Halifax
Notional 2005 Results:
Labour: 16620 (41.8%)
Conservative: 13182 (33.2%)
Liberal Democrat: 7112 (17.9%)
Other: 2825 (7.1%)
Majority: 3438 (8.7%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 13162 (33.2%)
Labour: 16579 (41.8%)
Liberal Democrat: 7100 (17.9%)
BNP: 2627 (6.6%)
Other: 191 (0.5%)
Majority: 3417 (8.6%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 13671 (33.8%)
Labour: 19800 (49%)
Liberal Democrat: 5878 (14.6%)
UKIP: 1041 (2.6%)
Majority: 6129 (15.2%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 16253 (32.1%)
Labour: 27465 (54.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 6059 (12%)
Other: 779 (1.5%)
Majority: 11212 (22.2%)
Boundary changes
Current MP: Linda Riordan (Labour) (more information at They work for you)
Candidates:
Philip Allott (Conservative) Runs a marketing business. Former Harrogate councillor. Contested Brent North in 2001, Bolton West 2005.
Diane Park (Liberal Democrat)
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 94756
Male: 48.5%
Female: 51.5%
Under 18: 24.9%
Over 60: 20.2%
Born outside UK: 8%
White: 88.5%
Black: 0.3%
Asian: 10.1%
Mixed: 0.9%
Other: 0.3%
Christian: 67.6%
Muslim: 9.5%
Full time students: 2.6%
Graduates 16-74: 13.6%
No Qualifications 16-74: 35.1%
Owner-Occupied: 68.1%
Social Housing: 19.9% (Council: 10.6%, Housing Ass.: 9.3%)
Privately Rented: 8.4%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 21.3%
54 Responses
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These elections Richard were very interesting because in the Halifax wards the Conservative party got a big 11.5% swing to themselves. In contrast, the BNP vote and Labour vote both fell.
The difficulty is that the Conservatives easily returned all their sitting councillors but had no chance of tipping Labour out of Illingworth & Mixenden and the BNP won it from Labour with a local candidate. In the predominantly Asian Park ward the Liberal Democrats beat Labour. The Labour machine in Halifax is now well and truly broken.
Sadly the next lot of elections will not take place until 2010, probably at the same time as the general election.
Allott the Tory candidate is very high profile and I can’t help feeling that part of swing is down to him. If I were the sitting MP Linda Rordian I think I would start looking for another job before the rush from other ex-Labour MPs.
May 5th, 2008 at 7:14 pmBradford South
I live very close to this constituency, in fact I understand the Queensbury ward of Bradford South used to be officially part of the Calderdale borough before the mid 1970s, and regarded as part of Halifax. I wish it still was. Queensbury is actually closer to Halifax than Bradford city centre.
A Conservative gain is the most likely outcome, though I don’t think they’ll be a massive swing and we would do well to win by more than 1500.
May 5th, 2008 at 8:08 pmThe Tories used to be able to win in Illingworth and Mixenden, when they were separate wards.
Phillip Allot sounds like a good candidate. Maybe, with Labour’s difficulties, he can still turn this one around for the Tories.
May 5th, 2008 at 9:43 pmSorry - Phillip Allott.
May 5th, 2008 at 9:44 pmShipley
However, compared to Calder Valley, Keighley and Shipley the Conservative recovery remains a little stuttering here. 2008 figures:
Con: 8250 (32%)
Lab: 6712 (26%)
LD: 6143 (24%)
BNP: 3402 (13%)
Others:1452 (5%)
The problem for the Conservatives I think lies in Warley ward - which used to have three Tory councillors but is turning into another reliable Lib Dem ward. That and seeing off the BNP.
May 5th, 2008 at 10:05 pmAlthough Linda Riordan is popular herself - and very much Old Labour and not afraid to say so!
May 5th, 2008 at 10:44 pm“However, compared to Calder Valley, Keighley and Shipley the Conservative recovery remains a little stuttering here. 2008 figures:
Con: 8250 (32%)
Lab: 6712 (26%)
LD: 6143 (24%)”
Comparing to 2004 locals (the same point of the electoral cycle), we have the Tories down (-6), Lab unchanged and the LDs up (+11)
May 9th, 2008 at 1:40 pmShipley
Which is almost entirely down to Warley ward
May 9th, 2008 at 1:57 pmAs someone who actually lives in Warley ward I was dismayed to see the lack of campaigning by the Conservatives in what has been a traditionally safe area. We received one poorly put together leaflet detailing things of mainly national, rather than local importance, around 4 days before the elections (On May 1 2008). Contrast this with the Lib Dems campaigning which seems to be ongoing, election or not, and a leaflet detailing things the candidate has done to help local people. I was not at all surprised when the Lib Dem candidate beat the Conservative one by 1681 to 708.
May 12th, 2008 at 4:25 pmPages: « 1 2 3 [4] Show All