Surrey South West
2010 Results:
Conservative: 33605 (58.69%)
Labour: 3419 (5.97%)
Liberal Democrat: 17287 (30.19%)
BNP: 644 (1.12%)
UKIP: 1486 (2.6%)
Green: 690 (1.21%)
Independent: 34 (0.06%)
Others: 94 (0.16%)
Majority: 16318 (28.5%)
Notional 2005 Results:
Conservative: 26920 (50.6%)
Liberal Democrat: 20939 (39.3%)
Labour: 4191 (7.9%)
Other: 1173 (2.2%)
Majority: 5981 (11.2%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 26420 (50.4%)
Labour: 4150 (7.9%)
Liberal Democrat: 20709 (39.5%)
UKIP: 958 (1.8%)
Other: 172 (0.3%)
Majority: 5711 (10.9%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 22462 (45.3%)
Labour: 4321 (8.7%)
Liberal Democrat: 21601 (43.6%)
UKIP: 1208 (2.4%)
Majority: 861 (1.7%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 25165 (44.6%)
Labour: 5333 (9.4%)
Liberal Democrat: 22471 (39.8%)
Referendum: 2830 (5%)
Other: 659 (1.2%)
Majority: 2694 (4.8%)
Boundary changes:
Profile:
Current MP: Jeremy Hunt(Conservative) Born 1966, Godalming. Educated at Charterhouse and Oxford University. Prior to his election worked as an English language teacher and in PR and publishing. First elected as MP for South West Surrey in 2005. Shadow minister for the disabled 2005-2007, Shadow secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport since 2007 (more information at They work for you)
Jeremy Hunt(Conservative) Born 1966, Godalming. Educated at Charterhouse and Oxford University. Prior to his election worked as an English language teacher and in PR and publishing. First elected as MP for South West Surrey in 2005. Shadow minister for the disabled 2005-2007, Shadow secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport since 2007 (more information at They work for you)
Richard Mollet (Labour) Born Swansea. Educated at Olchfa Comprehensive and Oxford University. Former Royal Navy officer, now working in political communications
Mike Simpson (Liberal Democrat) Born 1959, London. Educated at Kings Grammar School, Ottery St Mary, and Portsmouth Polytechnic. CEO of local YMCA. Newbury councillor 1987-1991. Berkshire county councillor 1989-1993. Contested North West Hampshire 1992.
Cherry Allan (Green) Campaigner for a national cyclists organisation.
Roger Meekins (UKIP) Contested Mole Valley 2005 for Veritas.Helen Hamilton (BNP)Luke Leighton (Pirate) Arthur Price (Independent)2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 97690
Male: 48.5%
Female: 51.5%
Under 18: 22%
Over 60: 22.3%
Born outside UK: 9.3%
White: 97.3%
Black: 0.3%
Asian: 0.8%
Mixed: 0.8%
Other: 0.7%
Christian: 76%
Muslim: 0.6%
Full time students: 4.1%
Graduates 16-74: 30.7%
No Qualifications 16-74: 18.3%
Owner-Occupied: 76%
Social Housing: 13.4% (Council: 10.8%, Housing Ass.: 2.6%)
Privately Rented: 7.1%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 3.1%
C hold by 16,318. 8.6% swing from LibDems.
Vote share up to 58.7% – over 33,000 votes.
In fact it was 33,605 votes – amongst all the Tory seats, that’s second only to David Cameron’s Witney.
Tory % vote is higher than in 1992.
(almost certainly, boundary changes since).
What is it with Tories and their tendency to slur and attack Liverpool. With the monstrous underfunding to Liverpool Coty Council in the 1980’s, Boris Johnson saying that the people of Liverpool wallow in self pity after The Ken Bigely murder and yesterday this idiot linking Hillsborough to hooliganism. Its a wonder Tory candidates actually stand in Liverpool!!
Jeremy Hunt’s statement was human error, Welsh Red, a clumsy and regrettable one, for which he has apologised.
And lest we forget Boris was only repeating the words of the Mayoress of Liverpool…
Perhaps he should think before he speaks!!
Was Hunt’s vote the third highest after David Cameron and Stephen Timms?
it wasn’t borris johnson who claimed the people of liverpool “wallow in self-pity” following the murder of ken bigley – but journalist simon heffer, in an article in the spectator magazine which mr johnson was editor of at the time
if i remember rightly it transpired that mr johnson hadn’t even read the article before publication, all of which sounds about right
as for this seat i don’t see why people are making such a big thing about the swing to the conservatives. Apart from the fact this is tory heartland, Jeremy Hunt is one of the Tories most endearing big-hitters from within the cameron circle, coming across as likeable, knowledgeable, sensible and, unlike some of his older colleagues,in touch with today’s Britain.
i’d expect him to be endorsed by his constituents
I don’t think Hunt comes across particularly well – a bit of an identikit MP with the addition of genuinely unnerving staring eyes.
The Hillsborough comment is a storm in a teacup however – a classic example of the media saying that politicians are too cautious to answer a question… then pouncing on them when they say something by mistake, for which they immediately apologise.
On why he held his seat on a good swing, I think there are quite prosaic reasons. The Lib Dems launched a very strong campaign against Virginia Bottomley in 2001 at a stage when she was coasting to the end of her career and was hardly likely to fight that ferociously (plus she was a bit complacent). It was turned into a super-marginal, spurring Hunt and the local party into action and they held with a reasonable majority in 2005. Subsequently, and with little prospect of a gain in 2010, the Lib Dem campaign fell away and the seat returned to essentially its natural historic level. It is amazing with hindsight that a seat including Virginia Water was ever close.
“Was Hunt’s vote the third highest after David Cameron and Stephen Timms?”
I think it might have been actually, yes.
I hadn’t realised that… or that Cameron’s was second highest.
Actually, it doesn’t actually contain Virginia Water does it!? But it does contain some very smart areas of that ilk.
i agree – it’s amazing that the lib dems came so close to winning the seat at all. This might be a bit more rural than most surrey seats – but that’ would be of no benefit to the lib dems – but it’s just as affluent and not the type of place you’d expect any other party than the tories to poll well
i always found virginia bottomly quite likeable and surprisingly down to earth for a politician, and would have thought she’d be well liked, despite her unhappy stint as health secretary
mr hunt’s performance is more of a return to form but i still think he comes across well