Shropshire North
2010 Results:
Conservative: 26692 (51.46%)
Labour: 9406 (18.13%)
Liberal Democrat: 10864 (20.95%)
BNP: 1667 (3.21%)
UKIP: 2432 (4.69%)
Green: 808 (1.56%)
Majority: 15828 (30.51%)
2005 Results:
Conservative: 23061 (49.6%)
Labour: 12041 (25.9%)
Liberal Democrat: 9175 (19.7%)
Other: 2233 (4.8%)
Majority: 11020 (23.7%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 22631 (48.6%)
Labour: 16390 (35.2%)
Liberal Democrat: 5945 (12.8%)
UKIP: 1165 (2.5%)
Other: 389 (0.8%)
Majority: 6241 (13.4%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 20730 (40.2%)
Labour: 18535 (36%)
Liberal Democrat: 10489 (20.4%)
Referendum: 1764 (3.4%)
Majority: 2195 (4.3%)
No Boundary Changes:
Profile:
Current MP: Owen Paterson(Conservative) (more information at They work for you)
Owen Paterson(Conservative) (more information at They work for you)Ian McLaughlan (Labour) former Stoke councillor.Ian Croll (Liberal Democrat) Steve Boulding (Green)Sandra List (UKIP)Phil Reddall (BNP) 2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 94416
Male: 49.3%
Female: 50.7%
Under 18: 22.4%
Over 60: 23.3%
Born outside UK: 2.9%
White: 98.9%
Asian: 0.2%
Mixed: 0.4%
Other: 0.3%
Christian: 81.2%
Full time students: 2.3%
Graduates 16-74: 16.9%
No Qualifications 16-74: 30%
Owner-Occupied: 72.5%
Social Housing: 14% (Council: 11.2%, Housing Ass.: 2.8%)
Privately Rented: 9%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 10.3%
John Biffen, former Leader of the House of Commons under Margaret Thatcher; MP for Oswestry from 1961 to 1983, and Shropshire North from 1983 to 1997, has died today aged 76.
The Conservatives have increased their majority by very well here since 1997 – from 2,000 to 11,000.
Interesting to see the Lib Dem vote profile over the period 1997 – 2005. Started at 20% – down to 13% – then up again to 20%. Presumably, the Tories recovered from the 1997 landslide, almost exclusively at the expense of the Lib Dems, then Lib Dems took an equivalent vote off Labour in 2005, presumably on account of Iraq.
Yes – I was sorry to hear this news…
The Labour vote was certainly very high in 1997 (and 2001) – it’s a bit hard to work out where all those votes came from.
By the (admittedly very low) standards of Shropshire Tories, Biffen wasn’t bad. He might have been a friend of Enoch Powell, but at least he wasn’t corrupt like Cockeram or a comedy fascist like Hawksley.
then Lib Dems took an equivalent vote off Labour in 2005, presumably on account of Iraq
Er… no. The fact that the Labour candidate was Black and from Wolverhampton probably had much more to do with it.
The Labour vote was certainly very high in 1997 (and 2001) – it’s a bit hard to work out where all those votes came from.
The old coalfield south of Chirk (Weston Rhyn, Gobowen, St Martins etc), Oswestry (especially the east of the town), Market Drayton, Wem and the more working class parts of Whitchurch. Shawbury as well IIRC.
Alun, there’s certainly a pattern of anti voting when black or other minority candidates stand. It is upsetting, and I hope, it is gradually declining. Thanks for that info.
Warren Hawksley seems/seemed to be an unusual character. I was told a long time ago that he was a dangerous right winger (soon after he was MP for The Wrekin). But I’d never heard much of him so he appeared quiet. I once saw him interviewed after he returned for Halesowen & Stourbridge and he seemed slightly humerous and a milder Europe rebel. After he was ousted (for the second time) he was, I think, co-director of an organisation to combat solvent abuse. He doesn’t quite fit with the image….I’d be interested in any more information.
Thanks Alun for the description of the seat in South Shropshire.
the labour candidate for this seat will be selected next friday – 1st of august.
There were some Conservative MPs during the Tory years in office who were labelled right-wing or extremist by the Labour party, the LDs, the media, etc, without any real evidence to support it.
Does anyone know what happened regarding the Labour selection here?
‘There were some Conservative MPs during the Tory years in office who were labelled right-wing or extremist by the Labour party, the LDs, the media, etc, without any real evidence to support it.’
Well not quite
At the time of Biffen’s tenure as MP for Shropshire North he was easily the least right wing of the bunch
The MP for neighbouring Shrewsbury & Atcham was the impeccable Derek Conway, who the less said about the better
Next to him in Ludlow was Euro renegade Chris Gill, who made life a misery for John Major and co between 92 and 97, and before he was defeated by Bruce Grocett, the “obscure” right-winger Warren Hawskley used to sit for The Wrekin (now Telford)
Whilst some Tory MPs were unfairly labbelled as right wing extremists during their years in office (john Biffen beibng the classic example), those representing Shropshire (save Biffen) are not amongst them
By all accounts, Owen Paterson is widely regarded to be a very good MP and a rising star of the Conservative party. I first thought that he’d go far back in 2002 when he was PPS to Iain Duncan-Smith, and by all accounts he was very good at his job. It surprises me that he ttok so long to get into the shadow cabinet, but his record as Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary must surely mark him out as a strong contender for further promotion now. He may well exceed Biffen’s record to become the most senior Shropshire Tory.
Labour have selected Ian McLaughlan here.
A hard one to predict – there could be a case for saying it has swung already, but, on balance, a further 4-5% swing from Labour to Con (with both Lab and LDs down about 3% each) seems likely.
Labour’s candidate wouldn’t be the former Stoke City councillor Ian McLaughlin, who lost his seat last May under a protest at plans to close key city schools and replace them with acadamies?
‘The Labour vote was certainly very high in 1997 (and 2001) – it’s a bit hard to work out where all those votes came from.’
Not really
Although one of England’s most rural counties, Shropshire (unlike Lincolnshire) is also one of the least well off
There are lots of agricultural workers on relatively low wages and if you look at what happened in the neighbouring seats of Shrewsbury & Atcham (where Laboor jumped from third to take it in 97) and what has previously been the safe Tory seat of Ludlow (which the Tories lost to the Lib Dems in 2001), the Tories actually did quite well here
How the exeptionally right-wing Owen Patterson has built up his majority into a healthy five-figure one is a little more hard to explain although I’m inclined to agree with Shaun in that he’s a very hard-working constituency MP and as a result is highly regarded locally
Their is a decent Labour vote in Oswestry, St Martins, Weston Rhyn, Gobowen, Wem, Whitchurch,Market Drayton & Shawbury.
In 2001 Labour & The Tories were level when all the Urban votes where in. Patersons Majority came from the Rural wards such as Baschurch.
In 2005 their was certainly a backlash against the Labour candidate being black, note the rise in the UKIP & Lib Dem votes yet a small (1%) increase in the Tory vote share.
Labour have selected 29 year old Ian McLaughlan from Stoke-on-Trent, a former member of Stoke-on-Trent City Council who lost his seat this year.
The one and only chance Labour had of winning this seat in 1997 appears to have been scuppered by the relatively high Lib-Dem vote.
Labour have selected Ian McLaughlan, a 29 year-old former member of Stoke-on-Trent City Council who lost his seat this year.
The ain reason for the lack of a Labour gain in 1997 was the natural split in the anti-tory vote.
In 1992 the Lib Dems finished second. However boundary changes removed Newport (into the new Wrekin seat) and Labour were promoted into second place.
The Lib Dems fell back in 2001 and made ground up in 2005.
I dont believe the Tories have ever got 50% of the vote here even in the Eighties.
1983 53.4%
1987 52.2%
1992 50.5%
Rural Radical’s last comment would have been correct if he had been referring to Shrewsbury & Atcham rather than Shropshire North, where the Tories did win with less than 50% in 1983, 87, and 92.
Cons Hold= 15,000 maj
Lib Dems have selected Ian Kroll here. More info on lidemsDOTorgDOTuk.
Kroll?
Voters of shropshire beware. The Lib Dems are clearly fielding the sea monster from Doctor Who.
Of course it all makes sense. Having lost ‘power’, Kroll found a natural home in the Lib Dems
Con Hold
Maj 14 500
According to the Lib Dem website, its Croll not Kroll
Con maj 14,000
I can t see it being that high.
There is very little happening here. The only leaflets have been Labour (some done by myself) and the Tory one via Royal Mail. Nothing from the Lib Dems.
CON HOLD
Which wards of Shropshire Council make up this seat?
I just watched footage of today’s PMQs. Owen Paterson looked very uncomfortable indeed when the PM was laughing at Gerry Adams.
Tory NI Sec/Shadow must be a tough office to hold, given the memory of Airey Neave and Ian Gow et al