Southport
Notional 2005 Results:
Liberal Democrat: 19093 (46.3%)
Conservative: 15255 (37%)
Labour: 5277 (12.8%)
Other: 1576 (3.8%)
Majority: 3838 (9.3%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 15255 (37%)
Labour: 5277 (12.8%)
Liberal Democrat: 19093 (46.3%)
UKIP: 749 (1.8%)
Other: 827 (2%)
Majority: 3838 (9.3%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 15004 (36.5%)
Labour: 6816 (16.6%)
Liberal Democrat: 18011 (43.8%)
UKIP: 555 (1.3%)
Other: 767 (1.9%)
Majority: 3007 (7.3%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 18186 (35.9%)
Labour: 6125 (12.1%)
Liberal Democrat: 24346 (48.1%)
Referendum: 1368 (2.7%)
Other: 571 (1.1%)
Majority: 6160 (12.2%)
No Boundary changes:
Profile: The northern part of Sefton borough council, following the coast up west of South Ribble. Southport is an up-market seaside tourist town, with the second longest pier in Britain and six golf courses. Less brash and more genteel than nearby Blackpool, it has also become a commuter town for Liverpool and Preston.
A Conservative seat for most of the time since the First World War, it was finally won by the Liberals in 1987 (Ronnie Fearn having previously contested the seat four times) and has since been a marginal Lib Dem/Conservative contest, returning to the Tories in 1992 but being won back by Fearn in 1997.
Outgoing MP: John Pugh(Liberal Democrat) born 1948, Liverpool. Educated at Prescott Grammar School, Maidstone Grammar School and the Univerisity of Durham. Former RE and philosophy teacher. Sefton borough councillor from 1987-2001. Former leader of Sefton council. First elected as MP for Southport in 2001. Liberal Democrat education spokesman 2002-5, transport spokesman 2005-6, health spokesman 2006-2007, treasury spokesman since 2007 (more information at They work for you)
Candidates: 
Brenda Porter (Conservative) born Liverpool. Formerly worked in management in the charitable sector. Sefton borough councillor.
Jim Conalty (Labour) John Pugh(Liberal Democrat) born 1948, Liverpool. Educated at Prescott Grammar School, Maidstone Grammar School and the Univerisity of Durham. Former RE and philosophy teacher. Sefton borough councillor from 1987-2001. Former leader of Sefton council. First elected as MP for Southport in 2001. Liberal Democrat education spokesman 2002-5, transport spokesman 2005-6, health spokesman 2006-2007, treasury spokesman since 2007 (more information at They work for you)Terry Durrance (UKIP) Contested Southport 2005.
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 90336
Male: 46.6%
Female: 53.4%
Under 18: 20.9%
Over 60: 27.6%
Born outside UK: 4%
White: 98%
Black: 0.2%
Asian: 0.6%
Mixed: 0.6%
Other: 0.5%
Christian: 80.9%
Jewish: 0.6%
Full time students: 2.9%
Graduates 16-74: 19.4%
No Qualifications 16-74: 27.4%
Owner-Occupied: 78.6%
Social Housing: 7.6% (Council: 3.9%, Housing Ass.: 3.7%)
Privately Rented: 11.6%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 11%
Pete, if Labour’s vote in South Ribble is negligible, how come the MP is Labour? OK, South Ribble is a likely Tory gain, but the Labour vote there in 2010 is not going to be as low as the 12.8% that Labour got in Southport in 2005 (and which may well decrease in 2010).
It seems obvious that Knowsley should vanish and its various parts placed in neighbouring authorities.Huyton,Kirkby ,Knowsley and Halewood going into an expanded Liverpool with Whiston and Prescot moving into St Helens.A Greater Liverpool would go down like a lead balloon in Whiston and Prescot.
Frederic I said ‘these days’ and I would not characterise five years ago as being ‘these days’. While my use of the word ‘neglible’ may have been somewhat metaphorical, in the last district elections (2007) Labour won 23% in South Ribble district against 55% for the Conservatives. In the county council elections (2009) they won 20%. Even with the recent narrowing of the polls South Ribble is an easy Tory gain without need for a few wards from West Lancashire.
Pete,
Without wanting to enter into arguments about words, there are perhaps two points to make about the Labour vote in South Ribble:-
1. Labour used to have a rock solid vote in parts of Leyland because of the motor factory, and I guess this has been reduced long-term by economc changes.
2. It appears that there are considerable numbers of voters in South Ribble, not least in parts of Penwortham, where I used to live, who have since the seat was formed floated betwen all three parties, taking local elections into account. I pointed this out a couple of days ago on the South Ribble thread. It is quite conceivable that these people could go back to Labour e.g. if Brown “wins” the election debates.
In relation to this thread, presumably there are core Labour people in Southport who would wish otherwise, but Labour can only in effect be standing here for the sake of standing in every seat. In South Ribble, of course, they seriously hope to win.