Bedford
2010 Results:
Conservative: 17546 (38.9%)
Labour: 16193 (35.9%)
Liberal Democrat: 8957 (19.86%)
BNP: 757 (1.68%)
UKIP: 1136 (2.52%)
Green: 393 (0.87%)
Independent: 120 (0.27%)
Majority: 1353 (3%)
Notional 2005 Results:
Labour: 17696 (41.7%)
Conservative: 14220 (33.5%)
Liberal Democrat: 9244 (21.8%)
Other: 1314 (3.1%)
Majority: 3476 (8.2%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 14174 (33.7%)
Labour: 17557 (41.7%)
Liberal Democrat: 9063 (21.5%)
UKIP: 995 (2.4%)
Other: 283 (0.7%)
Majority: 3383 (8%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 13297 (32.8%)
Labour: 19454 (47.9%)
Liberal Democrat: 6425 (15.8%)
UKIP: 430 (1.1%)
Other: 973 (2.4%)
Majority: 6157 (15.2%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 16474 (33.7%)
Labour: 24774 (50.6%)
Liberal Democrat: 6044 (12.3%)
Referendum: 1503 (3.1%)
Other: 149 (0.3%)
Majority: 8300 (17%)
Boundary changes: Very minor – Bedford gains small parts of Goldington ward and Kingsbrook from Bedfordshire North East and a handful of voters in Kempston South.
Profile: A diverse town, Bedford has a large population of Italian descent and also has a large Asian population. The constituency is drawn tightly around Bedford and the adjacent town of Kempston. Bedford Hospital is threatened with being downgraded as part of NHS re-organisation in the area and its future is an important local issue.
Current MP: Richard Fuller (Conservative) Born Bedford. Educated at Bedford Modern and Oxford University. Has worked as a venture capitalist and management consultant. Contested Bedford 2005.
Richard Fuller (Conservative) Born Bedford. Educated at Bedford Modern and Oxford University. Has worked as a venture capitalist and management consultant. Contested Bedford 2005.Patrick Hall (Labour) born 1951. Educated at Bedford Modern School and the University of Birmingham. Worked as a planning officer for Bedford council prior to his election (more information at They work for you)Henry Vann (Liberal Democrat) Born Bedford. Works for the professional association of musicians.Ben Foley (Green) Born 1966. Educated at Newcastle, York and Cardiff Universities. Senior Research Fellow at De Montfort University. Contested Mid Bedfordshire, 2005.Mark Adkin (UKIP)William Dewick (BNP)Samrat Bhandari (Independent)2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 98424
Male: 49.4%
Female: 50.6%
Under 18: 23.7%
Over 60: 18.7%
Born outside UK: 15.5%
White: 82.1%
Black: 3.6%
Asian: 10.9%
Mixed: 2.5%
Other: 0.9%
Christian: 64.8%
Hindu: 2.4%
Muslim: 4.7%
Sikh: 2.5%
Full time students: 5.5%
Graduates 16-74: 20.5%
No Qualifications 16-74: 27.3%
Owner-Occupied: 67.4%
Social Housing: 19.2% (Council: 1.8%, Housing Ass.: 17.4%)
Privately Rented: 10.5%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 5.8%
Local rag has reported Labour selection has got underway, with a number of people throwing their hats in the ring, including a ‘prominent local political personality’. Given how few people in the local Labour Party could count under that heading, I wonder if Patrick Hall is the person they were hinting at.
Patrick Hall has indeed applied and is on the Labour shortlist. His challengers are a London councillor, a woman from Peterborough and another woman who also tried in Stevenage.
Just a quick post – not sure it’s particularly interesting but here goes…..
My father has recently joined UKIP, and I went along with him to an open public meeting they held in central Bedford last Thursday. Nigel Farage and a couple of UKIP MEP’s were there.
I have to confess that, whilst I’m not sure I could vote UKIP in a general election given that I’m in a potentially marginal constituency (MK North, although I appreciate it doesn’t look marginal at the moment) it was a professional, open and unscripted meeting. It was quite impressive if I’m honest.
What surprised me more was that I was expecting maybe 100-200 people to turn up – but actually it was more like 450. UKIP clearly do have a respectable vote in North East and mid-Beds so perhaps it’s not surprising – but I thought that it was a surprisingly good turnout for a relative minority party? Or would, say, a Green Party meeting achieve a similar attendance?
Bedford 2015
Lab 41.1 (+5.2)
Con 38.1 (-0.8)
LD 12.7 (-7.2)
UKIP 3.8 (+1.3)
Others 4.1
Turnout 66.5 (+0.6)