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.
Current MP: vacant. Gwyneth Dunwoody (Lab) died on the 17th April.
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 a by-election is due to be held on the 22nd May. Apart perhaps from Ipswich, this is the first by-election in recent years in a seat that could be considered a Conservative target seat. 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.
Official statement of persons nominated
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)
Paul Thorogood (Cut Tax on Diesel and Petrol)
Mark Walklate (No description) Former Conservative.
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273 Responses
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After changing my work schedule, I’ll be in the Crewe area myself on Thursday 22nd May, after driving from the North East early that afternoon.
Our candidate is “The Flying Brick” (Also our Party Treasurer). We’re working on policies at the moment.
Alan “Howlin’ Laud” Hope will be there with The Flying Brick from the weekend prior to the election. Together with him will be a number of other party elite. You won’t be able to miss if we’re in your area.
When the Henley By Election is announced, our Deputy Leader (TC Owen (Bananaman)) will declare his intention to stand. He’s gearing up for the elections as we speak.
We will be victorious once again ….. or at least have a lot of fun trying anyway.
May 10th, 2008 at 9:51 amSurely irate Labour supporters (and im sure there’s plenty) aren’t going to throw away the opportunity to give GB another good kicking.
From their point of view, its not really a big deal if the tories win here as its just a bye and isn’t going to affect the national picture.
They might as well vote for the party which has the best chance of defeating Labour. The Tories are clearly the in best position to snatch victory here.
Id be very surprised if they didn’t.
May 10th, 2008 at 10:05 amWe always enjoy the Loony candidates! Good luck with the election! Perhaps some dissaffected Labour voters will vote loony instead!!!
As to Mt. Timpson’s house, the photo in the Labour leaflet is from so far away that I can barely really see whether it is a ‘mansion’ or not…
May 10th, 2008 at 11:27 amPages: « 1 … 15 16 17 18 [19] Show All