Comments on: Birkenhead

By: manterik

manterik — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:19:02 +0000

I think Frank Field will certainly hold on and poll in excess of 60%.

I would expect, of the adjacent seats, Wirral South and Wallasey to stop Labour and Wirral West and Chester to go Tory and Labour would be wise to push resources into the ones they can hold as opposed to the ones that are as good as gone.

By: Lancs Observer

Lancs Observer — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:30:23 +0000

I’d say Frank Field will poll 55-60% of the vote here, although he may well hold his two thirds share given his stance on immigration. LD 15-20%, Tory 15%, UKIP 5%.

By: Wirral Observer

Wirral Observer — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:25:59 +0000

With near eleven weeks to go, its time to call this seat. No surprise, I’m calling it for Frank Field. I’m also calling the Tories to retake second place.
The Labour Party will concentrate its efforts in buildling up its efforts in Prenton and if the General Election and Local election are on the same day, the Labour Party will fancy their chances in Prenton Ward. When it was in Wirral West, the Prenton Dell Council estate went LD in Local elections and Labour in General Elections mainly thaks to differential turnout.

It also means that Birknhead Labour Party will be offering little if any mutual aid to either Wirral South, Wallasey, Chester or Wirral West

Now assuming an A1 sheet of paper’s weight is 100 grams and from that there will be 32 Ballot papers per A1 page, it looks like
Labour (i.e. Frank Field) 6.25 Kilograms
Conservative 2.50 Kilograms
Lib Dem 2.25 Kilograms

By: Lancs Observer

Lancs Observer — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:26:03 +0000

I think Frank could make this Labour’s safest seat as a % of the vote. His independent streak seems very popular.

By: Joe James B

Joe James B — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 01:07:32 +0000

I suspect the Conservatives would be unwise to try to recruit Frank Field, particularly for a ministerial post, if they do take office.

After a few months he’ll surely resign in a scene, then fall down the stairs, smashing all the furniture.

By: Tim Jones

Tim Jones — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:07:43 +0000

‘Because of the way that Tory Bliar and Gordon Brown have treated Frank Field, there is already talk in some quarters of David Cameron inviting Frank Field to provide assistance, perhaps even a front bench appointment, to what some believe will be the next Tory government in 2010.’

That wouldn’t surprise me at all

His reputation suggests otherwise but Frank Field is very right-wing for a Labour MP

He’s as anti the EU as most Tory MPs (which says a lot given that most of today’s Tory MPs despise the EU in the way they used to despised Communist Russia), he’s dead against PR (a good call but again unlike many of his colleagues) and he thought the unthinkable about welfare – and got sacked as a result

He’s also a member of the advisory board of the far right free-market think-tank Reform and of the new conservative magazine, Standpoint

Even more amazingly, according to Wikipedia in May 2008 he described Margaret Thatcher as a “a hero” !!!!

However, despite his strong personal following here, if he did cross the floor he’d be ejected come polling day.

This seat is as Labour as they come

By: Arthur Murgatroyd

Arthur Murgatroyd — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:49:03 +0000

Because of the way that Tory Bliar and Gordon Brown have treated Frank Field, there is already talk in some quarters of David Cameron inviting Frank Field to provide assistance, perhaps even a front bench appointment, to what some believe will be the next Tory government in 2010.

By: richard coombs

richard coombs — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:37:48 +0000

Thanks for all the input on my original comment.

Just a thought on if Frank was not there continues. All the bits of Rock Ferry and Tranmere areas seem to have been levelled – taking with it all my memories and stomping ground. More importantly it possibly has taken the core Labour voters.

Although I agree that it is still a Labout seat I do feel that the next Labour candidate will have a bad time ahead.

Merseyside can do surprises. My late Dad was a Mersey Pilot and there was a Pilot I believe called Malcolm Thornton who gained a seat and then lost it even though he had a 5 figure majority.

Birkenhead is changing rapidly and may well be a not so safe Labour place now. Who would have though Wallasey would change?

By: Andrew Gilbert

Andrew Gilbert — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 10:15:39 +0000

Matt – I’m glad my selection appeared on your radar but I need to correct you on a couple of things. First, my name is Andrew, not David. Second, although it is not inaccurate to call me a ‘lawyer’ that is not how I describe myself. I am a university lecturer and have been so for longer than I was in practice. As someone who works in the university sector I am therefore a rare breed as a Conservative candidate.

As to my ‘local’ credentials, my parents and much of my extended family live in the constituency. My family have lived there for at least 100 years and a number worked for Cammell Laird in its heyday. I believe that makes me more local than Frank Field when he first stood in Birkenhead!

It would be great to hear from you if you would be willing to help out in our campaign. Please feel free to email the association office at conservatives@tiscali.co.uk.

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:01:31 +0000

The Conservatives have selected David Gilbert here. He is a Huntingdon councillor and (yet another) lawyer!