Birmingham Edgbaston
2010 Results:
Conservative: 15620 (37.57%)
Labour: 16894 (40.64%)
Liberal Democrat: 6387 (15.36%)
BNP: 1196 (2.88%)
UKIP: 732 (1.76%)
Green: 469 (1.13%)
Christian: 127 (0.31%)
Others: 146 (0.35%)
Majority: 1274 (3.07%)
Notional 2005 Results:
Labour: 17385 (43.4%)
Conservative: 15197 (38%)
Liberal Democrat: 5444 (13.6%)
Other: 2011 (5%)
Majority: 2187 (5.5%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 14116 (37.5%)
Labour: 16465 (43.8%)
Liberal Democrat: 5185 (13.8%)
Green: 1116 (3%)
UKIP: 749 (2%)
Majority: 2349 (6.2%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 13819 (36.6%)
Labour: 18517 (49.1%)
Liberal Democrat: 4528 (12%)
Other: 885 (2.3%)
Majority: 4698 (12.4%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 18712 (38.6%)
Labour: 23554 (48.6%)
Liberal Democrat: 4691 (9.7%)
Referendum: 1065 (2.2%)
Other: 443 (0.9%)
Majority: 4842 (10%)
Boundary changes: minor changes to bring the seat into line with the large number of adjustments to ward boundaries in Birmingham. Loses part of Sparkbrook to Hall Green, part of Ladywood ward to Ladywood and part of Selly Oak ward to Selly Oak. Gains part of Harborne from Ladywood and part of Bartley Green from Northfield.
Profile: Traditionally Edgbaston was a Conservative seat – it is a largely middle-class seat of leafy suburbs in the South-West of Birmingham and was held by the Conservatives for most of the twentieth century until falling to Labour in the 1997 landslide. It covers four council wards, Bartley Green, Edgbaston, Harbone and Quinton – the first three are safely Tory with Quinton more marginal, as it includes council estates like Woodgate Valley and Welsh House Farm. Parts of Edgbaston itself are also becoming more inner city in character, with more houses of multiple occupany and a higher proportion of ethnic minorites. The seat includes Bartley reservoir, Edgbaston Cricket Ground and the main campus of the University of Birmingham (although the bulk of the students don`t live in the ward – they are more likely to be found in Selly Oak).
The seat has been represented by a female MP since 1953: Edith Pitt was followed by Dame Jill Knight and now Gisela Stuart. Since the Conservative candidate is Deirdre Alden the tradition is likely to continue whoever wins the next election,
Current MP: Gisela Stuart(Labour) born 1955, Bavaria. Educated at Staat Realschule and Manchester Polytechnic. Moved to Britain in 1974. Lecturer. First elected as MP for Birmingham Edgbaston in 1997. PPS to Paul Boateng from 1998-1999, Junior heath minister 1999-2001. Along with David Heathcote-Amtony was on the steeting group of the European Convention that drew up the European Constitution, but was strongly critical of the constitution that finally emerged (more information at They work for you)
Deirdre Alden (Conservative) born Buckinghamshire. Educated at Wycombe High School and the Birmingham School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art. Freelance writer. Birmingham councillor since 1999 (as part of a family group – her husband John is a long serving Birmingham councillor and her son Robert was elected in 2006). Contested Birmingham Edgbaston in 2005.Gisela Stuart(Labour) born 1955, Bavaria. Educated at Staat Realschule and Manchester Polytechnic. Moved to Britain in 1974. Lecturer. First elected as MP for Birmingham Edgbaston in 1997. PPS to Paul Boateng from 1998-1999, Junior heath minister 1999-2001. Along with David Heathcote-Amtony was on the steeting group of the European Convention that drew up the European Constitution, but was strongly critical of the constitution that finally emerged (more information at They work for you)
Roger Harmer (Liberal Democrat) Birmingham councillor since 1995. Contested Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath 1997. 
Phil Simpson (Green) 
Greville Warwick (UKIP)
Trevor Lloyd (BNP)Charith Femando (Christian Party) Harry Takhar (Impact)2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 90376
Male: 48.1%
Female: 51.9%
Under 18: 20.6%
Over 60: 19.8%
Born outside UK: 14%
White: 81.1%
Black: 4.7%
Asian: 9.2%
Mixed: 3%
Other: 2%
Christian: 65.6%
Hindu: 1.8%
Jewish: 0.8%
Muslim: 3.7%
Sikh: 3.7%
Full time students: 12.4%
Graduates 16-74: 26.1%
No Qualifications 16-74: 28.6%
Owner-Occupied: 55.9%
Social Housing: 29% (Council: 21.4%, Housing Ass.: 7.6%)
Privately Rented: 10.3%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 15.7%
IIRC 1968 saw a huge win for the Right in France as well with the phrase ‘silent majority’ also be used as a response to the student protests. While the 1969 French Presidential election saw complete humiliation for the French Left as they didn’t even reach the second round.
Re the Birmingham results its interesting that the highest Conservative vote came in Perry Barr.
I wonder if Pete could calculate the results of the then constituencies.
It would be nice to see the swing from 1966 to 1968 and then back to 1970.
All Saints
Con 6605 67.3%
Lab 2808 28.6%
Lib 256 2.6%
Com 140 1.4%
Aston
Con 8660 53.5%
Lab 4823 29.8%
Lib 2475 15.3%
Com 244 1.5%
Edgbaston
Con 11654 81.5%
Lab 1743 12.2%
Lib 901 6.3%
Hall green
Con 14647 77.5%
Lab 3164 16.7%
Lib 853 4.5%
Com 237 1.3%
Handsworth
Con 8207 84.5%
Lab 1501 15.5%
Ladywood
Lib 4563 48.1%
Con 2786 29.4%
Lab 2138 22.5%
Northfield
Con 15996 62.5%
Lab 7897 30.9%
Lib 1205 4.7%
Com 478 1.9%
Perry Bar
Con 10643 71.1%
Lab 4195 28.0%
Com 132 0.9%
Selly Oak
Con 11491 70.1%
Lab 2582 15.7%
Lib 2117 12.9%
Com 207 1.3%
Small Heath
Con 6280 52.2%
Lab 5093 42.3%
Com 348 2.9%
Lib 232 1.9%
Ind 76 0.6%
Sparkbrook
Con 8576 58.7%
Lab 5140 35.2%
Lib 798 5.5%
Com 97 0.7%
Stechford
Con 10150 56.2%
Lab 6636 36.8%
Lib 1090 6.0%
Com 176 1.0%
Yardley
Con 12819 63.9%
Lab 5424 27.0%
Lib 1820 9.1%
Gisela Stuart has said today that the UK should leave the EU.
PCC elections in this constituency (Birmingham Council voting released figures by wards)
Lan 33.99%
Con 26.85%
Ind Hannon 16.23%
Ind Webley 9.05%
Ind Rumble 6.02%
UKIP 5.08%
LD 2.79%
Second preferences: Lab 52.2% Con 47.8%
STAGE 2 Total
Lab 55.27% Con 44.73%
Census results:
White British, 2001 / 2011:
Bartley Green: 87.1% / 78.0%
Edgbaston: 57.8% / 50.3%
Harborne: 78.7% / 58.0%
Quinton: 81.5% / 65.3%
Birmingham Edgbaston: 75.8% / 63.1%
You’re a bit ahead of me Andy – I’ve analysed the local government census data but have not for the most part posted it here, since the constituency and ward data was due shortly.
My initial comment is that Harborne has become the favoured residential destination of Asians made good in Birmingham (particularly Sikhs). This must have some relation to Labour winning the seat at the last 2 council elections (for the second and third time ever – only 1995 previously). Note that Harborne shows the biggest change over the last 10 years. I will analyse which non-white British groups when I have time – as a worker I can only spend time at weekends.
Quinton is still heavily white British, and seems to me pretty owner-occupied & semi-detached too. To what do posters attribute Labour’s pretty good results in the ward over the last few years?
On 2nd July this year Birmingham Edgbaston will celebrate 60 years of having had only female MPs, namely Dame Edith Pitt, Dame Jill Knight and Gisela Stuart. (There was a by-election on 2nd July 1953).
Discovered a website I wasn’t aware of before that has vintage by-election results:
Miss EM Pitt, Con: 20,142
Mr FB Watson, Lab: 9,635
ht tp://www.by-elections.co.uk/53.html
IIRC Waller describes Quinton ward as ‘even more Conservative’ than Edgbaston and Harborne in his first edition.
Perhaps this would be a good constituency for Pete and Barnaby to visit on their travels.
They could pick up a 1981 Longbridge car at the same time.
I have only visited this constituency once, to watch England play Australia (the last day was rained off after Flintoff scored 74, his last significant Test innings). I was surprised at the quite large area of pretty downmarket terraced housing not far from the ground, in what I thought was Edgbaston ward. However, I could have been wrong, and it could have been in a neighbouring constituency. How far away is the cricket ground from a ward or constituency boundary?
I’d be up for this constituency tour – though it would be a bit of an anoraks’ TV programme.
The other odd thing about the constituency is that the Conservative position in Harborne has declined a lot faster than in Edgbaston.
Perhaps Edgbaston is more divided with fewer swing voters.
You might have been in Sparkbrook ward Barnaby.
Edgbaston cricket ground is on the border.
That would make sense Richard. It was a largely Asian area.
The very edge of the constituency, in Edgbaston ward, off some parts of Pershore Road, is very untypical of the seat. In fact some roads near Calthorpe Park were moved to 4parkbrook. I think the terraced area around stirchley may be in selly oak or bordering it. There are a few tower blocks nearer the city centre aswell.
The other odd thing about the constituency is that the Conservative position in Harborne has declined a lot faster than in Edgbaston.
This makes sense, as John has mentioned upstream, that British Asians have moved into Harborne as they have become successful. At the moment they are less likely to vote Conservative resulting in a declining Tory vote.