Birmingham Northfield
2010 Results:
Conservative: 14059 (33.62%)
Labour: 16841 (40.28%)
Liberal Democrat: 6550 (15.66%)
BNP: 2290 (5.48%)
UKIP: 1363 (3.26%)
Green: 406 (0.97%)
Others: 305 (0.73%)
Majority: 2782 (6.66%)
Notional 2005 Results:
Labour: 19659 (49.9%)
Conservative: 11480 (29.1%)
Liberal Democrat: 5232 (13.3%)
Other: 3052 (7.7%)
Majority: 8179 (20.7%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 8965 (28.9%)
Labour: 15419 (49.6%)
Liberal Democrat: 4171 (13.4%)
BNP: 1278 (4.1%)
UKIP: 641 (2.1%)
Other: 582 (1.9%)
Majority: 6454 (20.8%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 8730 (29.6%)
Labour: 16528 (56%)
Liberal Democrat: 3322 (11.2%)
UKIP: 550 (1.9%)
Other: 404 (1.4%)
Majority: 7798 (26.4%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 10873 (28%)
Labour: 22316 (57.4%)
Liberal Democrat: 4078 (10.5%)
Referendum: 1243 (3.2%)
Other: 337 (0.9%)
Majority: 11443 (29.5%)
Boundary changes: Extensive changes to local government boundary changes in Birmingham and the large size of council wards in the city mean that most of Birmingham`s consitutencies underwent many small changes to bring them into line with local government ward boundaries. Northfield loses a small part of Bournville ward to Selly Oak, gains a small part of Northfield itself from Selly Oak, a small part of Weoley from Selly Oak and gains most of Kings Norton, which was previously split between Northfield, Selly Oak and Hall Green.
Profile: Northfield is at the South-West tip of Birmingham and consists of the wards of Kings Norton, Longbridge, Northfield and Weoley. It is a white working class seat, inextricably linked with the Longbridge car plant which dominates the local economy. The factory closed in 2005, but following a buyout by Nanjing, it is hoped that production will resume in 2007.
On paper it is a long-shot seat for the Conservatives, but was held by the Conservatives between 1979 and 1992 (excluding a Labour by-election victory after Jocelyn Cadbury`s suicide) and in the 2006 local elections the Conservatives won all four wards in the seat. The seat is mostly made up of owner occupied semis and former council properties bought by their owners in the 1980s, though Kings Norton has more council property, especially the large council estate at Highter`s Heath and the Redditch Road Tower Blocks.
Current MP: Richard Burden(Labour) born 1954, Liverpool. Educated at Wallasey Technical School Grammar, Bramhall Comprehensive and the University of York. Before his election was a trade union offical for NALGO. First elected to Birmingham Northfield in 1992. Served as PPS to Jeff Rooker during the 1997-2001 Parliament. Chair of the parliamentary Palestian Group and strong critic of Israeli policy. Voted against the government over the Iraq war (more information at They work for you)
Keely Huxtable (Conservative) born 1981, Birmingham. Educated at Hillcrest School and Cadbury College.Richard Burden(Labour) born 1954, Liverpool. Educated at Wallasey Technical School Grammar, Bramhall Comprehensive and the University of York. Before his election was a trade union offical for NALGO. First elected to Birmingham Northfield in 1992. Served as PPS to Jeff Rooker during the 1997-2001 Parliament. Chair of the parliamentary Palestian Group and strong critic of Israeli policy. Voted against the government over the Iraq war (more information at They work for you)Mike Dixon (Liberal Democrat)Susan Pearce (Green) John Borthwick (UKIP)Les Orton (BNP)Dick Rodgers (Common Good)2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 97858
Male: 47.4%
Female: 52.6%
Under 18: 25.4%
Over 60: 20.2%
Born outside UK: 6%
White: 92.8%
Black: 2.4%
Asian: 1.4%
Mixed: 2.6%
Other: 0.7%
Christian: 73.7%
Muslim: 1%
Full time students: 4%
Graduates 16-74: 12.5%
No Qualifications 16-74: 37.9%
Owner-Occupied: 58.8%
Social Housing: 33.5% (Council: 27.9%, Housing Ass.: 5.6%)
Privately Rented: 3.7%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 16.4%
Frank Field is a high-church anti-German Eurosceptic who used to support a degree of Lib-Labbery which made him very unpopular with most Party members & he was very lucky not to be deselected at one point. You can call that common sense if you wish but I’d like to posit an alternative point of view if I may be permitted to do so
Another alternative view is that Frank Field only looks so out of place in the Labour Party today because Labour has become so thoroughly a Europhile party – and indeed a party where almost any expressions of ‘patriotic’ sentiment are deemed inappropriate, unacceptable or even racist. He wouldn’t have looked especially out of place in the Labour Party of the 1950s, I think.
Birmingham Northfield 2015 most likely
Lab 45 (+5)
Con 37 (+3)
LD 8 (-8)
Others 10
Turnout 59% (+3)
Why do you think that this seat will swing so little to Labour?
Maybe because this is the most white working-class constituency in Birmingham? I’m not saying I agree with the prediction btw.
A little late but as some of you may know, this seat is one of ten in the “early tranche” of Conservative Party selections, which began on the 16th November and is set to be concluded by Christmas.
As per ConservativeHome – “None of these first ten have fast-tracked candidates – that is candidates who fought the seat at the last election and have asked to fight it again. A number of candidates in the other thirty of the forty seats have asked to be fast-tracked and are going through the relevant ConHQ and local approval processes.
Constituencies with less than 100 members will have to choose a three person shortlist given to them by a special ConHQ committee or choose their candidate by open primary.”
PCC elections in this constituency
Lab 35.14%
Con 24.59%
Ind Hannon 17.59%
UKIP 7.75%
Ind Webley 7.45%
Ind Rumble 5.61%
LD 1.86%
Second preferences: Lab 54.68% Con 45.32%
STAGE 2 Totals:
Lab 58.14% Con 41.86%
The first tranche of target seats from the Conservatives in 2013…..include some seats they’ve already called for, which tells its own story I think
Anyway, the ten seats in the latest update (including some they’ve already mentioned) are
Birmingham Northfield
Bolton West
Brecon and Radnorshire
Chippenham
Chorley
Eastbourne
Mid Dorset and North Poole
Middlesborough South and East Cleveland
Morley and Outwood
North Devon
Somerton and Frome
Telford
Torbay
Vale of Clwyd