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%
I don’t think that there is anything in socialist doctrine which prevents me from eating sausages. If you are referring to my religious background, I do enjoy the Kosher sausages known as Viennas, as well as Kosher salami, always known as vorsht & particularly good fried up with eggs. I am not, never have been and never will be a vegetarian; I even know Green Party members who are not vegetarian as well.
Seeing this discussion reminded me that I visited Chippenham a few months ago to meet up with a friend.
My grandparents used to live in Bath so I have a reasonable idea of the area in general but not Chippenham itself – I have to say that I was surprised to see that it was an LD constituency but, having visited, it did seem a little run-down in some areas of the centre. There was a substantial area of new housing in the east of the town which looked clean and modern. But overall, it didn’t come over as a place which was particularly affluent.
So maybe not quite so surprising that it isn’t a Tory constituency, despite my preconceptions before visiting it.
Indeed, Chippenham as a town has been known as a Lib Dem centre for many years, in fact way before the party’s formation (the Liberals were close to winning the old Chippenham seat in a 1962 by-election, in 1964 and again in 1966, when their candidate was the Hon Chris Layton). Some of the other towns in the constituency aren’t particularly affluent either. Some of the sociological flavour of Chippenham can be gleaned in the rather left-wing comedy of Wil Hodgson, who comes from the town.
‘I have to say that I was surprised to see that it was an LD constituency but, having visited, it did seem a little run-down in some areas of the centre. ‘
People seem to have this preconception that any non-Tory seat is run-down.
Whilst this might be truer in the South of England than elsewhere, this is only the case between Labour and the Tories
In the South, particularly the South East, a place has to be especially undesirable to have a Labour MP, but this isn;t the case with the Lib Dems.
Whilst they like to boast that they are the only main party whose vote is evenly split amongst different social classes the reality is actually quite different and they tend to do best in affluent middle class seats – Sheffield Hallam, Cheltenham, Kingston & Surbiton, Twickenham, Sutton & Cheam, Aberdeenshire West, Bath, Cheadle, Hazel Grove, Cambridge, Westmoreland, Solihull and before the last election Richmond Park, Winchester and Harrogate
I agrre that Chipenham is run down, especially compared to nearby Bradford on Avon, but it’s interesting that the latter town, which is is the Chippenham seat, is the Lib Dems best area
More rather sweeping generalistions. How are E Renfrewshire, York Central, Harrow West & Birmingham Edgbaston run down?
(I’ve deliberately selected a constituency from Scotland, the North, the South-East & the Midlands, but could easily select plenty of others). Furthermore, traditionally Bradford-on-Avon hasn’t been the LDs’ strongest area in this seat, as it is quite popular with commuters to Bath & Bristol (though it does have some industry); most years the LDs have done best in Melksham & Chippenham. Melksham has perhaps the strongest potential Labour vote in the constituency & greatest potential for tactical unwind.
‘More rather sweeping generalistions. How are E Renfrewshire, York Central, Harrow West & Birmingham Edgbaston run down?’
East Renfrewshire is actually the most affluent constituency in the whole of Scotland but as you well know politics in Scotland, with its Labour establishment, is completely different to that elsewhere in the country and I don’t think you can make an adequate comparison
Harrow West and Birmingham Edgbaston, and you can add Leeds North East and a host of other once up-market suburbs throughout England, have witnessed massive demographic change over the past few decades which have made them virtually unrecognisable from the safew Tory seats they once were
As for York, it’s quite like city of Durham in that for all it’s elegant and historical buildings in the centre, there are strong working class settlements elsewhere in the city and unlike the other three seats you mention, Labour has always been quite strong here
My point stands though. Look at the South East. Only Luton and Slough returned a Labour MP at the last election, which outside Kent and Essex are the ugliest towns in the whole region.
Southampton also returned Labour MPs in the South East. While it’s hardly lovely, it’s far more pleasant than Luton or Slough.
Oxford East is another seat in the SE that returned a Labour MP in 2010. It covers much of the city centre and my impression of it is that it’s certainly more pleasant than the other Labour held seats in the SE. Brighton Pavilion, which would also have been Labour were it not for the Greens, is also quite pleasant and certainly not run-down these days.
‘Southampton also returned Labour MPs in the South East’
I’m not so sure as some of the nicer parts of Southampton went off with the new Romsey seat and the Itchen part – which Labour actually has a snaller majority than in the marginally nicer Test – seems very run down
‘Brighton Pavilion, which would also have been Labour were it not for the Greens, is also quite pleasant and certainly not run-down these days.’
As someone who lives there I can testify to the accuracy of that statement although even in Pavilion you get places like Holingbury, Hollingdean, Coldean, Hannover and even the St Peters wards which contain social housing and a traditional (ie: working class) Labour vote
The best examples to contradict my theory are in Kent and Essex whith places like Grays, Basildon, Harlow, Southend, Braintree, Margate, Isle of Sheppey, the Medway towns and Gravesend.
I don’t think it’s too unfair to descrive them as run-down and yet all return Tory MPs to Parliament
Yes Tim obviously I know that Harrow W & Birmingham Edgbaston have seen considerable demographic change. But that doesn’t mean that they’re run down. Nor indeed is much of Brent N which is now in the safe Labour column except perhaps some of the areas closest to central Wembley. York has many working-class residents – after all its current Labour allegiance is not all that new – but not much of it can honestly be described as run down. There are many Labour seats in England, even after our very poor results of 2010, which really can’t be described as run down. Apart from parts of the 2 Kilburn wards Hampstead & Kilburn is not just not run down, but actually pretty posh in large swathes, but it’s still Labour. Westminster North is perhaps a bit different being a genuine collision, if you like, of the very posh and the pretty run down with not a great deal of middle ground.
To bring this thread back on topic, I have just now had some of the Black Farmer’s daughter’s chippolatas. They were nice enough but not necessarily the best I have had. There was however a bit of bone in one of them on which I have broken a tooth – potentially a blessing in disguise as this particular tooth had been giving me some bother for a while, but not really likely to make me want to buy them again. I had tried the Black Farmer’s own sausages before and wasn’t overly keen on them. I’ll stick to Porky Whites
I can recommend ‘Debbie & Andrews’ Harrogate sausages.
There seems to be an ever increasing variety of new sausage brands in the supermarkets.
Duncan Hames might be toast here in 2015….
I agree with Richard re the sausages. I, being a member of the metropolitan, liberal, handwringing elite (well, according to some of you), went to an Italian deli last week to buy a Luganega sausage which I put in a risotto. It was great & you’d really enjoy it with eggs, bacon & all the stuff from a normal ****-off British breakfast, not necessarily a risotto or other Italian dish. (I didn’t make it to celebrate Silvio Berlusconi’s birthday….) But Debbie & Andrew’s is an excellent British sausage.
I bought the Black Farmer’s sausages once and found them to be very average
I wonder if their creator will be running in 2015 – here or anywehere ekse
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