Penrith and the Border
2010 Results:
Conservative: 24071 (53.39%)
Labour: 5834 (12.94%)
Liberal Democrat: 12830 (28.46%)
BNP: 1093 (2.42%)
UKIP: 1259 (2.79%)
Majority: 11241 (24.93%)
Notional 2005 Results:
Conservative: 20285 (50.5%)
Liberal Democrat: 10979 (27.3%)
Labour: 7344 (18.3%)
Other: 1539 (3.8%)
Majority: 9307 (23.2%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 24046 (51.3%)
Labour: 8958 (19.1%)
Liberal Democrat: 12142 (25.9%)
UKIP: 1187 (2.5%)
Other: 549 (1.2%)
Majority: 11904 (25.4%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 24302 (54.9%)
Labour: 8177 (18.5%)
Liberal Democrat: 9625 (21.8%)
UKIP: 938 (2.1%)
Other: 1207 (2.7%)
Majority: 14677 (33.2%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 23300 (47.6%)
Labour: 10576 (21.6%)
Liberal Democrat: 13067 (26.7%)
Referendum: 2018 (4.1%)
Majority: 10233 (20.9%)
Boundary changes: loses Wetheral to Carlisle and Marsh, Wampool and part of Waver ward to Workington.
Profile: a geographically huge constituency at the extreme north-west of England. The seat comprises the whole of Eden District council, most of the rural parts of Carlisle Council (Carlisle constituency is almost entirely surrounded by Penrith & the Border) and part of Allerdale. The largest population centre is the town of Penrith itself, along with smaller market towns like Brampton, Longtown, Wigtown, Appleby and Kirkby Stephen.
The seat is sparsely populated and largely dependent on agriculture and the tourism industry in the Lake District. The seat was very heavily hit by the Foot and Mouth epidemic in 2001, which had spread from an animal sold at Longtown market, and the economy is still recovering. Politically, like other affected seats this resulted in a large swing the Conservative party, which fell back somewhat in 2005 – though the seat remains a Conservative stronghold.
Current MP: Rory Stewart (Conservative) born 1973, Hong Kong. Educated at Eton and Oxford University. Author and professor of Human Rights at Harvard University. Former army officer, diplomat, deputy governor of Maysan province, Iraq and Chief executive of an Afghanistan regeneration NGO. Awarded the OBE 2004 for service in Iraq.
Rory Stewart (Conservative) born 1973, Hong Kong. Educated at Eton and Oxford University. Author and professor of Human Rights at Harvard University. Former army officer, diplomat, deputy governor of Maysan province, Iraq and Chief executive of an Afghanistan regeneration NGO. Awarded the OBE 2004 for service in Iraq.
Barbara Cannon (Labour) Allerdale borough councillor and Cumbria county councillor.
Peter Thornton (Liberal Democrat) Born 1951, Kendal. Educated at Kendal Grammar School. Smallholder and former photographer. Cumbria councillor.
John Stanyer (UKIP)
Chris Davidson (BNP) 2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 77311
Male: 49.1%
Female: 50.9%
Under 18: 20.9%
Over 60: 24.5%
Born outside UK: 2%
White: 99.5%
Mixed: 0.2%
Christian: 82%
Full time students: 1.8%
Graduates 16-74: 18.8%
No Qualifications 16-74: 29.2%
Owner-Occupied: 74%
Social Housing: 10.9% (Council: 3.1%, Housing Ass.: 7.8%)
Privately Rented: 10%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 9.7%



Just been confirmed that this seat will count the votes on election night.
It’s the largest seat by area in England.
The largest seat by area in Wales is also counting on the night (Brecon & Radnor), and in Northern Ireland (since all 18 seats are doing so for the first time this year).
Appleby (represented by Pitt the Younger when he was PM) had its own constituency for years before being transferred to the Westmorland seat in 1918 and this seat in 1983
“It’s the largest seat by area in England.
The largest seat by area in Wales is also counting on the night (Brecon & Radnor), and in Northern Ireland (since all 18 seats are doing so for the first time this year).”
Inverness is no longer Scotlands largest seat, the 2005 boundary changes have resulted in Ross, Skye & Lochaber being larger.
Is it counting on the night.
I think the practice of counting through the night can lead to mistakes through tiredness.
I agree with Smokey…although there will be a lot of twitchy MP’s who wouldn’t sleep much on election night, even if the count was held the next day.
I’m looking forward to the BBC getting things wrong again, a la 1992!!!
The question is about the big rural county constituencies is the distance from the furthest polling station from the hall where the count is taking place. The First stage is the “reconciliation” and unfolding the ballot papers. ( And if there are Local Elections on the same day, separating the local ballot papers from the Parliamentary ballot papers)
“Appleby (represented by Pitt the Younger when he was PM) had its own constituency for years before being transferred to the Westmorland seat in 1918 and this seat in 1983″
The borough seat which Pitt represented was abolished in 1832 when Westmoreland became a two-member county constituency. IN 1885 that was divided into two single member county constituencies of which the northern division was known as Appleby. There was therefore no Appleby constituency between 1832 and 1885.
‘Is it counting on the night.’
To my knowledge, most all of the Scottish constituencies count on the night, with the possible exception of seats like Orkney, the Western Isles etc. Apparently all the NI constituencies will be counting on the night, unlike in previous years when they counted on the Friday afternoon.
Have they also got Local Elections on the same day?
If they do have two elections running on the same day they need to give serious consideration to having two separate ballot boxes. The ballot papers should be different colours.
Cons Hold= 12,000 maj
Con Hold
Maj 13 600
Con maj 11,000
CON HOLD