Taunton Deane
2010 Results:
Conservative: 24538 (42.2%)
Labour: 2967 (5.1%)
Liberal Democrat: 28531 (49.06%)
UKIP: 2114 (3.64%)
Majority: 3993 (6.86%)
Notional 2005 Results:
Liberal Democrat: 25217 (44.4%)
Conservative: 23515 (41.4%)
Labour: 6742 (11.9%)
Other: 1373 (2.4%)
Majority: 1702 (3%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 25191 (42.3%)
Labour: 7132 (12%)
Liberal Democrat: 25764 (43.3%)
UKIP: 1441 (2.4%)
Majority: 573 (1%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 23024 (41.7%)
Labour: 8254 (14.9%)
Liberal Democrat: 22798 (41.3%)
UKIP: 1140 (2.1%)
Majority: 226 (0.4%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 23621 (38.7%)
Labour: 8248 (13.5%)
Liberal Democrat: 26064 (42.7%)
Referendum: 2760 (4.5%)
Other: 318 (0.5%)
Majority: 2443 (4%)
Boundary changes:
Profile:
Current MP: Jeremy Browne(Liberal Democrat) born 1970, Islington, the son of a diplomat. Educated at the University of Nottingham. Former researcher to Alan Beith and director of press for the Liberal Democrats. Contested Enfield Southgate 1997. MP for Taunton since 2005. Home affairs spokesman 2006-2007, lib dem shadow chief secretary to the Treasury since 2007. A member of the free market think tank Reform, Browne has been associated with the more right wing and free-market orientated wing of the Liberal Democrats, and occassionally suggested as a target for seduction by a Conservative party looking to lure Liberal Democrat defections (more information at They work for you)
Mark Formosa (Conservative) born 1977, Cornwall. Restormel councillor 2003-2006. Contested North Cornwall 2005.
Martin Jevon (Labour) Educated at Ladymead Community Shool and Luton University. Former advisor to Somerset County council, now runs a small health charity.Jeremy Browne(Liberal Democrat) born 1970, Islington, the son of a diplomat. Educated at the University of Nottingham. Former researcher to Alan Beith and director of press for the Liberal Democrats. Contested Enfield Southgate 1997. MP for Taunton since 2005. Home affairs spokesman 2006-2007, lib dem shadow chief secretary to the Treasury since 2007. A member of the free market think tank Reform, Browne has been associated with the more right wing and free-market orientated wing of the Liberal Democrats, and occassionally suggested as a target for seduction by a Conservative party looking to lure Liberal Democrat defections (more information at They work for you)
Tony McIntyre (UKIP) Educated at Bede College and Open Univesity. Retired teacher.2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 102299
Male: 48.1%
Female: 51.9%
Under 18: 21.9%
Over 60: 24.2%
Born outside UK: 4.6%
White: 98.4%
Black: 0.2%
Asian: 0.4%
Mixed: 0.5%
Other: 0.5%
Christian: 75.9%
Full time students: 2.5%
Graduates 16-74: 19.4%
No Qualifications 16-74: 25.4%
Owner-Occupied: 71.3%
Social Housing: 16.5% (Council: 13.4%, Housing Ass.: 3%)
Privately Rented: 8.2%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 8.1%
Agreed, Tim. Jeremy Browne is very much of the Orange Book persuasion. If Huhne goes, might he be in line for a promotion?
Is Jeremy Browne more right wing than Adrian Flook?
I remember Adrian Flook advertised for a wife. Did he have any success?
Thanks for the above – my wife was complaining about what she described as an awful Lib Dem who appeared on Question Time (which I never watch – bores me to tears) but couldn’t remember his name. I’m pleased to say that from the very limited description she was able to give me I managed to guess who she was complaining about!
Not many Tory MPs have been defeated after only one term since 1997. Adrian Flook is one of those along with others such as Nick St Aubyn in Guildford. Must be a bit embarrassing to lose a fairly safe seat like that.
As I remember in 2005 this was one of the fiercest contested seats in the country between Flook and Browne
It’s worth noting that Flook only gained the seat by the slightest of margins in 2001, and lost by a similarly tight margin in 2005
I think St Aubyn’s defeat in Guildford was different and that campaign was dominated by some incinarator that St Aubyn backed placing in Guildford, which the Lib Dem candidate opposed
There’s also David Prior – a one-term Tory MP in North Norfolk from 1997-2001 – and Peter Duncan up in Scotland
It was a shame that Adrian Flook lost in 2005. But at least he got rid of the odious Jackie Ballard. The present MP by all accounts is ok.
‘It was a shame that Adrian Flook lost in 2005. But at least he got rid of the odious Jackie Ballard.’
Jackie Ballard might not have been the most effective MP ever but at lest her heart was in the right place – something you could never say about Adrian Flook
I think thats a personal opinion. I take the opposite view. her heart as most certainly not in the right place.
Naturally I’d have to say that neither of them has their heart in the right place
I still don’t think we should describe people as odious on this site for the most part.
An impartial observer would probably conclude that Jackie Ballard lost in 2001 because she was voiciferously anti-hunting – not a popular position in West Somerset.
Jackie Ballard also completely failed to squeeze the Labour vote in 2001, which rose not only in percentage terms but in actual votes despite a drop in turnout.
Jackie Ballard surprised me when she ran for Liberal Democrat leader in 1999, and after losing her seat, moving to Iran and enthusiastically embracing their way of life and dress sense.
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This is a shockingly bad Labour vote for a largeish town like Taunton in 2010.
The fierce tactical voting has been the real problem for the Tories – they are only about 3% down on 1992 here (estimate) – although the result then was quite poor.
The LDs did get a new lease of life here.
The Tories easily won Taunton Deane in 2003 but didn’t do so in 2007 and 2011 which were much better years for them in contests against the LDs.
H.Hemmelig is surely right when he points out the saliency of the hunting issue to Jackie Ballard’s defeat in 2001. I suspect that the most pro-hunting area departed to Bridgwater & W Somerset in the boundary change.
‘H.Hemmelig is surely right when he points out the saliency of the hunting issue to Jackie Ballard’s defeat in 2001.’
That’s exactly why she lost – but I do now a few former constients who lived in the constituency whilst she was MP who said she always seemed a little out of her depth
Labour’s vote is shockingly low – which is in keeping with most south west county constiuencies although one would have thought Tauton itself would have a core Labour vote, although not perhaps as large as say industrial Bridgwater.
They did afterall win the seat in 1945
The Labour vote did double to 17% at the local elections here but the LDs almost got away with it.
Ironically the boundary changes not going through will most likely result in a tory gain due to the tory strength in Wivilescombe.
Jeremy Browne could be in a bit of trouble here in 2015. This is not a safe Liberal Democrat seat by any means, and therefore he may go down to the Conservatives.
The local Brewhouse Theatre has gone into administration. It probably will be rescued with money from Taunton Deane council but some people are surprised a 350 seat theatre needed 55 paid staff to run it.
We used to have Richmond Theatre frequently going cap in hand to the local council, saying they needed a quarter of a million or so right now, or they’d go under. The council always coughed up (this was in the LD days). No idea if this still happens.