Westminster North
2010 Results:
Conservative: 15251 (38.51%)
Labour: 17377 (43.88%)
Liberal Democrat: 5513 (13.92%)
BNP: 334 (0.84%)
UKIP: 315 (0.8%)
Green: 478 (1.21%)
English Democrat: 99 (0.25%)
Christian: 98 (0.25%)
Independent: 133 (0.34%)
Majority: 2126 (5.37%)
Notional 2005 Results:
Labour: 13925 (41.8%)
Conservative: 10904 (32.7%)
Liberal Democrat: 6248 (18.7%)
Other: 2276 (6.8%)
Majority: 3021 (9.1%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 12065 (29.7%)
Labour: 18196 (44.7%)
Liberal Democrat: 7569 (18.6%)
Green: 1985 (4.9%)
UKIP: 456 (1.1%)
Other: 409 (1%)
Majority: 6131 (15.1%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 9981 (26.9%)
Labour: 20247 (54.6%)
Liberal Democrat: 4669 (12.6%)
UKIP: 354 (1%)
Green: 1268 (3.4%)
Other: 533 (1.4%)
Majority: 10266 (27.7%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 13710 (29%)
Labour: 28367 (59.9%)
Liberal Democrat: 4041 (8.5%)
Referendum: 867 (1.8%)
Other: 359 (0.8%)
Majority: 14657 (31%)
Boundary changes: Major. The old Regent`s Park and Kensington North seat loses all of its Kensington wards as part of the re-organisation of seats in west central London, instead gaining Lancaster Gate and Bayswater from Cities of London and Westminster.
Profile: A recreation of the Westminster North seat that existed between 1983 and 1997, replacing the old Regent`s Park and Kensington North seat. While Westminster is popularly associated with highly expensive residential areas like Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Belgravia, this seat contains the far more deprived areas from the north of the Borough, as well as some more desirable and deeply Conservative areas that between them make it a key marginal. While the Westminster wards that make up Cities of London and Westminster to the south all return full slates of Tory coucillors, all four Labour wards on Westminster borough council are found in this seat.
The Conservative parts of Westminster North include Regent`s Park in the east, which contains London Zoo and the London Central Mosque, the wealthy spacious properties in St John`s Wood near Lord`s cricket ground and in Little Venice, the expensive flats and apartments of Bayswater, with its Arab, Brazilian and Greek communities. Labour strength is in the council estates and social housing projects, for as well as the elegant terraces and squares, there are also tower blocks and deprivation, homelessness and sub-standard private rental housing. Labour`s strength lies in the Lisson Grove estate and and in the more cosmopolitan areas towards the north-west of the sea like West Kilburn, Paddington and Westbourne Green.
Current MP: Karen Buck(Labour) born 1958, Castlederg, County Tyrone. Educated at Chelmsford High School and the LSE. Former charity, local government and Labour party officer. Westminster councillor from 1990-1997. First elected as MP for Regent`s Park and Kensington North in 1997. Rejected an appointment as a government whip in 2001, but joined the government as a junior transport minister between 2005-2007 (more information at They work for you)
Joanne Cash (Conservative) Educated at Oxford University. Barrister, specialising in defamation, employment, contempt, copyright and privacy. Karen Buck(Labour) born 1958, Castlederg, County Tyrone. Educated at Chelmsford High School and the LSE. Former charity, local government and Labour party officer. Westminster councillor from 1990-1997. First elected as MP for Regent`s Park and Kensington North in 1997. Rejected an appointment as a government whip in 2001, but joined the government as a junior transport minister between 2005-2007 (more information at They work for you)
Mark Blackburn (Liberal Democrat) Educated at the LSE. Small businessman who sold his show retail business in 2007.
Tristan James Law Smith (Green) born 1975. Educated at Dulwich College and the School of Oriental and African Studies. Contested the Cities of London and Westminster in 2005. 
Jasna Badzak (UKIP) 
Stephen Curry (BNP)Edward Roseman (English Democrat) Gabriela Fajardo (Christian Party) Abby Dharamsey (Independent)Ali Bahaijoub (Independent)2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 92863
Male: 47.7%
Female: 52.3%
Under 18: 17.8%
Over 60: 15.5%
Born outside UK: 45.3%
White: 68.6%
Black: 10.1%
Asian: 9.9%
Mixed: 4.8%
Other: 6.7%
Christian: 52.3%
Hindu: 2%
Jewish: 5.2%
Muslim: 14.1%
Full time students: 8.3%
Graduates 16-74: 46.3%
No Qualifications 16-74: 18.2%
Owner-Occupied: 37.1%
Social Housing: 30.4% (Council: 15.6%, Housing Ass.: 14.8%)
Privately Rented: 27.7%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 10.4%
Numerical Tory vote rose by 39.9% of what it was before.
Labour vote also rose – by 24.8% numerically, of what it was before.
I think Joanne Cash was a poor candidate (as far as I know – at a distance)
but the facts are against you when you keep saying this was some awful result because you want to.
Congratulations to Karen Buck – she’s a good MP.
The Tories actually had a pretty poor result in Westminster North overall. Although they held their strongholds, they lost the by-election gain in Church Street ward, dropped to third in two Labour-held wards and had their third candidate overtaken by a Lib Dem in Westbourne (in none of which was there any Lib Dem activity – I was the agent, I should know). They also suffered swings to Labour of over 20% in Little Venice and 25% in Maida Vale.
Now I doubt that this was just Joanne Cash since there were similar swings against the Tories in Pimlico where she was not on the ballot, but to try and claim the Tories had a good election here is a bit fanciful.