Daventry
2010 Results:
Conservative: 29252 (56.5%)
Labour: 8168 (15.78%)
Liberal Democrat: 10064 (19.44%)
UKIP: 2333 (4.51%)
Green: 770 (1.49%)
English Democrat: 1187 (2.29%)
Majority: 19188 (37.06%)
Notional 2005 Results:
Conservative: 27997 (52.8%)
Labour: 15924 (30%)
Liberal Democrat: 7220 (13.6%)
Other: 1885 (3.6%)
Majority: 12073 (22.8%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 31206 (51.6%)
Labour: 16520 (27.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 9964 (16.5%)
UKIP: 1927 (3.2%)
Other: 822 (1.4%)
Majority: 14686 (24.3%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 27911 (49.2%)
Labour: 18262 (32.2%)
Liberal Democrat: 9130 (16.1%)
UKIP: 1381 (2.4%)
Majority: 9649 (17%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 28615 (46.3%)
Labour: 21237 (34.4%)
Liberal Democrat: 9233 (15%)
Referendum: 2018 (3.3%)
Other: 647 (1%)
Majority: 7378 (11.9%)
Boundary changes:
Profile:
Current MP: Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative) born 1967, Epsom. Educated at Tiffin Grammar School and Wolverhampton Polytechnic. Prior to his election as an MEP worked in his family fruit and vegetable wholesale business. Contested Leicester South 1997, Leicester South by-election 2004. MEP for the East Midlands region since 1999. Conservative chief whip in the European Parliament from 2001-4.
Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative) born 1967, Epsom. Educated at Tiffin Grammar School and Wolverhampton Polytechnic. Prior to his election as an MEP worked in his family fruit and vegetable wholesale business. Contested Leicester South 1997, Leicester South by-election 2004. MEP for the East Midlands region since 1999. Conservative chief whip in the European Parliament from 2001-4.Paul Corazzo (Labour) Educated at Huddersfield University. Business developer. Kettering councillor. Christopher McGlynn (Liberal Democrat) Steve Whiffen (Green) Jim Broomfield (UKIP) Born 1957, Clun. Self employed businessman.Alan Bennett Spencer (English Democrat)2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 88891
Male: 49.9%
Female: 50.1%
Under 18: 23.6%
Over 60: 18.9%
Born outside UK: 4.1%
White: 98.1%
Black: 0.4%
Asian: 0.6%
Mixed: 0.7%
Other: 0.3%
Christian: 76.8%
Full time students: 2.1%
Graduates 16-74: 20.8%
No Qualifications 16-74: 24.4%
Owner-Occupied: 77.4%
Social Housing: 14% (Council: 10.5%, Housing Ass.: 3.5%)
Privately Rented: 5.4%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 4.4%
Heaton-Harris is presently a Tory MEP for the East Midlands and also stood in the Leicester South by-election of 2004.
This was one of very few seats where any party polled 30,000 or more votes in 2005.
(Isle of White, Daventry, Winchester).
I think in 2001 it was just Winchester.
There will surely be quite a few next time.
Daventry is a strong Conservative area, largely rural, although there is a respectable Labour vote.
Yes, just Winchester in 2001.
I think Norman Lamb polled over 30,000 in Norfolk North in 2005.
There is quite a solid Labour base in this seat of about 10,000 votes. Even in 83 and 87 they polled almost that amount. It’s probably based in the main towns of Daventry, Brackley and Towcester.
I forgot Northavon (30,000+ LDs 2005).
There’s an interim Boundary Commission review of this constituency and its boundaries with South Northamptonshire, as announced in a written Ministerial statement today.
“There is quite a solid Labour base in this seat of about 10,000 votes. Even in 83 and 87 they polled almost that amount. It’s probably based in the main towns of Daventry, Brackley and Towcester”
In Daventry yes – there are overspill estates there, and in the nearby canal town of Braunston which is Labour’s best ward. Labour arent very strong in Brackley or Towcester. There best areas in South Northants are Deanshangar which borders the Stony Stratford area in Milton Keynes and Middleton Cheney which borders Banbury. All these areas ofcourse will be in the new Northamptonshire South so Daventry and Braunstone will be the only sources of Labour strength in this seat but Braunstone is quite small.
The Tory vote seemed to be depressed slightly in 1983 for some reason:
1983 – 53.3%
1987 – 57.9%
1992 – 58.4%
It isnt uncommon for safe southern Tory seats (which although technically in the midlands this essentially is) to have had a notably higher Tory vote in 1987 than in 1983, mostly because they captured supporters from the Alliance then. Hertsmere was also around 53% Tory in 1983 trising to 57-58% in 1987 and 1992
The Tories found a home here for Reg Prentice in 1979,who was made Minister for the Disabled.
It depends what the notional result for 1979 was.
But as Pete explains, an increase in share of vote in 1987 was very common, although Northamptonshire was I think one of the places outside London where the Tories captured more “Alliance” supporters than Labour won across.
And there were quite a of examples where the Tory vote increased again in percentage terms at the expense of the LDs in 1992.
With the 1983 Tory results, it’s often possible to produce what seem today like weird comparisons involving some seats, such as: Daventry – 53%, Nottingham South – 46%, 2 seats in the East Midlands where there only used to be a small difference between Tory support, but which now is massive.
But one of the main changes between 1983 and now is the contrast between the massive Conservative decline in urban areas (particularly in the North and Midlands) to the not so great decline in rural seats in the South and Midlands
Whereas the postwar divide has traditionally been class based, I think with New Labour we’re now seeing more of a divide between town and country
There are a lot of middle class seats in the Midlands, the North and London, which now seem quite safely Labour, whereas there are working class seats in East Anglia, the West Country and Essex with safe Conservative majorities
I wouldn’t say this was a working class seat at all, but it is certainly partly rural and as such, looks very safe for the Tories
2007 electorate for Daventry: 70,892.
Labour have selected Paul Corazzo here.
I find it odd that Labour have chosen a Kettering Borough Councillor to conest this seat, not that it’ll make any difference, a donkey with a blue rosette on could win this one hands down. The BNP contested Drayton Ward in the Daventry District Council elections in 2008 and picked up almost 32% of the vote and came second, knocking Labour into 3rd place. It’ll be interesting to see how the BNP fare if they stand in the County Council elections.
I see Chris Heaton Harris, along with another MEP is calling again for the Strasbourg Parliament to be scrapped.
A great idea, Gordo could bring it up with his colleagues at the G20 next month, but suppose he will be too busy trying to spend more money than to worry about saving any!
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the BNP standing here at the next election, and maybe get 5% of the vote.
Matt, I wouldn’t be so sure. Although the BNP may get a fair vote from the town of Daventry itself, the majority of this ward is very rural and not prime BNP territory.
The BNP got 18% of the vote in Daventry West CC division, but they didnt stand anywhere else and i’d agree they would have fairly minimal support in the rural parts of the seat. They got 6.5% overall in Daventry district in the European elections which was somewhat below the regional average
Massive housing growth proposed in this seat.
There is a new boy in town, the English Democrats watch this space!!!
Tim Boswell was one of the first MPs to announce his decision to stand down, less than a year after being elected in 2005.
Indeed. Chris Heaton-Harris has no doubt been able to fit a lot of campaigning in here.
Of course, he’d romp home even if he’d only been selected last week, but obviously the earlier a selection can be made the better.
Electorate of the new Daventry constituency:
2000: 67,256
2006: 69,913
2008: 72,373
Population of Daventry town projected to rise from 20,000 in 2001 to 40,000 in 2021 by which time it will be one of the largest towns in the country not to be directly served by a railway station.
The Lib Dems have selected John Lathan here
I understand that Kevin Sills is to contest this seat for the English Democrats. I also understand they are having their National Christmas meal in the Constituency this weekend as well.
In the Drayton Ward District Council By-Election held on Thursday 10th September the BNP came 4th with just over 14% of the vote.
The BNP only just retained 2nd place in this years County Council Election in the Daventry West Division (which includes Drayton District Ward) by a mere 2 votes.
The fact that the BNP won 2nd place in the Drayton District Ward a few years prior to now means that their vote is likely to be slipping. Thank Goodness!
The last sentence in my last post was meant to read:
“The fact that the BNP won 2nd place COMFORTABLY in the Drayton District Ward a few years prior to now AND ONLY ACHIEVED 4TH PLACE IN THE LATEST ELECTION IN THE SAME AREA means that their vote is likely to be slipping. Thank Goodness!”
Jamie, The BNP did not just retain second place in Daventry West in the NCC elections as they had never stod in the Division before.. The BNP put a very poor effort into the Drayton ward by-election last year with just one leaflet going out compared to the CC election when they had a day of action in the town with around 18 activists on the streets and the previous time they contested Drayton in the DC elections when the ward was leafleted about 4 times, Don’t expect the same mistakes to be made again.
The English Democrats appear to be picking up a lot of support, in both the town and in the rural areas. And I believe they are standing in 8 of the wards up for re-election in 2010. It will be interesting to see how this party develop’s in the area.
Steve Whiffen is standing here for the Green Party.
Cons Hold= 16,000 maj
Con Hold
Maj 16400
Con maj 17,000
The list of candidates is missing Steve Whiffen, who is standing here for the Green Party:
http://www.greenparty.org.uk/localsites/northants/news/new-candidate.html
Greens have selected Steve Whiffen
There is a stand out candidate here, and that is Chris Heaton Harris. I have known Chris for a number of years, and he will do an excellent job for the people of Daventry
I’m now on an expedition to find the least Commented on seat. Only 39 in Daventry.. anyone know of any less?
CON HOLD
The second-placed party could only manage 19.4%, a surprisingly low figure.
Letter from Reg Prentice, MP for Daventry,
to the PM, December 1980.
At the time, he was Minister for the Disabled, in the DHSS.
He defected from Labour in 1977,
and left the Conservative government in 1981 (but stayed a Tory MP, and member of the party).
h ttp://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/8D3031A8F1A84729B184FE717E62AAA8.pdf
Interesting letter, thanks Joe.
Reg Prentice certainly didn’t lack ambition, asking whether he might be considered for a cabinet position in the letter.
I thought his letter was a bit of a cheek actually – also one should always aim to keep it to one side of A4.
I agree – an extremely blunt letter which you would not expect a senior politician ever to send. Admitting his health problems in this letter probably sealed his fate in the 1981 reshuffle.