Leyton and Wanstead

Boundary changes: Minor changes to bring into line with ward boundaries. Gains parts of Snaresbrook and Wanstead wards from Ilford North.

Profile: This was created as a cross-borough seat in 1997, shoving together somewhat ill-matched wards from Waltham Forest and Redbridge. It covers Leyton, Leytonstone, Snaresbrook, Aldersbrook and Wanstead and includes Whipps Cross hospital and New Spitalfields Market.

Leyton – the Waltham Forest part of the seat – is an inner-city, multicultural working class area. Recent redevelopement has seen the demolition of the old tower blocks in estates like Oliver Close and their replacement with modern low rise developments, but this remains an area with problems of crime and deprivation. In contrast Wanstead is more suburban and middle-class, with attractive Edwardian housing set amongst open green spaces like Wanstead Flats. The two normally safe Conservative wards though are easily outvoted by safely Labour Leyton rendering this a safe Labour seat, though Harry Cohen saw his share of the vote drop by 12% at the last election, mostly to the benefit of the Liberal Democrats who took second place. No doubt the fall was partly due to oppositon to the war in Iraq from the 16% of the population who identified themselves as Muslim in the last census, despite the fact that Cohen himself was a staunch opponent of the war.

Current MP: John Cryer (Labour)

2010 election candidates:
Edwin Northover (Conservative) Born Liverpool. Lawyer specialising in corporate law, mergers and aquisitions. Waltham Forest councillor.
John Cryer (Labour)
Farooq Qureshi (Liberal Democrat) born Tahlian-Wala, Pakistan. Businessman, radio presenter and poet. Waltham Forest councillor since 2003, Mayor of Waltham Forest 2006-7.
Ashley Gunstock (Green)
Graham Wood (UKIP)
Jim Clift (BNP)
Sonika Bhatti (Christian Party)
Martin Levin (Independents Federation UK)