Witney
Notional 2005 Results:
Conservative: 25487 (49.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 11706 (22.7%)
Labour: 11534 (22.3%)
Other: 2920 (5.7%)
Majority: 13781 (26.7%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 26571 (49.3%)
Labour: 11845 (22%)
Liberal Democrat: 12415 (23%)
Green: 1682 (3.1%)
UKIP: 1356 (2.5%)
Majority: 14156 (26.3%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 22153 (45%)
Labour: 14180 (28.8%)
Liberal Democrat: 10000 (20.3%)
UKIP: 767 (1.6%)
Green: 1100 (2.2%)
Other: 1003 (2%)
Majority: 7973 (16.2%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 24282 (43.1%)
Labour: 17254 (30.6%)
Liberal Democrat: 11202 (19.9%)
Referendum: 2262 (4%)
Other: 1401 (2.5%)
Majority: 7028 (12.5%)
Boundary changes:
Profile:
Outgoing MP: David Cameron(Conservative) born 1966, London. Leader of the Conservative Party. Educated at Eton and Oxford University, where he was a member of hte infamous Bullingdon club. Following university he worked in the Conservative Research department from 1988-1992. Special advisor to Norman Lamont from 1992-1993 and Michael Howard 1993-1994. Director of Corporate Affairs at Carlton Television from 1994-2001. Contested Stafford 1997. First elected as MP for Witney in 2001, following the defection of his predecessor Shaun Woodward to Labour. Vice-Chairman of the Conservative party 2003-2004, local government spokesman 2004, head of policy co-ordination 2004-2005. Following the 2005 election he was promoted to shadow education secretary. Following the announcement of Michael Howard`s resignation as leader Cameron indicated his intention to stand, being seen as Howard`s preferred choice as successor. His speech at the 2005 Conservative party conference, and a lacklustre speech by the then frontrunner David Davis saw him become the favourite and he was elected leader of the Conservative party in December 2005, despite allegations of drug use surfacing during the campaign. As leader of the Conservative party Cameron has sought to rebrand the Conservative party, making the environment a central plank of policy, pushing for the selection of female candidates and largely avoiding traditional Conservative issues such as immigration (more information at They work for you)
Candidates: David Cameron(Conservative) born 1966, London. Leader of the Conservative Party. Educated at Eton and Oxford University, where he was a member of hte infamous Bullingdon club. Following university he worked in the Conservative Research department from 1988-1992. Special advisor to Norman Lamont from 1992-1993 and Michael Howard 1993-1994. Director of Corporate Affairs at Carlton Television from 1994-2001. Contested Stafford 1997. First elected as MP for Witney in 2001, following the defection of his predecessor Shaun Woodward to Labour. Vice-Chairman of the Conservative party 2003-2004, local government spokesman 2004, head of policy co-ordination 2004-2005. Following the 2005 election he was promoted to shadow education secretary. Following the announcement of Michael Howard`s resignation as leader Cameron indicated his intention to stand, being seen as Howard`s preferred choice as successor. His speech at the 2005 Conservative party conference, and a lacklustre speech by the then frontrunner David Davis saw him become the favourite and he was elected leader of the Conservative party in December 2005, despite allegations of drug use surfacing during the campaign. As leader of the Conservative party Cameron has sought to rebrand the Conservative party, making the environment a central plank of policy, pushing for the selection of female candidates and largely avoiding traditional Conservative issues such as immigration (more information at They work for you)
Joe Goldberg (Labour) Educated at Bristol University. Former political assistant to George Foulkes.
Dawn Barnes (Liberal Democrat) Communications professional.
Stuart Macdonald (Green) born 1946, Glasgow. Educated Hitchin Boys’ Grammar School and Cambridge University. Author and Professor at Sheffield University Management School.
Nikolai Tolstoy (UKIP)
Howling Laud Hope (Offical Monster Raving Loony) Real name Alan Hope. Born Mytchett. Publican. Leader of the Monster Raving Loony Party since 1999. Contested Teignbridge 1983, 1987, 1992, Aldershot 1997, Eddisbury by-election 1999, Kensington and Chelsea by-election 1999, Brent East by-election 2003, Hartlepool by-election 2004, Aldershot 2005, Blaenau Gwent by-election 2006, Sedgefield by-election 2007, Norwich North by-election 2009.
Paul Wesson (Independent) Educated at Trent Polytechnic. Political consultant, former RAF officer. Former West Oxfordshire councillor for the Conservative party. Contested Witney 2005 for UKIP.
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 95640
Male: 49.2%
Female: 50.8%
Under 18: 22.6%
Over 60: 21%
Born outside UK: 5.9%
White: 98.4%
Black: 0.2%
Asian: 0.4%
Mixed: 0.7%
Other: 0.4%
Christian: 77.4%
Full time students: 2%
Graduates 16-74: 23.3%
No Qualifications 16-74: 21.9%
Owner-Occupied: 73.2%
Social Housing: 13.1% (Council: 4.4%, Housing Ass.: 8.7%)
Privately Rented: 7.9%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 4.1%
“I doubt you would have David Cameron not to have done the interview and let Brown and Clegg do it on their own without the Conservatives putting their opinion and policies forward to gay men and women when given a chance?”
I don’t know what Pete’s view is, but I don’t really care who Cameron speaks to in principle. Its what he said I find offensive.
“I doubt that anyone on here would suggest that any mianstream party should pander to the prejudices of an extreme minority in their party”
Absolutely, so Cameron should stop pandering to the extreme minority who follow the Peter Tatchell ‘outrage’ agenda.
“other than for a few extremists such as Shaun who has gone on record here expressing a desire for the return of section 28, the issue of the party having adopted a more liberal attitude to sexuality is pretty irrelevant”
Well this is where we disagree. I am not in favour of discrimination, I am in favour of equality. I don’t believe that Section 28 or other measures that the Guardian mob would condem as ‘extreme’ are in fact discriminatory or extreme. I do agree however that sxuality should NOT be a political issue.
Indeed, for me it is NOT an issue. I was happy with the status quo with homosexuals quite welcome to go about their business and let the rest of us do the same. Unfortunately, there are a small but vocal campaign group who are not content with harmony and compromise. They want to be able to go around banging a great big drum about their sexuality and make it the major political issue for likeminded people. It is that that I am opposed to.
Homosexual people should not define themselves by their sexuality. Homosexual people should not be treated any differently because of their private lives. They use the same schools, the same hospitals, the same trains and buses. They live in the same environment, they have the same homes as the rest of us, they work and pay tax the same as the rest of us, they have their likes and prejudices the same as the rest of us.
But to hear some of the extreme minority amongst this group, all those interests are secondary and inferior to the overwhelming interest that is their sexuality. It is this interest which determines their politcs, it is this interest which defines who they are.
And I have to say, it is that attitude which many of us find displeasing. Society is happy with compromise and silence on the issue of sexuality. But many homosexual ‘activists’ don’t want peace and compromise. It is THIS group that I am offended to see Cameron pandering to with his ridiculous apologies and his snivelling interviews to Mr Harri.
In answer to several posts:
Pandering to people for the sake of a few votes is in itself a potential vote loser. There is no point apologising for being yourself.
I’ve never had a problem with gays since living in digs where I was briefly the only heterosexual, but I do find the ‘outing’ of people for political purposes offensive, despite Tatchell’s good work elsewhere.
Section 28 was partially the work of Selsdon Group member Rachel Tingle who has long since left the Tories. She was a UKIP candidate in the SW at the Euros. Rachel lives in the Witney constituency and is likely to campaign for Count Nikolai Dmitrievich Tolstoy-Miloslavsky.
Blanket asylum promises are madness. We don’t have a responsibility to anyone who travels through safe countries to get here and, by allowing asylum to people we have no responsibility for, we open ourselves up to the abuses that have taken place or to those that are suggested on this thread. If we wish to make our voices heard then cutting off aid to countries that are repressive (given that much aid never reaches those who need it in any event) would make the point. Homosexuality is illegal in many Muslim countries as well and we could end up being the haven of first choice for a substantial proportion of their gays. Since our economy is in poor health we are not in a position to take on non-English speaking people with no identifiable skills and who could be a massive burden on the community. We cannot solve all of the world’s ills and we’re not in a position to try.
100/1 – I’ll be betting a fiver on myself. I reckon you should all put 50p on me. You know it makes sense.
Paul you are spot on. The implications of what Cameron said on that subject are immense if one thinks them through which you have and Kieren (and more worryingly David Cameron himself) have not
The candidate Paul Wesson (Independent) posts at the BDF (click on my name) under the pseudonym Aardvark.
He is well-known locally as he used to be a councillor there. He is extremely knowledgeable about politics and has a small team of willing activists.
I highly doubt that he will finish anywhere high but he should get a respectable vote.
How well do we think the Loonies will finish here?
They have a good set of common sense policies:
http://www.loonyparty.com/index.php?page=manifestoproposals-1
What’s happened to Nikolai Tolstoy’s biography?
A bit of good news for Cameron with Edward McMillan Scott;’s defection.