Penistone and Stocksbridge

Boundary changes:

Profile: By the standards of South Yorkshire, one of Labour`s most reliable bedrocks in England, this is almost marginal. Labour have below 50% of the vote, no councillors in the seat and it is only an almost even divide of opposition support between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats that prevents this appearing much closer.

The seat covers the north-western suburbs of Sheffield and the steel town of Stocksbridge – set north-west of Sheffield on the edge of the moors. The northern part of the seat drawn from the Borough of Barnsley covers the rural villages in the foothills of the pennines around the market town of Penistone and, to the east, the former mining village of Dodworth. Most of the seat is made up of traditional industrial areas, loyal to Labour, though with the decline of coal and steel and the old allegiences that went with it, there is more new build housing and commuters into Sheffield and Barnsley.

In the southern part of the seat, drawn from the dismembered Sheffield Hillsborough, the Liberal Democrats are the main challengers to Labour and perform strongly at the local level. In the northern part of the seat, transferred from Barnsley West and Penistone, Penistone itself has tended to be a good area for the Conservatives – at least, by the low standards of Tories in South Yorkshire. The future of this seat will largely depend on whether one of the parties can successfully position themselves as the alternative to Labour in this seat.

Current MP: Angela Smith(Labour) (more information at They work for you)

2010 election candidates:
Spencer Pitfield (Conservative) born in Kent. Educated in South Africa and received a doctorate in performance practice from Sheffield University. Music teacher. Hertsmere borough councillor 2001-2008. Contested Sheffield Hallam in 2005.
Angela Smith(Labour) (more information at They work for you)
Ian Cuthbertson (Liberal Democrat) born West Yorkshire. Educated at Bradford Grammar School and Bradford University. York councillor 2003-2007. Contested Dewsbury 2001, Selby 2005.
Grant French (UKIP)
Paul James (BNP)
Paul McEnhill (English Democrat)