couple of miles separate us!

Cities of London & Westminster

Mark Field Conservative
Hywel Lloyd Labour
Colin Merton UK Independence Party
Marie-Louise Rossi Liberal Democrat
Tristan Smith Green
Majority
Turnout


KEY SEAT
This seat is Labour target number 50
2001 Result: Won by CON, majority 13.2%

Profile: This constituency, as its name suggests, takes in large areas of central London, including Parliament and Whitehall, the West End, the City, Hyde Park and Knightsbridge. Its landmarks are numerous - the Houses of Parliament, Downing Street, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Oxford Street, the Bank of England, St Paul's Cathedral, Harrods. There are 32 underground stations and four mainline termini ' Victoria, Charing Cross, Paddington and Liverpool Street. It has, however, a smallish resident population of some 71,000 voters in residential areas such as Pimlico, Marylebone, Mayfair and Bayswater. Statistically it has the highest proportion of people of working age, the highest number of flat dwellers (almost 91%), the largest private rented sector (almost 40%) and the second highest number of workers in the financial sector. Twenty-seven per cent of workers travel to their place of employment on foot (the sixth highest in the country). The constituency is solidly Conservative, as are the council wards within its boundaries. Labour votes tend to come from the estates around Millbank, Churchill Gardens and Bayswater. Former Northern Ireland Secretary, Peter Brooke, represented this seat for 20 years from 1977-1997. His successor, fellow Tory Mark Field, has a majority of just fewer than 5,000. He holds the English record for becoming an MP with the lowest share of the electorate - 21.9%.



Full constituency list for London
2001 RESULT FOR CITIES OF LONDON & WESTMINSTER
Conservative 46.3%
Labour 33.1%
Liberal Democrat 15.4%
Others 5.2%

 

[looney]

Mars
Candidates

Wozza Independant.

Turnout: 1

Last election

Wozza 100%

 

[clapham_gull]

Vauxhall

CANDIDATES
Charles Anglin Liberal Democrat
Edward Heckels Conservative
Kate Hoey Labour
Janus Polenceus English Democrats
Tim Summers Green

2001 Result: Won by LAB, majority 39.0%

Profile: This is the constituency of outspoken Labour former sports' minister, pro-hunting MP and sometime government rebel, Kate Hoey who first won the seat in a by-election in 1989. Situated at the north end of the London borough of Lambeth, Vauxhall encompasses a number of distinct neighbourhoods from the river Thames southwards. It includes the London Eye, the South Bank cultural attractions of the National Theatre, Royal Festival Hall and the Old Vic, the Oval cricket ground, Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Palace, St Thomas' Hospital and Waterloo Station, with its continental Eurostar terminal. This is the fifth most densely populated constituency in the country with a young age profile - 76% under 45. Unemployment is high. Those in employment tend to be fairly highly qualified young professionals and managers commuting into central London and living in flats (more than 81%). There are some fine Georgian houses around Kennington and Vauxhall and these have become home to many politicians.

There are, however, some run-down areas, more notably to the south of the seat around the estates of Stockwell and the northern edges of Clapham and Brixton. Ferndale ward in north west Brixton is where John Major won his first local election in 1968, but these areas are showing a tendency to vote Lib Dem for the council. The other noteworthy fact about Vauxhall is that, despite its rising electorate, it scored the 15th worst turn-out in 2001 - the second lowest in London.

Full constituency list for London
2001 RESULT FOR VAUXHALL
Labour 59.1%
Liberal Democrat 20.1%
Conservative 13.4%
Others 7.4%

 

[enigma]

Regent's Park & Kensington North
Candidate nominations close on 19 April. Complete lists will appear on these pages within 48 hours.
CANDIDATES
Name Party Votes % +/- %
Jeremy Bradshaw Conservative
Karen Buck Labour
Rabi Martins Liberal Democrat
Paul Miller Green
Pamela Perrin UK Independence Party
Majority
Turnout


2001 Result: Won by LAB, majority 27.7%

Profile: This is a constituency sandwiched between two wealthy Conservative seats - Kensington and Chelsea and the Cities of London and Westminster. Like them it contains many of London's well-known landmarks, such as London Zoo, Lords Cricket Ground, Madame Tussaud's and Portobello Road. But unlike them it is neither wealthy nor Conservative: Labour has held this seat since 1997 when Karen Buck won it after Sir John Wheeler, the previous Tory MP for the former seat of Westminster North, retired. There are some areas of affluence, but also some parts which are very poor. There is a vibrant and mixed ethnic community here which is evidenced in the Notting Hill Carnival each August Bank Holiday. Roughly a third of the population is African-Caribbean, North African and Bangladeshi. Unemployment is about twice the national average. Flats and maisonettes account for 87% of the housing stock with 65% of people renting - 22.5% from housing associations, the third highest in the country. There are also some very grand houses around Little Venice and St John's Wood and many diplomats live here. The film "Notting Hill" was shot in the constituency's Colville Ward. In 1992 there were four constituencies in the boroughs of Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea and all of them were held by the Conservatives. The Boundary Review reduced that to three and this is the only one which Labour holds. Karen Buck was one of the new intake of women MPs in 1997: she took the seat by 14,657. In 2001 her majority was 10,266. It did, however, have the worst fall in turn-out of any seat in that election (20%).

 

[enigma]

But I'll be voting here because of uni....


2001 Result: Won by LAB, majority 20.6%

Profile: Coventry South was formed in 1997 by merging the larger parts of the former South West and South East constituencies. South West, the most middle-class section of Coventry, had been a marginal Conservative seat from 1979-97. South East, which included the city centre and some working-class suburbs was consistently Labour. It was represented by Dave Nellist, the Militant expelled by Labour in 1991, until he stood independently and lost in 1992. The current constituency includes both Coventry and Warwick universities and therefore quite a large student and academic population which works and lives there. Coventry is internationally renowned for its automotive design course while Warwick has its internationally recognised Manufacturing Group which has a reputation for helping modernise complex businesses, including the car industry. It currently has a significant partnership with Ford and works with hundreds of companies around the world. The city centre is also in the seat and contains the ancient Guildhall and Spence-designed Cathedral. The wealthier parts of the constituency are around Wainbody and Earlsdon with tree-lined avenues, parks and golf courses. Since the boundary change, Labour's Jim Cunningham (the previous incumbent of the South East seat) has had a majority here of more than 20% over the Tories, with 50% of the vote.

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

But I'll be voting here because of uni....


warwick or Cov

 

[Cian]

Kildare North, the sole constituency since the foundation of the state NOT to have a Fianna Fail TD, and hence the sole constituency where all the TD's are on the opposition benches at the moment...

Oh bollox. Wrong country.

 

[Gwylan]

I live in Brighton Pavilion but my vote is still in Tooting,,so....


Tooting

CANDIDATES
Name Party Votes % +/- %
James Bethell Conservative
Stephanie Dearden Liberal Democrat
Sadiq Khan Labour
Strachan McDonald UK Independence Party
Siobhan Vitelli Green
Ali Zaidi Respect-Unity Coalition
Majority
Turnout

2001 Result: Won by LAB, majority 27.7%

Profile: Tooting is the southernmost of the three seats within the London borough of Wandsworth - all are held by Labour, but this is the safest with a 10,400 majority for retiring veteran MP, Tom Cox. Mr Cox - who has represented Tooting since 1974 and would have been 80 at the end of the next Parliament - is standing down. He has been replaced as candidate by a young, Muslim lawyer, Sadiq Khan, the chair of Liberty, who has not hidden his opposition to the war in Iraq and the current anti-terror laws. There is slightly above average unemployment here. Owner-occupation has been increasing in line with national trends rather than rapidly as in the other two Wandsworth seats. By and large this is a young (almost 75% under 45), working age (74%) predominantly white (73%), lower managerial, home owning (55%) or privately renting (27.5% - the fifth highest in the country) population. What marks Tooting out from its Wandsworth neighbours is the higher concentration of ethnic minority communities - particularly of south Asian origin - and these tend to vote Labour in local as well as national elections. Seven Labour councillors and two Conservatives sit for the three wards of Tooting, Graveney and Furzedown.


2001 RESULT FOR TOOTING
Labour Labour 54.1%
Conservative Conservative 26.4%
Liberal Democrat Liberal Democrat 14.9%
Others Others 4.6%

 

[London Calling]

so far, you all live in relatively "posh" areas.

Snobs.

LC

 

[enigma]

so far, you all live in relatively "posh" areas.

Snobs.

LC

My area is reaasnoable however I do live a 30 second walk from a council estate where there are shoot outs with police etc. That said, I never have any problem.

 

[LANGDON SEAGULL]

Basildon
Candidate nominations close on 19 April. Complete lists will appear on these pages within 48 hours.

CANDIDATES
Name Party Votes % +/- %
Emma Colgate British National Party
Vikki Copping Green
Kim Gandy English Democrats
Aaron Powell Conservative
Angela Smith Labour
Martin Thompson Liberal Democrat
Majority
Turnout

2001 Result: Won by LAB, majority 18.9%

Profile: Basildon became famous in Westminster terms when the Conservatives held it in 1992. Every political pundit knew Labour needed to take the seat to form a government - but Neil Kinnock's party did not persuade enough voters to switch and John Major was returned to Downing Street. Thanks to boundary changes, today's Basildon is different seat to that held by David Amess in 1992. The constituency takes in other communities from the areas covered by both Basildon and Thurrock Councils, including Fryerns, Kingswood, Lee Chapel, Langdon Hills, part of Laindon, Vange, Corringham, Fobbing, Stanford le Hope, Orsett, Horndon-on-the-Hill and Bulphan. The constituency has a mixture of industrial and residential elements and includes both rural villages with exclusive housing. Ford is one of the biggest employers. Just as David Amess' victory was emblematic of Labour's disappointment in 1992, so Angela Smith's victory, on a swing just shy of 15%, was typical of the party's triumph in 1997. She held on in 2001, despite suffering a swing against her which was slightly above the national average.

 

[Gully]

Gloucester

CANDIDATES
Name Party Votes % +/- %
Parmjit Dhanda Labour
Jeremy Hilton Liberal Democrat
Paul James Conservative
Brian Meloy Green
Gary Phipps UK Independence Party
Majority
Turnout
KEY SEAT This seat is Conservative target number 51

2001 Result: Won by LAB, majority 8.0%

Profile: Gloucester is a city which, until the Foot and Mouth crisis, had one of the largest livestock markets in England. Ice-cream makers Walls operate one of the world's biggest factories here. But unfortunately for the town, Gloucester in recent years has been associated with the murders committed by Rosemary and Fred West at 25 Cromwell Street - since demolished by the council. Gloucester has a diverse industrial base, with many engineering firms and a growing service sector including some large insurance companies. It has many historic buildings, including a fine Cathedral, featured in the Harry Potter films, but the centre has always been something of a poor relation to the nearby spa town of Cheltenham. However, on-going developments are helping to boost the tourist appeal: the old docks particularly have been a focal point of new plans, and the area around them is attractive to tourists and new businesses alike. Tess Kingham won this seat in 1997 for Labour on a strong swing, ending 27 years of Conservative dominance. She stepped down after a single term having found Parliament a frustrating place to work. Her successor, Parmjit Dhanda, held the seat with a much reduced majority. The recent local elections have not been spectacular for Labour - they lost a further three seats in 2004, though the council remains under No Overall Control - and this will be a closely fought marginal in 2005.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Lewes

Candidate nominations close on 19 April. Complete lists will appear on these pages within 48 hours.

CANDIDATES

Norman Baker Liberal Democrat
Richard Black Labour
Rory Love Conservative
Susan Murray Green
John Petley UK Independence Party

2001 Result: Won by LD, majority 21.4%

Profile: The picturesque East Sussex town of Lewes is small but politically important. As the county town it houses the headquarters of fire, police, ambulance, health authority services, three tiers of local government and a Crown Court. These are the town's major employers. The town's history goes back a long way, and the winding streets - known as twittens - and Norman castle, bear testament to its ancient heritage. The town was one of first to be developed after William landed at Pevensey Bay in 1066, but by 1557 it had become famous for rather grimmer reasons. Persecution of Protestants by Catholic Queen Mary led to 17 martyrs being burned to death in the High Street. These deaths are remembered in the annual pageantry of Lewes. Anne of Cleves, the canny fourth wife of Henry VIII, kept her head and lived there following her divorce. The constituency's other main population centres are Newhaven, an important cross-channel port with routes to Dieppe in France, and Seaford, a quiet holiday resort, a Cinque Port, and before the 1832 Reform Act, a notorious "rotten borough" returning two MPs. Representatives included William Pitt, Earl of Chatham and William Canning, both former prime ministers. In the shadow of the South Downs to the north-west is the famous village of Ditchling, with a medieval church set on the Green, timbered Tudor cottages, Georgian homes and a pond. The villages of Kingston and Ringmer have both seen extensive residential development in recent years. Many in this constituency commute to jobs in London or Brighton. Lewes was one of the Liberal Democrats' breakthrough seats in 1997, with Norman Baker capturing the seat on a 7.5% swing. Until then, the seat had a completely Tory history.


2001 RESULT FOR LEWES
Liberal Democrat 56.3%
Conservative 34.9%
Labour 7.3%
Others 1.5%

 

[Crisp]

Salisbury

CANDIDATES
Name Party Votes % +/- %
Richard Denton-White Liberal Democrat
Frances Howard UK Independence Party
Robert Key Conservative
Clare Moody Labour
Hamish Soutar Green
Majority
Turnout
KEY SEAT
This seat is Liberal Democrat target number 45

2001 Result: Won by CON, majority 16.5%

Profile: Salisbury is an ancient city with a grand cathedral which is separated from Wiltshire's growth corridor around the M4 by the Salisbury Plain. The cathedral in Salisbury is one of the finest medieval cathedrals in Britain. It is the mother church of the Salisbury Diocese, an area which covers most of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset. Started in 1220, the cathedral was completed by 1258, with the spire, the tallest in England, added a generation later. This seat also takes in territory extending to the towns of Amesbury and Wilton, west to Tisbury and also includes some large army camps. Salisbury has one of the largest concentrations of military personnel in the country. On the plain there are large camps at Bulford and Durrington and large parts are marked as "danger areas" on maps, because they are used for military training. The district council, however is keen to develop tourism in the area and is actively promoting the historic sites of Stonehenge and Avebury. Sir Edward Heath lives in Salisbury's Cathedral Close. This is seen as a Conservative "safe seat" - the Liberal Democrats might have been in with a chance in 1997 had disgruntled Tories come to them, but the swing was mainly in favour of third-placed Labour, leaving the Conservatives with a majority which has not dipped below double figures in more than 30 years.

 

[Robot Chicken]

Hove
CANDIDATES
Name Party Votes % +/- %
Anthea Ballam Green
Celia Barlow Labour
Nicholas Boles Conservative
Stuart Bower UK Independence Party
Paul Elgood Liberal Democrat
Paddy O'Keeffe Respect-Unity Coalition

KEY SEAT
This seat is Conservative target number 48
2001 Result: Won by LAB, majority 7.6%

Profile: The Regency terraces, wide tree-lined avenues, bowling greens, retirement homes and golf courses of Hove distinguish it from its easterly neighbour, Brighton. The constituency stretches back from the seafront to the South Downs. The Sussex county cricket ground is situated in Hove. However, the historical distinction between Brighton and Hove is becoming increasingly tenuous both physically and socially - the two towns were made into a joint city in 2001 and have been formally merged at local authority level. After Labour took control of Hove council in 1995 - to the amazement of most commentators - a Tory majority of 24.5% was turned into a Labour majority in 1997 of 8.2%. An almost identical result was achieved in 2001. The seat's current incumbent, Labour MP Ivor Caplin, is standing down at this election.

2001 RESULT FOR HOVE
Labour 45.9%
Conservative 38.3%
Liberal Democrat 9.1%
Others 6.7%

 

[fatbadger]

Ochil and South Perthshire.

With the boundary changes, it is difficult to call, but is considered a notional Labour seat. However, the SNP consider it winnable, and the boundary changes have added large sections of the old Perth and Tayside North constituencies (strong Tory and SNP areas) to the old Ochil constituency.

The Labour candidate, and the recent MP for Ochil, are both completely incompetent, and known to be so locally, so the SNP could yet win it.

 

[London Calling]

So far, most of you live in relatively good areas, the best being a competition between Salisbury and Lewes. It looks like there are some nasty people standing in Basidon/

LC

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Home at weekends, for Albion matches, Mum and Dad's abode, and when I don't feel like being on my Jack Jones. Also home to Charles Hendry, the Opposition Spokesman for Children and Young People and a major correspondent with my Department, and the only Sussex Tory MP to sign the EDM.

Wealden

Candidate nominations close on 19 April. Complete lists will appear on these pages within 48 hours.

CANDIDATES

Name Party Votes % +/- %
Charles Hendry Conservative
Keith Riddle UK Independence Party
Dudley Rose Labour
Christopher Wigley Liberal Democrat
Majority
Turnout

KEY SEAT
This seat is Liberal Democrat target number 90
2001 Result: Won by CON, majority 26.1%

Profile: Wealden covers a large part of the High Weald, a patchwork of well-wooded ridges and valleys. It includes Ashdown forest and many parts are designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are four small towns - Crowborough, Hailsham, Uckfield and Heathfield. Crowborough was the birthplace of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and duly hosts an annual Sherlock Holmes festival. The rest of the population live in small villages, one of which - Alfriston - is now home to former Labour chancellor Denis Healey. A clergy house, which was the first National Trust property, is also here. Most firms are small and unemployment is low but this is increasingly a dormitory seat with large chunks of its workforce commuting to London every day, and may other residents retired. This seat is made up of small towns and rolling countryside.

2001 RESULT FOR WEALDEN
Conservative 49.8%
Liberal Democrat 23.7%
Labour 20.3%
Others 6.2%

Home during the week, and where I vote, so my vote may have some influence. Quite a marginal, and there are a few Tory posters around. Home also to Batterseagull, Weezle, and possibly, Wozza:

Battersea

Candidate nominations close on 19 April. Complete lists will appear on these pages within 48 hours.

CANDIDATES

Name Party Votes % +/- %
Nowsheen Bhatti Liberal Democrat
Hugo Charlton Green
Martin Linton Labour
Dominic Schofield Conservative
Margaret Sharkey Socialist Labour Party
Majority
Turnout


KEY SEAT
This seat is Conservative target number 120
2001 Result: Won by LAB, majority 13.7%

Profile: The constituency covers an area from the River Thames south through Battersea to Wandsworth Town and Balham. It contains the famous landmarks of the former power station, the Battersea Dogs' Home, Clapham Junction station and the New Covent Garden market. These areas have undergone a transformation in the last 20 years. A combination of the low council tax policies of Margaret Thatcher's flagship Wandsworth Council and "gentrification" made this the residential location of choice for many young families and professionals. More than half the constituency has the highest number of managerial and professional workers in the country and the largest number of full-time employees (71%). It also has the largest proportion (almost 60%) of those aged 16-44 and the fourth highest (75%) of those of working age. It also has the most people who travel to work by motorcycle. About half are homeowners while council housing has steadily fallen back. The old Battersea North seat was a Labour stronghold while its neighbour Battersea South was marginal. Merged in 1983 into a single Battersea constituency (minus some areas given to neighbouring Tooting), Labour took it in 1983, only to lose it to the Conservatives in 1987. Labour regained the seat in 1997 and held it with an almost identical share of the vote in 2001.

2001 RESULT FOR BATTERSEA
Labour 50.3%
Conservative 36.5%
Liberal Democrat 12.1%
Others 1.1%

 

[LANGDON SEAGULL]

So far, most of you live in relatively good areas, the best being a competition between Salisbury and Lewes. It looks like there are some nasty people standing in Basidon/

LC

I live in a quiet village in Essex but we are unfortunately lumped in with the Basildon constituency. Some nasty racist people about here, the local Afro-Caribbean centre was shut due to constant vandalism, and some arsehole was protesting about a Muslim worship group moving to the town last week. Hence the BNP looking for a vote here. Why are these people allowed to stand?