Calder Valley
Notional 2005 Results:
Labour: 18385 (38.6%)
Conservative: 17039 (35.7%)
Liberal Democrat: 9015 (18.9%)
Other: 3251 (6.8%)
Majority: 1346 (2.8%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 17059 (35.7%)
Labour: 18426 (38.6%)
Liberal Democrat: 9027 (18.9%)
BNP: 1887 (4%)
Green: 1371 (2.9%)
Majority: 1367 (2.9%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 17150 (36.2%)
Labour: 20244 (42.7%)
Liberal Democrat: 7596 (16%)
UKIP: 729 (1.5%)
Green: 1034 (2.2%)
Other: 672 (1.4%)
Majority: 3094 (6.5%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 19795 (35.1%)
Labour: 26050 (46.1%)
Liberal Democrat: 8322 (14.7%)
Referendum: 1380 (2.4%)
Other: 919 (1.6%)
Majority: 6255 (11.1%)
Boundary changes:
Profile:
Current MP: Chris McCafferty(Labour) (more information at They work for you)
Candidates: Craig Whittaker (Conservative) Stephanie Booth (Labour) Hilary Myers (Liberal Democrat) Kate Sweeney (Green)
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 97649
Male: 48.2%
Female: 51.8%
Under 18: 22.9%
Over 60: 20.6%
Born outside UK: 3.5%
White: 97.5%
Black: 0.2%
Asian: 1.4%
Mixed: 0.7%
Other: 0.2%
Christian: 71.5%
Muslim: 1.2%
Full time students: 2.4%
Graduates 16-74: 20.5%
No Qualifications 16-74: 27.4%
Owner-Occupied: 74.8%
Social Housing: 14% (Council: 7.5%, Housing Ass.: 6.5%)
Privately Rented: 7.9%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 17.9%
The Greens have selected Kate Sweeney here
If the Conservatives take this seat, they by default have Hebden Bridge- now that is where Dream Academy filmed their music video ”Life in a Northern Town”. That will be cultural evidence of Tory revival in the North.
“If the Conservatives take this seat”
This might arguably be the most guaranteed Conservative gain at the next eelction.
There are seats with smaller majorities such as Battersea and Crawley but take into account:
The hammerings Labour have received locally
HBOS with Scottish jobs given priority over Yorkshire
The heavy effect recession is having on Yorkshire
Demographic change
The Alice Mahon condemnation of Labour
The public infighting relating to the Labour selection
Cherie Blair’s plan to campaign here
If the Conservatives gain Brighton Pavilion as well as Calder Valley then they’ll have both the ‘gay capital of Britain’ and the ‘lesbian capital of Britain’.
..and that would be really good for them. We hope they do not let these people down.
Has Clifton been in Sowerby 1885-1983 and Calder Valley since then?
I had never heard of a Clifton in this area and the only one I canm find is one that is just outside of Brighouse. Assuming that is the one, then it would have been in Elland from 1885 to 1950 and then Brighouse & Spenborough until 1983 (then Calder Valley)
Yes Pete that is the one I had in mind, the reputed grave of Robin Hood (except of course it isn’t) is in that area
Looking it up I see that Robin Hood is reputed to have died in the gatehouse of Kirklees Priory, West Yorkshire. The only problem is that he probably didn’t exist in the first place.
Perhaps not that surprising to find out that Gillian Shepherd , who used to be MP for Norfolk South West , had an extensive involvement with this seat during the deselection of Elizabeth Truss’s predecessor. Apparently Ms Shepherd had pledged to support Sue Catling at a meeting but another committment meant that she was unable to do so.
The majorities in the pre 1983 in this area:
1951
Brighouse % Spenborough Lab 4.6%
Halifax Lab 1.3%
Sowerby Lab 3.3%
1955
B Lab 3.6%
H Con 2.8%
S Lab 6.3%
1959
B Lab 0.1%
H Con 4.5%
S Lab 4.5%
1964
B Lab 2.0%
H Lab 2.0%
S Lab 8.5%
1966
B Lab 9.6%
G Lab 11.3%
S Lab 13.8%
1970
B Con 0.1%
H Lab 0.4%
S Lab 1.2%
1974F
B Lab 2.9%
H Lab 5.9%
S Lab 0.3%
1974O
B Lab 4.4%
H Lab 8.8%
S Lab 1.7%
1979
B Con 3.3%
H Lab 2.5%
S Con 3.0%
Halifax being the best seat for the Conservatives in the 1950s but being overtaken by Brighouse & Spenborough during the 1960s and then also by Sowerby during the 1970s.