Brentford and Isleworth
Notional 2005 Results:
Labour: 16904 (38.8%)
Conservative: 13434 (30.8%)
Liberal Democrat: 10138 (23.3%)
Other: 3110 (7.1%)
Majority: 3471 (8%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 13918 (30.2%)
Labour: 18329 (39.8%)
Liberal Democrat: 10477 (22.8%)
Green: 1652 (3.6%)
Other: 1641 (3.6%)
Majority: 4411 (9.6%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 12957 (29.1%)
Labour: 23275 (52.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 5994 (13.5%)
UKIP: 412 (0.9%)
Green: 1324 (3%)
Other: 552 (1.2%)
Majority: 10318 (23.2%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 17825 (31.8%)
Labour: 32249 (57.4%)
Liberal Democrat: 4613 (8.2%)
Other: 1448 (2.6%)
Majority: 14424 (25.7%)
Boundary changes: Loses parts of Hounslow West, Heston Central and Heston East to Feltham and Heston.
Profile: A long seat that snakes along the north bank of the Thames, opposite Barnes and Kew Gardens. This is a mixed seat that changes as follows the Thames west, from upmarket and now reliably Conservative Chiswick, a mix of residential and office areas, home of the Fullers Brewery and popular with young urban professionals; past Gunnersbury and the council estates around Brentford Towers into the lower quality housing and more mixed areas of Brentford. There are large green spaces here around Osterley Park House and Syon House and Tory areas like Spring Grove, but moving south-west it becomes better for Labour. Isleworth was once considered a Conservative area but there is a far amount of council housing around the sewage works here and, moving westwards into Hounslow a large asian population.
In 1997 and 2001 Labour securing towering five figure majorities here, but it slumped to only 4411 in 2005, something of a return to form for a seat that had been held by the Conservatives since it`s creation in 1974 (albeit often very marginally) having formerly been represented by Nirj Deva, now a Conservative MEP.
Current MP: Ann Keen(Labour) born 1948, Wales. Educated at Elfred Secondary Modern, Clwyd, and Surrey University. Former nurse. Contested Brentford and Isleworth 1992. First elected as MP for Brentford and Isleworth in 1997. Former PPS to Gordon Brown. Undersecretary of state for health since 2007. She is married to Alan Keen, MP for neighbouring Feltham and Heston. Her sister is Sylvia Heal, MP for Halesowen and Rowley Regis (more information at They work for you)
Candidates: 
Mary MacLeod (Conservative) Management consultant and former policy advisor at Buckingham Palace. Contested Ross, Skye and Inverness West in 1997. Chairman of the Conservative Candidates Association.
Andrew Dakers (Liberal Democrat) born 1979. Hounslow councillor and leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Hounslow council. Contested Brentford and Isleworth in 2005.
John Hunt (Green) Nurse and former software specialist. Contested London in 2009 European election.
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 105343
Male: 48.6%
Female: 51.4%
Under 18: 20.7%
Over 60: 15.5%
Born outside UK: 30.3%
White: 70%
Black: 4.6%
Asian: 18.7%
Mixed: 3.3%
Other: 3.4%
Christian: 55.5%
Hindu: 6.6%
Muslim: 8.2%
Sikh: 5.1%
Full time students: 5.8%
Graduates 16-74: 37.2%
No Qualifications 16-74: 19.3%
Owner-Occupied: 59%
Social Housing: 21.5% (Council: 16.1%, Housing Ass.: 5.4%)
Privately Rented: 16.7%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 7.2%
I do hope you’re right on the turnout Joe, but as the first election since 1992 where the outcome isn’t a foregone conclusion, 65% is still disappointing. In 1992 it was close to 80%.
Particularly in working class communities, the elderly are people who always vote (usually Labour) and always have done. They are dying off, whilst the younger people in these areas generally don’t care, don’t vote and never have. Hence over time, the turnout, and the tribal Labour vote in particular, is gradually shrivelling up. I expect we will see a sub-50% general election turnout some time in the next 10-15 years.
well that would be very depressing.
We urgently need to give people a reason to care, whichever way they vote.
Agreed. That growing pool of don’t cares is also where most of the BNP vote comes from.
I would guess turnout will rise about 7% in marginal seats,
2% in safe Labour seats, and something in between in those
where Tories are more galvanised to vote.
But although 7% up sounds quite impressive, most seats are not
marginal, and it’ll only push the total up about 3-4 points.
But it’s better than nothing.
I have nothing really to prove any of that, but it seems about right in the first real contest since 1992.
I do very much share your concerns HH – people, even quite educated,
don’t seem to care, and we face a major challenge further ahead.
Even in this country, with large disaffection, I can’t see turnout in general elections falling below 50% within 10-15 years. It may happen eventually, but not in that short time scale.
I don’t think so either – that’s too pessimistic.
The points HH makes are all true, and they are a concern, but if it was getting worse, one would have expected it to continue to get worse after 2001/2002, and there has been a slight improvement,
each set of local elections, and the 2005 General.
People will turn out if there’s something important at stake, but it is still very disappointing it’s not likely to be as high as it was before 2001.
Just found out that John Hunt will be standing for the Greens in this seat. Phew! At least I know how to vote, now.
And I think Shaun’s comment that Ann Keen is ‘hated’ is probably not far off the mark; and I speak as someone who would have voted for her in ‘97, had I been living here.
On May 6th Conservatives will have at least Brentford and Isleworth, possibly Feltham and Heston, and an overall majority on Hounslow Council. The Balkanisation of politics in Hounslow has been an interesting but aberrant interlude with old Labour supporters running off in all directions, joining Greens, Lib Dems, forming their own parties, but all this just delayed Labour’s final true demise. Whether we all like it or not politics in most of this country is blue and red, and the blue flag is being hoisted in Hounslow today.
It certainly seems like a breath of fresh air.
We’re quite envious in Richmond, surrounded by Wandsworth, Hounslow, and places in Surrey where the Tories deliver efficient and well managed services, at a price people can afford, whilst we’re stuck with useless pompous Lib Dems, and hope it’s only for a few more weeks.
Feltham & Heston is a tough one though – to be honest I’d say Labour hold by 2,000.
The problem I would guess is that Vince Cable’s popularity makes things difficult for the Tories in the Twickenham area.
Probably impossible at the moment, Andy. I don’t expect Labour to hold Brentford & Isleworth at present, but Feltham & Heston is probably a bit too hard for the Tories to take.
I note there was a significant increase in the LD vote here in 2005 at the expense of Labour. I do not think the LD vote will increase further.
The only result I can see here is a Tory gain.