Dulwich and West Norwood
Notional 2005 Results:
Labour: 18303 (45.8%)
Liberal Democrat: 9625 (24.1%)
Conservative: 8842 (22.1%)
Other: 3207 (8%)
Majority: 8678 (21.7%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 9200 (21.9%)
Labour: 19059 (45.4%)
Liberal Democrat: 10252 (24.4%)
Green: 2741 (6.5%)
UKIP: 290 (0.7%)
Other: 447 (1.1%)
Majority: 8807 (21%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 8689 (22.7%)
Labour: 20999 (54.9%)
Liberal Democrat: 5806 (15.2%)
Green: 1914 (5%)
Other: 839 (2.2%)
Majority: 12310 (32.2%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 11038 (24.2%)
Labour: 27807 (61%)
Liberal Democrat: 4916 (10.8%)
Referendum: 897 (2%)
Other: 957 (2.1%)
Majority: 16769 (36.8%)
Boundary changes: Significant. The seat loses territory to the undersized Camberwell and Peckham seat, giving up parts of Peckham Rye, South Camberwell ward and parts of The Lanes. This is made up for by the gains of parts of Thurlow Park, Herne Hill and Coldharbour from Streatham and Vauxhall.
Profile: A diverse inner-city seat, containing both very affluent, very wealthy areas and deprived, racially mixed areas of social housing. Dulwich itself is wealthy and exclusive - Dulwich Village has million pound properties and well preserved 17th and 18th century buildings near Dulwich Park. There are two noted private schools here and following her resignation as Prime Minister Mrs Thatcher famously lived in a gated community here for a time. There are also wealthy areas in the West Norwood part of the seat, such as Thurlow Park. However, affluent areas are just as much the trendy intelligentsia as suburban conservatives, and the non-Labour vote here is split between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. There is also significant support for the Green party, who managed to take 6.5% of the vote under 2005 under London assembly member and former Deputy Mayor Jenny Jones.
Further north the seat becomes more solidly Labour and largely afro-carribean. The parts of Brixton that fall within the seat, including the centre of the community, are dominated by council estates like Angell Town and Loughborough Estate, with their attendent problems of crime, drugs, unemployment and teenage pregnancy. The boundary changes shift some of the most Labour areas of the old Dulwich and West Norwood into Camberwell and Peckham, but they are replaced by just as Labour areas within the Coldharbour Lane ward.
Current MP: Tessa Jowell (Labour) born 1947, London. Educated at St Margaret’s School, Aberdeen, and Aberdeen University. Former psychiatric social worker and assistant director of Mind. Contested Ilford North by-election 1978. First elected as MP for Dulwich in 1992. Oppostion whip and then shadoe health minister 1996-1997. Junior minister in the department of health 1997-1999 and in the department of education 1999-2001. Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 2001-2007. Minister for the Olympics and Paymaster General since 2007. In 2006 she separated from her husband David Mills after it was revealed that their £340,000 mortgage had been paid off with money allegedly received from then Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (more information at They work for you)
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 96045
Male: 48.2%
Female: 51.8%
Under 18: 22.7%
Over 60: 13.9%
Born outside UK: 26.3%
White: 66.7%
Black: 22.9%
Asian: 3.8%
Mixed: 4.7%
Other: 1.9%
Christian: 58.7%
Hindu: 1.3%
Jewish: 0.6%
Muslim: 4.1%
Full time students: 6.5%
Graduates 16-74: 41.1%
No Qualifications 16-74: 20.1%
Owner-Occupied: 45.3%
Social Housing: 36.6% (Council: 23.9%, Housing Ass.: 12.7%)
Privately Rented: 15.7%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 9.3%
49 Responses
Pages:« 1 2 3 [4] Show All
Lewisham Deptford
This constituency seems to have many similarities to Hampstead/Kilburn. Both give the Conservatives a chance in boroughs where they are otherwise non-competitive.
In many ways, there are similarities. However, Dulwich & West Norwood is significantly more non-white, and, in general, the quantity and quality of the middle-class professional vote in the area outside the Village and the parts of Lambeth immediately adjoining it to the west differs. The area outside these parts is, despite gentrification, less attractive to affluent professionals (transport, and fear of crime, both play a role here) and those who are present are probably more left-leaning. It’s a bit more like Hornsey & Wood Green without the LD traction.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:59 pmLewisham Deptford
The addition of Coldharbour was a clear (and successful) attempt by Labour to ensure that this seat would remain safe for the foreseeable future, although my view is that the Conservatives would find it a very tough job even without Coldharbour, even in a very good year. Labour’s basic boundary strategy is to ensure that enough of the safe Labour wards making up Brixton and its environs are split between this seat, Streatham and Vauxhall to prevent either of the other two main parties from building up a real head of steam in one.
May 17th, 2008 at 12:03 amBournemouth West
I think the Conservatives need to select someone local, like Kim Humphreys or Irene Kimm.
June 28th, 2008 at 1:35 pmLewisham Deptford
I’m not sure it might make that much of a difference. Kin Humphreys fought the seat last time, with a strong emphasis on local issues (such as the redevelopment of the East Dulwich estate); tactics which have brought some reward at local level here. The underlying movement in this seat against the Conservatives is probably too strong.
June 28th, 2008 at 1:57 pmPages: « 1 2 3 [4] Show All