Chippenham
2010 Results:
Conservative: 21500 (41.04%)
Labour: 3620 (6.91%)
Liberal Democrat: 23970 (45.76%)
BNP: 641 (1.22%)
UKIP: 1783 (3.4%)
Green: 446 (0.85%)
English Democrat: 307 (0.59%)
Christian: 118 (0.23%)
Majority: 2470 (4.72%)
Notional 2005 Results:
Liberal Democrat: 18977 (41.1%)
Conservative: 17717 (38.4%)
Labour: 7768 (16.8%)
Other: 1677 (3.6%)
Majority: 1260 (2.7%)
New seat: : a new seat made up of parts of a new seat made up of parts of Wiltshire North, Devizes and the former Westbury (now Wiltshire South West)
Profile: A Wiltshire seat based around the rapidly growing market town of Chippenham itself, and Bradford on Avon and Melksham to the South. Compared to the larger Conservative seats that dominate Wiltshire, Chippenham is tightly drawn around the more Liberal Democrat voting towns.
Current MP: Duncan Hames (Liberal Democrat) born 1977, Hertfordshire. Educated at Watford Boy`s Grammar School and Oxford University. Runs a consultancy business. West Wiltshire councillor 2003-2007. Contested Westbury 2005, Watford 2001.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones (Conservative) born Jamacia. Former BBC producer on cookery programmes, before starting his own food marketing business. Also runs a Devon farm, whose produce he markets under the brand “The Black Farmer”
Greg Lovell (Labour) Online retailer and non-practicising solicitor.Duncan Hames (Liberal Democrat) born 1977, Hertfordshire. Educated at Watford Boy`s Grammar School and Oxford University. Runs a consultancy business. West Wiltshire councillor 2003-2007. Contested Westbury 2005, Watford 2001.
Samantha Fletcher (Green)
Julia Reid (UKIP) Born London. Educated at John Bentley School and Bath University. Research biochemist. Former member of the SDP. Contested South West region in 2009 European elections.
Michael Simpkins (BNP) taxi driver and former RAF police officer. Jon Maguire (English Democrat)Richard Sexton (Christian Party) 2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 87967
Male: 48.7%
Female: 51.3%
Under 18: 23.7%
Over 60: 21.4%
Born outside UK: 5.3%
White: 98%
Black: 0.4%
Asian: 0.4%
Mixed: 0.8%
Other: 0.4%
Christian: 74.5%
Full time students: 2%
Graduates 16-74: 21%
No Qualifications 16-74: 23%
Owner-Occupied: 77.5%
Social Housing: 13.7% (Council: 1.6%, Housing Ass.: 12%)
Privately Rented: 6.2%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 4.5%
WEJ was just featured on Channel 4’s docu ‘Cameron’s Black Farmer’ It struck me how elections were so new to him, but perhaps that’s why he lost as well as the collapse in the Labour vote and the BNP and UKIP vote.
It’s a shame he didn’t win… I think, having seen the programme, that he could be a good MP.
I can’t believe he wasn’t contacted by Tory HQ after the Election especially after all his hard work!!!
There has been LD strength in this area for some time, even in 1979.
The 1992 result obscured it.
It probably wasn’t as easy as it looked – the Tories should have another go.
WEJ’s article in the Guardian last week suggests he is one (of many?) candidates who have been soundly and roundly dumped by Conservative HQ.
Now that the Tories have achieved their aim of getting back into office, I’m not surprised that the failed A-list candidates have been disgarded by Tory HQ. So much for ‘Modern Conservatism’ which Cameron constantly talked about as Leader of the Opposition.
Isn’t the clue there in the word “failed”?
WEJ didn’t do appallingly but it was a highly winnable seat and he didn’t win. His opponent seems to have been well organised but perhaps not a giant figure – he had stood in part of the seat before (Westbury pre-boundary changes) but would not have had a meaningful incumbency advantage.
Realistically, all parties have to take a view about which candidates have and have not done enough to fight another day and sometimes have to be a bit brutal about it. As I say, WEJ wasn’t a disaster and may be a borderline case. But he did, after all, lose with a small swing against him.
To be honest, I wish my own party would be a bit less forgiving of fairly weak candidates.
”Isn’t the clue there in the word “failed”?
Realistically, all parties have to take a view about which candidates have and have not done enough to fight another day and sometimes have to be a bit brutal about it. ”
Sir Norfolk Passmore – Yes, all parties need to take a view about which candidates have and have not done enough to fight another day but the least they can do is thank the failed candidates for their time and dedication to the party even a quick e-mail thanking them would be sufficient .
WEJ has been treated very badly by Tory HQ considering how much time and effort he dedicated to fighting this seat and I’m saying this as a Labour supporter who usually wouldn’t give any Tory candidate the time of day!!!
They probably should have expressed thanks to defeated candidates, yes.
I have no doubt WEJ put in a shift but wasn’t unusual amongst failed (and successful) candidates in that regard. But it isn’t entirely about the hours on the clock – you have to inspire your troops to put in the hours too, direct your energies efficiently and ultimately convince the electorate.
To be honest, I don’t reserve special sympathy for WEJ above any other unsuccessful candidate. At least his campaign garnered a lot of column inches for his (very tasty) sausages, so he’ll have made up on the swings some of what he lost on the roundabouts.
Having said that, I’m rather less likely to buy his tasty sausages for the knowledge he wants to be a Tory MP. There are plenty of other good sausages too! It all goes to show that there are risks in going into politics. Certainly I never let party politics intrude into my business when I was a shopkeeper.