Crewe and Nantwich
Notional 2005 Results:
Labour: 21857 (49%)
Conservative: 14363 (32.2%)
Liberal Democrat: 8349 (18.7%)
Other: 58 (0.1%)
Majority: 7494 (16.8%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 14162 (32.6%)
Labour: 21240 (48.8%)
Liberal Democrat: 8083 (18.6%)
Majority: 7078 (16.3%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 12650 (30.4%)
Labour: 22556 (54.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 5595 (13.5%)
UKIP: 746 (1.8%)
Majority: 9906 (23.8%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 13662 (27%)
Labour: 29460 (58.2%)
Liberal Democrat: 5940 (11.7%)
Referendum: 1543 (3%)
Majority: 15798 (31.2%)
Boundary changes: Loses small parts of Acton and Audlem to Eddisbury, while gaining most of Leighton. The by-election will be fought on the old, existing boundaries.
Profile: Covers Crewe itself, the much smaller town of Nantwich and the rural villages to the South and East. Nantwich and villages like Wybunbury and Haslington are the sort of comfortable, affluent and historic areas that are normally associated with Cheshire – and are naturally Conservative. They are, however, cancelled out by Crewe itself – a railway town that grew up around the Grand Juntion Railway`s works in the nineteeth century and which remains industrial. Until 2002 it was also the site of the Rolls Royce motor works, and Bentleys continue to be built at the Pyms Lane factory here.
Historically Crewe and Nantwich was a marginal seat – Gwyneth Dunwoody held it by only a few hundred votes on its creation in 1983 and by slim majorities in 1987 and 1992. Only after boundary changes in 1997 did it become more secure. The Labour majority slipped in subsequent elections and it now represents the sort of seat that would be Conservative were they to win a decent sized Parliamentary majority.
Following Gwyneth Dunwoody`s death in 2008 the seat became the first Conservative gain in a by-election for 26 years
Current MP: Edward Timpson(Con) born 1973, Knutsford. Educated at Durham University. Barrister, specialising in family law. First elected in 2008 by-election (more information at They work for you)
Candidates: 
David Williams (Labour) Trade union political officer and former agent for Gwyneth Dunwoody.
Roy Wood (Liberal Democrat) Educated at St Edwards College and Liverpool University. Teacher. Contested Birkenhead 1997, 2001
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 97511
Male: 48.9%
Female: 51.1%
Under 18: 23.3%
Over 60: 21%
Born outside UK: 3.2%
White: 97.9%
Black: 0.4%
Asian: 0.5%
Mixed: 0.8%
Other: 0.4%
Christian: 79.9%
Full time students: 3.4%
Graduates 16-74: 17%
No Qualifications 16-74: 30.3%
Owner-Occupied: 76%
Social Housing: 15% (Council: 12.7%, Housing Ass.: 2.3%)
Privately Rented: 6.3%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 12.9%
2008 By-election
Gwyneth Dunwoody died on the 17th April and the by-election was on the 22nd May, an unusually short campaign. It was won by the Conservative party on a 17.6% swing, their first by-election gain since 1982. The Labour party nominated the daughter of the former MP, Tamsin Dunwoody, previously a member of the Welsh Parliament. The Conservatives had already selected Edward Timpson, a member of the Timpson shoe-repair family, while the Liberal Democrats replaced their previously selected candidate with Elizabeth Shenton, a Newcastle under Lyme councillor. The Labour party pursued a controversial campaign, branding Edward Timpson as a toff and using mocked up pictures of him in a top hat, and photos of his large house in their literature, a strategy that was widely perceived as having backfired. The Conservatives meanwhile focused upon the abolition of the 10p tax rate, halfway through the campaign the government announced an increase in the personal tax allowance in an attempt to off-set this, but with little reduction in anti-government feeling.
Official statement of persons nominated
By-election result
Ed Timpson (Conservative): 20539 (49.5%) +16.9
Tamsin Dunwoody (Labour): 12679 (30.6%) -18.2
Elizabeth Shenton (Lib Dem): 6040 (14.6%) -4.0
Mike Natrass (UKIP): 922 (2.2%)
Robert Smith (Green): 359 (0.9%)
David Roberts (Eng Dem): 275 (0.7%)
The Flying Brick (Loony): 236 (0.6%)
Mark Walklate (Ind): 217 (0.5%)
Paul Thorogood (Cut Tax): 118 (0.3%)
Gemma Garrett (Ind): 113 (0.3%)
Majority: 7860 (18.9%)
By-election Candidates: 
Tamsin Dunwoody (Labour) born 1958, Devon, daughter of Gwyneth Dunwoody, MP for Crewe and Nantwich and John Dunwoody, MP for Falmouth and Camborne. Educated at Grey Coat Hospital and the University of Kent. Former hospital manager. Member of the Welsh Assembly for Preseli Pembrokeshire from 2003-2007. Deputy minister for environment and deputy minister for economic development in the the Welsh assembly government from 2005-2007.
Elizabeth Shenton (Liberal Democrat) Former banker. Newcastle under Lyme councillor since 2006.Edward Timpson (Conservative) born 1973, Knutsford. Educated at Durham University. Barrister, specialising in family law.
Mike Nattrass (UKIP) born 1945, Leeds. Chartered surveyer. UKIP MEP for the West Midlands Region since 2004. Contested Dudley West by-election 1994 for the New Britain Party. Contested Solihull 1997 for the Referendum party. Contested Sutton Coldfield 2001, Stone 205. Deputy leader of UKIP 2002-2006.
The Flying Brick(Official Monster Raving Loony) Real name Nick Delves. Shadow Minister for the Abolition of Gravity. Contested Derbyshire West 1997, 2001, 2005.
Gemma Garrett (No description) Miss Great Britain for the year 2008, having been runner up in the previous year`s competition. Standing for the unregistered “Beauties for Britain” party.
Rob Smith (Green) Educated at the University of Liverpool. Town Planning advisor.
David Roberts (English Democrat)
Mark Walklate (No description) Former Conservative.
Paul Thorogood (Cut Tax on Diesel and Petrol) Educated at Alec Hunter Humanities College and Southampton university. Journalist.
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Yes, David Edwards is the Labour candidate.
Does anyone know why Poole stepped down as the Labour candidate? From what I’ve heard, he’d make an excellent MP. Is he planning on standing elsewhere?
The Lib Dems have selected Roy Wood here
So here it is merry Christmas….sorry…..;-)
lol
As the Tories achieved more than twice the swing necessary to take the seat in the byelection and as they are still riding high in the polls, I think they will certainly secure the 8.4% swing necessary to hold the seat in the GE.
My view is they should attain a 10% swing thus holding by 1000 votes.
Which seats contained Nantwich before it gained its own seat in 1955? (and merged with Crewe in 1983 of course)
Usually a Labour seat but the Conservatives may hold it. A definite two-way marginal.
David Nettleton says ‘Usually a Labour seat’
As has been discussed earlier on this thread, if it hadn’t been for the popularity of the late Gwyneth Dunwoody, the Tories might have won this seat in 1983.
I think a recount is quite likely with both main parties on about 40%. Probably the Tories are slight favourites.