Comments on: Woking

By: Andy JS

Andy JS — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 21:45:03 +0000

Surrey went back to being all Tory in 2005 and Dorset came within 269 votes in 2010 of doing the same with the LDs just holding on to Mid Dorset.

By: akmd

akmd — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 21:38:53 +0000

Looking at the 1997 results, both Dorset and Surrey returned a full slate of Tory MPs. That all changed in 2001 of course.

By: Andy JS

Andy JS — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 20:24:48 +0000

Surrey voters are happy for the LDs to be in charge of waste collection but not nuclear bombs to misquote Jeremy Paxman.

By: Joe James B

Joe James B — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 19:19:07 +0000

The C vote is still about 8% below 1992 here, but it seems they are reasonably secure (usual caveats – Solihull), as the LD vote must surely include substantial Labour support.

By: akmd

akmd — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 19:01:48 +0000

Despite having the smallest majority of all the Surrey seats (with Guildford not far behind), it now seems that anything other than a full slate of Conservative MPs in the county is very unlikely. I’m surprised how resilient the Tory vote has been here. In 1997, it was the only county in the South East that did not vote for a Labour or Lib Dem MP while everywhere else in the region gained at least one non-Tory. It does seem pretty stuck in its ways with its voting habits and only goes against the grain once in a blue moon (Guildford in 2001). Not really good for democracy though having a one party state enduring all these years. Mind you, Conservatives probably think the same about Durham and Tyne and Wear!

It seems the Lib Dems will have to get used to being challengers on a local level in Surrey from now on. It’s more likely they’ll regain Guildford and Woking councils rather than the equivalent parliamentary seats.

By: TonyOtim

TonyOtim — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:03:36 +0000

Outside of Guildford (which with Surrey university etc… has some unique features for the area) Surrey might flirt with the Libs in order to keep the Tories on their toes, and might want Lib-Dem councillors, but I can’t imagine seats like this ever returning anything other than a Tory MP. (I grew up in Mole Valley, just down the road).

That said, Labour might as well not bother in most of Surrey at the moment.

By: John D

John D — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 02:06:21 +0000

I’d say this result is a bit disappointing for the Conservatives.

I suppose (considering the Labour vote was halved) the result could’ve been tighter, and the vote share did finally climb back up to 50%, but even so the percentage majority is slightly smaller than it was.

I think 8% is the lowest vote share Labour have ever got in the Woking constituency (created in 1950 according to Wikipedia… obviously there’ve been boundary changes in the decades since).

This decline has clearly been to the Lib Dems’ benefit. They may lose votes to Labour at the next election, hindering their chances of making a gain, but Jonathan Lord needs to work hard here.

By: rockyroad

rockyroad — Wed, 12 May 2010 19:59:45 +0000

So Mickey/ Chippy/ Mike got it all wrong! A safe CON hld here, and increased majority. The liberal candidate was very poor, and a good show in the seat next door n Guildford to increase Conservative majority to safe seat territory now. I can’t remember who said it but I think Chippy (?) has just lost some money on Rosie Sharpley here.

Good luck to Jonathan, he is a great speaker, and will be a good constituency MP

By: Barnaby JL Marder

Barnaby JL Marder — Thu, 06 May 2010 08:15:42 +0000

CON HOLD

By: ChrisInTheNorth

ChrisInTheNorth — Mon, 03 May 2010 15:22:47 +0000

Con majority 6000