Comments on: Kensington

By: swanarcadian

swanarcadian — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:37:02 +0000

The declaration for the Kensington by-election of 1988;

h ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E0d2zcFcVI

By: John D

John D — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 11:39:38 +0000

Richmond was indeed the safest Tory seat in 2001, but Kensington and Chelsea was the safest in 2005.
Richmond regained the top spot in 2010.

By: Barnaby Marder

Barnaby Marder — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:06:27 +0000

Well that was what was supposed to happen Peter, but in fact because the very low swing to Labour in Huntingdon that was the safest Tory seat in the land in 1997. John Major achieved a 2% higher share of the vote than any other Tory candidate in his seat, with other very high shares (for 1997) achieved in Arundel & South Downs & Sutton Coldfield. A rather similar phenomenon occurred in William Hague’s Richmond seat in 2001 which thuse became the safest Tory seat and I think stayed as such in 2005.

By: Peter Crerar

Peter Crerar — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:49:47 +0000

Wikipedia state that Kensington South was consitently the safest Conservative seat from its creation in 1885 to its abolition in 1974 at every single general election -

“The constituency was created for the 1885 general election, and abolished for the February 1974 general election. In every postwar election until its abolition, it was the safest Conservative seat (excluding Northern Irish constituencies) in the country.”

I know that the Chelsea constituency was the safest Conservative seat in 1987 (which had annexed half of Kensington South in 1974) . It was just pipped at the post by Huntingdon in 1992 – 12689 (47.67%) to 36230 (49.26%) but 1997 boundary changes repositioned the new Kensington & Chelsea (that included all of the pre-1974 Chelsea, Kensington South and a small part of Kensington North) as the safest Conservative seat.

Kensington & Chelsea swung more to Labour in 1997 that some of the safest Conservative seats and were Kensington South to exist today, while it would still be a relatively safe Conservative seat it would not be as safe as it once was.

Wikipedia

By: Andy JS

Andy JS — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:26:31 +0000

Some people living in the northern part of the Redcliffe ward probably regard themselves as living in Earls Court.

By: Pete Whitehead

Pete Whitehead — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:43:50 +0000

Well Earls court was certainly well outside the boundaries of the old Chelsea LB – that much is unarguable. I would not tend to see Earls Court as part of Chelsea, but it has now been in the same constituency as Chelsea now since 1974. Obviously areas like this are not always clearly defined and cannot be defined by ward boundaries. They may have lived on the southern edges of Earl’s court which would be close to Chelsea, ie in the West Brompton sort of area. But even so it would be stretching it. Basically north of the Fulham Road it is not Chelsea

By: H.Hemmelig

H.Hemmelig — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:14:32 +0000

“I don’t think Earl’s Court is regarded as part of either Chelsea or Kensington – it has its own postal district & is usually thought of independently of those 2 areas.”

Hattie Jacques and John Le Mesurier lived in a large house in Earley Crescent, Earls Court. Right through Hattie’s recent biography, she was described as living in Chelsea.

By: Peter Crerar

Peter Crerar — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 10:36:07 +0000

I think there is some logic to placing it next the the West Kensington area in H & F. Similar areas due to this part of K & C being more mixed and the part of H & F being more gentrified.

By: Barnaby Marder

Barnaby Marder — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 09:15:50 +0000

I don’t think Earl’s Court is regarded as part of either Chelsea or Kensington – it has its own postal district & is usually thought of independently of those 2 areas.

By: Peter Crerar

Peter Crerar — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:59:53 +0000

Your right that Earls Court was part of the 1974 – 1997 Chelsea constituency but before 1974 it had been part of Kensington South (and the Royal Borough of Kensington).

Chelsea gained Brompton Ward in 1955 and then several others (including Earls Court in 1974).

My point about the original Kensington Constituency that existed from 1974 – 1997 was that it excluded South Kensington and also much of Kensington itself (as its boundary ran along much of Kensington High Street). I felt that Notting Hill was appropiate because it was central to these boundaries (with North Kensington to the North and much of Central Kensington to the South).

Perhaps the name Kensington North should have been maintained and Chelsea have been named Chelsea & Kensington South.