Chorley
2010 Results:
Conservative: 18922 (38.02%)
Labour: 21515 (43.23%)
Liberal Democrat: 6957 (13.98%)
UKIP: 2021 (4.06%)
Independent: 359 (0.72%)
Majority: 2593 (5.21%)
Notional 2005 Results:
Labour: 21935 (50.9%)
Conservative: 15017 (34.8%)
Liberal Democrat: 6166 (14.3%)
Other: 0 (0%)
Majority: 6918 (16%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 17506 (35.3%)
Labour: 25131 (50.7%)
Liberal Democrat: 6932 (14%)
Majority: 7625 (15.4%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 16644 (34.7%)
Labour: 25088 (52.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 5372 (11.2%)
UKIP: 848 (1.8%)
Majority: 8444 (17.6%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 20737 (35.9%)
Labour: 30607 (53%)
Liberal Democrat: 4900 (8.5%)
Referendum: 1319 (2.3%)
Other: 143 (0.2%)
Majority: 9870 (17.1%)
Boundary changes: Chorley loses the Western part of the consitutency under the boundary changes, losing the villages of Bretherton, Croston, Eccleston and Mawdesley to the new
Profile: Chorley is divided between Chorley itself and its more Conservative hinterland. Chorley itself is a historic market town that become important in the cotton industry in the nineteenth century. It forms a conurbation with Preston and Leyland and in the 1970s there were abortive plans for the towns it to form part of a new Central Lancashire new town. A major new development, Buckshaw Village, is currently being constructed in the North of the constituency on the site of the former Royal Ordnance Factory. Chorley is also the site of the largest Mormon temple outside of Salt Lake City.The constituency also includes the town of Adlington and the villages of Whittle-le-Woods, Coppull and Euxton.
Until it was retained by Labour in 2010 Chorley was one of the more reliable bellwether seats in the country, having been won by the party that went on to form the government in every election since 1964.
Current MP: Lindsay Hoyle (Labour) born 1957, son of former MP Doug Hoyle (more information at They work for you)
Alan Cullens (Conservative) Chorley councillor.Lindsay Hoyle (Labour) born 1957, son of former MP Doug Hoyle (more information at They work for you)
Stephen Fenn (Liberal Democrat) born 1954. Educated at Northgate School, Ipswich, and Bath University. Computer analyst. South Ribble councillor 1983-1985. Chorley councillor 2002-2004. Contested Manchester Withenshawe 1992, Blackburn 1997, Chorley 2001.
Nick Hogan (UKIP) Pub landlord, convicted in 2008 for failing to prevent smoking in his pub.
Chris Curtis (Independent) born 1966. Physiotherapist and acupuncturist.2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 88927
Male: 49.2%
Female: 50.8%
Under 18: 22.8%
Over 60: 19.3%
Born outside UK: 3%
White: 97.9%
Black: 0.3%
Asian: 0.9%
Mixed: 0.6%
Other: 0.4%
Christian: 84%
Muslim: 0.7%
Full time students: 2.4%
Graduates 16-74: 18.9%
No Qualifications 16-74: 28.4%
Owner-Occupied: 78.2%
Social Housing: 15.4% (Council: 8%, Housing Ass.: 7.4%)
Privately Rented: 4.1%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 9.3%
I would doubt they would have opposed him in 1983 if he had stood again. But wouldn’t it have been interesting if they had? I suspect Thomas may have held on with a majority of a couple of thousand though.
Labour will probably retain Chorley with 48% or so at the next election but I agree it would still be controversial having a speaker for a Semi marginal seat (even if Hoyle made a good speaker).
It would be amusingly ironic however if certain tory right wingers who are usually the first to defend ‘tradition’ forced a rule change over how speakers were elected and not opposed by the main parties in order to get rid of Bercow.
I personally favour having a new speaker every parliamentary term to get rid of the ‘disenfranchisement’ problem.
I don’t personally see the amusement, A.Cairns. Rightwingers are not always the people opposing change. But it must not be change for changes sake. I prefer to think of rightwingers as the best people in the country to initiate change, because it will usually be well thought out and only where necessary.
If the system were to be changed at the next election it will NOT be because of John Bercow. Neither will it be in controvention of any standing convention-which as has been pointing out many times before, does not really exist.
The system SHOULD change, yes, but personally I would favour a system whereby a speaker once elected immediately surrenders their constituency seat to force a by-election. They would then serve as MP for a nominal seat covering the Palace of Westminster-making them the MP’s MP if you like. If they later retire or stand down as Speaker, then they automatically no longer sit in the House of Commons-as they tend to do now anyway-and can then be granted the peerage that goes with retirement.
Thats a much simpler, uncontroversial and easy reform that could be made which would solve all of these issues in one swoop.
It had looked unlikely that Labour could wiin a majority here, but Kim Snape appears to have pulled off a fairly stunning victory in Heath Charnock and Rivington on top of the more predictable gains in Clayton le Woods North, Coppull and Euxton North
Estimate of 2012 local election results for Chorley constituency with change on 2011
Lab 50.8% (+2.0%)
Con 35.3% (-6.5%)
LD 3.0% (-2.9%)
Oth 11.0% (+7.4%)
A few caveats with the figures above. Not all the 18 wards voted in 2011 and 2012. 5 of the wards didnt go this time – so just used the 2011 figures in 4 of them, and 2010 figures in the 5th – this might flatter the Conservative share above if you assume their position has deteriorated since last year. The tiny Lib Dem vote is mainly due to them only standing in 1 of the wards that voted this time (Coppull). The Labour position might also be thought of as a slight under statment as they took only 476 votes in Chorley North West – which was comfortably held by an Independent, where as last year the party got 1,535 votes and gained the seat in a straight fight with the Conservatives.
I think the most over whelmingresult was indeed in heath charnock and rivington by Kim snape with a 33% swing mmarvellous result for Chorley labour.
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.”
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