Kettering
2010 Results:
Conservative: 23247 (49.12%)
Labour: 14153 (29.9%)
Liberal Democrat: 7498 (15.84%)
BNP: 1366 (2.89%)
English Democrat: 952 (2.01%)
Others: 112 (0.24%)
Majority: 9094 (19.22%)
Notional 2005 Results:
Conservative: 19268 (43%)
Labour: 19161 (42.8%)
Liberal Democrat: 5321 (11.9%)
Other: 1040 (2.3%)
Majority: 108 (0.2%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 25401 (45.6%)
Labour: 22100 (39.7%)
Liberal Democrat: 6882 (12.4%)
UKIP: 1263 (2.3%)
Majority: 3301 (5.9%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 23369 (43.5%)
Labour: 24034 (44.7%)
Liberal Democrat: 5469 (10.2%)
UKIP: 880 (1.6%)
Majority: 665 (1.2%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 24461 (42.9%)
Labour: 24650 (43.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 6098 (10.7%)
Referendum: 1551 (2.7%)
Other: 197 (0.3%)
Majority: 189 (0.3%)
Boundary changes:
Profile: A semi-rural seat in Northamptonshire. Includes the towns of Kettering, Desborough, Rothwell and Burton Latimer. A middle-cass seat with a thriving economy and low unemployment. Kettering was formerly a centre of the shoe and boot industry, but its central placement and transport links mean it has branched into service and distribution industries. Significant local employers include Weetabix, Pegasus software and Morrisons.
Large scale residential expansion is planned over the next fifteen years – 13,100 new homes are planned, mostly by expanding Kettering itself eastwards. Major refurbishement of the town centre is also planned in Kettering.
Was Labour most marginal seat after the 1997 election and remained an ultra-marginal in 2001. The Conservatives won the seat with a substantial majority in 2005, but the new boundaries favour Labour and once again leave the seat as a ultra-marginal.
Current MP: Philip Hollobone(Conservative) born 1964. Educated at Dulwich College and Oxford University. Former investment banker. Bromley councillor 1990-1994. Kettering Borough Councillor 2003-. Contested Lewisham East in 1997 and Kettering in 2001. First elected as MP for Kettering in 2005. An opponent of British membership of the European Union, Hollobone is one of only nine Conservative MPs to sign up to the Better Off Out campaign. Notably has declined to employee any staff or researchers, claiming he prefers to handle casework himself (more information at They work for you)
Philip Hollobone(Conservative) born 1964. Educated at Dulwich College and Oxford University. Former investment banker. Bromley councillor 1990-1994. Kettering Borough Councillor 2003-. Contested Lewisham East in 1997 and Kettering in 2001. First elected as MP for Kettering in 2005. An opponent of British membership of the European Union, Hollobone is one of only nine Conservative MPs to sign up to the Better Off Out campaign. Notably has declined to employee any staff or researchers, claiming he prefers to handle casework himself (more information at They work for you)
Phil Sawford (Labour) born 1950, Loddington. Educated at Kettering Grammar School and the University of Leicester. A Labour left-winger and member of the Campaign Group. Member of Kettering Borough Council 1979-1983, 1986-1997, Leader of Kettering Council 1991-1997. MP for Kettering 1997-2005. Contested Kettering in 2005.
Chris Nelson (Liberal Democrat) Born Kettering. Educated at Ise Community College and Oxford Brookes University. Parliamentary aide.
Clive Skinner (BNP)
Derek Hilling (English Democrat) Contested East Midlands 2009 European election
Dave Bishop (Bus-Pass Elvis)2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 81844
Male: 49%
Female: 51%
Under 18: 23%
Over 60: 20.1%
Born outside UK: 5.2%
White: 96.7%
Black: 0.4%
Asian: 1.7%
Mixed: 0.7%
Other: 0.5%
Christian: 71.6%
Sikh: 0.8%
Full time students: 2.1%
Graduates 16-74: 16%
No Qualifications 16-74: 29.1%
Owner-Occupied: 76.9%
Social Housing: 13.6% (Council: 10.8%, Housing Ass.: 2.8%)
Privately Rented: 6.4%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 8.3%
Paul – I am addicted to the pornography of poverty, so I probably have !
“I don’t agree with that, Simon. Local elections can quite easily be disastrous for all parties, no matter how well organised.”
Fair point, but in the specific case of Kettering the local party has definitely underachieved. It’s a similar situation in Northampton.
Labour will not win in Kettering. They’ll be lucky if they hang on to the two Northamptonshire seats they currently hold, Northampton North and Corby, let alone win any.
Although it will be tricky to win I am hoping for a surprise Lib Dem surge. I know a few people who feel disillusioned with the current Tory stronghold and the national failure of Labour.
Not on the CC elections there won’t be (a lib dem surge). The Tories managed to pick up Kettering Central and the Grange (albeit the latter is a 3 way marginal in council terms and v. close). That is impressive in this context. Anybody who has actually been to the Grange estate will know exactly what I mean….!
Pete, I just read your comment from November 2007 above and was wondering whether you’ve found the time to visit Bradford yet.
I was there a few months ago on an extremely cold and windy day and I certainly revelled in the grimness of the place.
I actually havent ventured further north than Kettering for many years now (well apart from Corby). I have been to the part of Kettering that cogload refers to and was amazed the Tories won that divisions, but it looks as if the Labour councillor became an Independent and split the Labour vote clean in two – Tories gained it with a lower share actually than they had in 2005. On the last occasion it was a straight fight and was Labour over Tory 70/30 so this was not a seat they would have expected to lose.
Kettering electorate figures:
2000 – 62,813 (figures used in boundary review)
2009 – 68,318
Looks like the electorate is continuing to grow at quite a pace with an average of about 600 new voters each year since 2000, maybe hitting the 69,000 mark for the election.
(I was able to get these figures from the Euro results because they were declared by local authority in England and the new Kettering constituency is coterminous with the borough of Kettering).
After much reflection I’m predictiing:
Cons: 25,000
Labour: 16,000
Lib Dems: 5,000
Hmm, gonna be a good one to watch this since its been pretty close since 97. No real ground made or lost by either of the two main parties.
The Government has done Phil Hope’s re-election chances in Corby a little good by giving Corby hourly direct trains to London. But this has been at the expense of previously existing services for Kettering, Wellingborough and Bedford: each of these stations now only has hourly trains to Leicester, having lost their through trains to Derby when they got diverted to form a Corby service almost nobody uses. Established commuters between Bedford/Wellingborough/Kettering and stations to the north are not impressed, but unless somebody actually places blame where it is due, Phil Sawford won’t lose more than a very odd vote over it.
I was on a train back from Derby to London in the summer and it was due to run fast from Leicester, but they made an unofficial stop to let a couple (with two small children) out at Wellingborough, as it would have been rather cruel to send them down to London and back.
So perhaps there is an unofficial service on East Midlands Trains, although the Guard said it was her one favour for the day.
I had no such luck last Thu when a railway company failing meant I missed a train at Leicester and was thus delayed by more than an hour (and I wasn’t the only one). If the service hadn’t been halved to improve Phil Hope’s chances in Corby, I would only have had half an hour to wait. Am I bitter? You bet!
The British National Party Candidate for Kettering is Clive Skinner
My sources inform me that Derk Hilling is lined up to contest this seat for the English Democrats
Chris Nelson is the Parliamentary Candidate in the Kettering Constituency. Good luck to him!
Joshua – you haven’t said why party you’re talking about.
He likes to keep us guessing. It’s cryptic.
I think he means the English Democrats, but who knows I could have misunderstood.
Mr Nelson is the LD candidate.
Chris Nelson is the Lib Dem Candidate for Kettering.
Cons Hold= 7,000 maj
Con Hold
Maj 4100
Con maj 6,000
No UKIP here, but there is the Bus Pass Elvis Party!
CON HOLD
Philip Hollobone Conservative 23,247 49.1 +6.2
Phil Sawford Labour 14,153 29.9 -12.7
Chris Nelson Liberal Democrat 7,498 15.8 +3.6
Clive Skinner British National Party 1,366 2.9 +2.9
Derek Hilling English Democrats 952 2.0 +2.0
Dave Bishop Bus-Pass Elvis Party 112 0.2 +0.2
Majority 9,094 19.2
Turnout 47,328 68.8 -0.4
Philip Holloborne returns the seat to Roger Freeman style territory. My brother voted tactically here….why?
Philip Hollobone is in the news about his refusal to see constituents wearing burquas. Liberty have now moved in.
I’d be surprised if they’re able to get anybody who wants to bring a case against him.
The Asian population of Kettering is not large and by no means all of it is Muslim. Then consider the relatively low proportion of women who wear the burqa and niqab and we’re talking a couple of dozen in the constituency at the most, probably rather less.
Not something to ban, as people have different religious views, and there’s been too much legislation steamrolling it’s way through Parliament.
But people are quite entitled in my view not to deal with those who cover their faces, particularly if they judge it to be a security risk.
I don’t go into someone’s shop or premises with a helmet on.
“Liberty” should consider the whole question.
I guess the Tory vote is about 3% points below 1992 here, so a relatively good result for them.
Labour look as though they are about 5% below 1992, but they had a substantial rise in 1992 here, so again, it could have been worse.
According to the article at this address…
independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/government-faced-with-the-most-rebellious-parliament-since-1945-2172584.html#
…by December 2010 Philip Hollobone had become the most rebellious MP from the coalition parties.
His rate of rebellion apparently even surpassing Jeremy Corbyn’s under Tony Blair!
The top five coalition rebels, up to the end of December 2010 were:
Phillip Hollobone, Conservative
David Nuttall, Conservative
Philip Davies, Conservative
Peter Bone, Conservative
and Mike Hancock, Liberal Democrat
I’m surprised Christopher Chope isn’t there, but presumably he will be somewhere in the top 10 most rebellious.
Things may have changed slightly since December, but I think Mr Hollobone had a commanding lead, so is probably still in first place.