Colchester
Notional 2005 Results:
Liberal Democrat: 19213 (46.9%)
Conservative: 13349 (32.6%)
Labour: 8418 (20.5%)
Other: 0 (0%)
Majority: 5864 (14.3%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 14868 (33.1%)
Labour: 8886 (19.8%)
Liberal Democrat: 21145 (47.1%)
Majority: 6277 (14%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 13074 (29.9%)
Labour: 10925 (25%)
Liberal Democrat: 18627 (42.6%)
UKIP: 631 (1.4%)
Other: 479 (1.1%)
Majority: 5553 (12.7%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 16305 (31.4%)
Labour: 15891 (30.6%)
Liberal Democrat: 17886 (34.4%)
Referendum: 1776 (3.4%)
Other: 148 (0.3%)
Majority: 1581 (3%)
Boundary changes:
Profile:
Outgoing MP: Bob Russell(Liberal Democrat) born 1946, London. Educated at St Helena Secondary Modern. Former journalist and publicity officer for Essex university. Colchester councillor from 1971-2002, originally elected as Labour before defecting to the SDP in 1981. Leader of Colchester council 1987-1991. Contested Colchester for Labour in 1979. First elected as MP for Colchester in 1997. Spokesman on legal affairs 1997-1999, sport 1999-2001, whip 2001-2007, culture, media and sport 2001-205 and defence 2005- (more information at They work for you)
Candidates: 
Will Quince (Conservative) born Buckinghamshire. Account manager for Britvic. East Hertfordshire councillor.
Jordan Newall (Labour) Born Harwich. Works for Volunteering England.Bob Russell(Liberal Democrat) born 1946, London. Educated at St Helena Secondary Modern. Former journalist and publicity officer for Essex university. Colchester councillor from 1971-2002, originally elected as Labour before defecting to the SDP in 1981. Leader of Colchester council 1987-1991. Contested Colchester for Labour in 1979. First elected as MP for Colchester in 1997. Spokesman on legal affairs 1997-1999, sport 1999-2001, whip 2001-2007, culture, media and sport 2001-205 and defence 2005- (more information at They work for you)
Peter Lynn (Green) Professor of Survey Methodology at Essex University.
John Pitts (UKIP) Runs a mini coach company.
Eddie Bone (English Democrat)
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 94741
Male: 49.6%
Female: 50.4%
Under 18: 23.2%
Over 60: 17.7%
Born outside UK: 8.2%
White: 95.6%
Black: 0.6%
Asian: 1.5%
Mixed: 1.4%
Other: 0.9%
Christian: 68.8%
Hindu: 0.7%
Muslim: 0.9%
Full time students: 5%
Graduates 16-74: 18.4%
No Qualifications 16-74: 25.5%
Owner-Occupied: 66.2%
Social Housing: 19% (Council: 13.1%, Housing Ass.: 6%)
Privately Rented: 9.7%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 5.3%
Has Tiptree been in Colchester until 1983, Colchester North until 1997 and North Essex since 1997? And was central Colchester in Colchester North until 1997?
Tiptree was in Colchester South & Maldon from 1983 to 1997. From 1918 to 1983 it was in a Colchester constituency which remained largely unchanged throughout that period and was virtually coterminous with the current Colchester borough. From 1885 to 1918 Tiptree was in the Maldon division.
Central Colchester was indeed in Colchester North from 1983 to 1997.
Labour Candidate is Jordan Newall. Labour.org.uk has this, and Colchester Labour site confirms, – http://www.colchesterlabour.com.
Anthony Wells: is this the best medium to get updates to the profile of candidates in a constit.? There was a comment from Linda on Jan 8th 2009 at 3.44 pm flagging this.
Ladbrokes:
LD 4/7
Con 5/4
Lab 100
Green 100
I wish the bookmakers would do prices for ALL constituencies. Even the safe ones, for those of us who believe there’s no such thing as a safe seat.
Ray. Sadly most people do believe there is such a thing as a safe seat. I think that we at ladbrokes would struggle to take any money at all in about half of the UK’s constituencies, except for the odd token fiver from a candidate’s mum.
Perhaps I’m wrong. We have priced up a few “certainties” that people have requested. Maidstone & Stratford On Avon for example..
I think those are generous LibDem odds and have put some money on them.
I think we’re unlikely to win this one in the Tories.
Colchester and Thurrock look set to be outposts for the other parties in Essex.
But neither are out of the question.
I’d say Thurrock is a far more likely Conservative gain than Colchester.
The Conservatives have struggled here since 2005 and Bob Russell probably has a significant personal vote.
I think the Conservative have a slight edge in Thurrock.
I agree with Richard – the Conservative candidate has only been in place a few months (after Jill Skalla stood down), and County Council results here were not partiucularly good either
Eddie Bone is the English Democrats candidate here.
UKIP have selected John Pitts here