Wrexham
2005 Results:
Labour: 13993 (46.1%)
Liberal Democrat: 7174 (23.6%)
Conservative: 6079 (20%)
Plaid Cymru: 1744 (5.7%)
Other: 1395 (4.6%)
Majority: 6819 (22.4%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 6746 (22.5%)
Labour: 15934 (53%)
Liberal Democrat: 5153 (17.1%)
Plaid Cymru: 1783 (5.9%)
UKIP: 432 (1.4%)
Majority: 9188 (30.6%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 8688 (23.9%)
Labour: 20450 (56.1%)
Liberal Democrat: 4833 (13.3%)
Plaid Cymru: 1170 (3.2%)
Referendum: 1195 (3.3%)
Other: 86 (0.2%)
Majority: 11762 (32.3%)
No Boundary Changes:
Profile:
Current MP: Ian Lucas(Labour) (more information at They work for you)
Candidates: Gareth Hughes (Conservative) Tom Rippeth (Liberal Democrat) Arfon Jones (Plaid Cymru)
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 66604
Male: 48.7%
Female: 51.3%
Under 18: 22.1%
Over 60: 21.3%
Born outside UK: 2.8%
White: 98.8%
Asian: 0.4%
Mixed: 0.4%
Other: 0.3%
Christian: 77.5%
Full time students: 4.4%
Graduates 16-74: 16.8%
No Qualifications 16-74: 32.4%
Owner-Occupied: 67.2%
Social Housing: 25.4% (Council: 22.9%, Housing Ass.: 2.5%)
Privately Rented: 5.5%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 11.8%
Labour will do well to poll 40% in this constituency next time around. If they poll less than 35% then Peter Snow will be jumping around with his ’swingometer’!!!
I’m an unaligned but keen observer of the race here. Recent letters in the local press where the respective candidates bitch at each other suggest the Tories and the Lib Dems are slugging it out between themselves in a fight to come second.
Both are accusing the other of lying about their chances in Wrexham – and both have quoted UK Polling report as though it is endorsing them. However, neither makes clear that they are quoting commenters rather than the site itself!
It is poor form to quote this site when not making clear that you are quoting comments, I think.
Will The Labour candidate find it difficult to persuade erstwhile Labour voters to make the effort to go and vote? People who may have voted Labour five years ago have got out of the habit of voting Labour. There have been Local Elections, Welsh Assembly Elections, European Elections, all of which have seen a nose dive in the Labour turnout.
Is there a local reason why the Tory % has fallen here at every GE since 1992. The last time it was is the news, was a young Tory PPC who was punched to the ground during the ‘97 campaign. What happened to him? He seemed energetic but a bit of a maverick.
Is there a local reason why the Tory % has fallen here at every GE since 1992. The last time it was is the news, was a young Tory PPC who was punched to the ground during the ‘97 campaign. What happened to him? He seemed energetic but a bit of a maverick.
He’s now the Tory candidate in Pudsey ( having defected to labour, and defecting back again ! )
My guess for the steady decline in the Tory vote is they always bring in outsiders – from Llandudno, Nottingham and now London.
Also, they no longer have any presence in the town with the Lib Dems holding former Tory wards with big majorities.
I suspect the local Tory interests (and activities) are probably focused a little further south (Clwyd south) that is.
My guess for the decline in the Tory vote is A) The tories have been concentrating most of their regional efforts on fighting for Clwyd West. and B) Some Floating Tory voters may have been voting tactically for either Independent candidates or more likely have been persuaded by the strength of the Lib Dem candidates.
“He’s now the Tory candidate in Pudsey ( having defected to labour, and defecting back again ! )”
That worries me. If we have someone in a key seat who is a little liberal with his defections. That would indicate he has few genuine convictions.
“Is there a local reason why the Tory % has fallen here at every GE since 1992″
Probably for the same reason that most other constituencies have seen a fall in the Tory vote since 1992. I think you’ll find that dramatically reversed at the next election though.
I’m convinced the Tories are going to regain second place here in May. The question is, with the fall in the Labour vote, how close will they get to actually winning here? We could see a majority over the Tories of just 3,000 or so.
“If we have someone in a key seat who is a little liberal with his defections. That would indicate he has few genuine convictions.”
It could equally indicate he has too many genuine convictions! I take your point, although you might have said the same in Epping in the mid 1920s.
And indeed many did!
Yes but at least he had twenty years between defections!
You think that’s liberal with his defections? Step forward Cllr Marc Cranfield-Adams, my councillor in North Richmond Ward (London). He won this ward, which was thought to be safe LD, for the Conservatives in 2002. He worked tirelessly & built up a good personal vote straight away, then (perhaps partly because he is openly gay) fell out with the by now ruling Tory group on the Council, and defected first to being Independent then Lib Dem. The Tories after this first defection managed to force him to resign from the Council on a standards issue. He then fought & won the ward as a Lib Dem in 2006, becoming the Mayor not long after. However just before his Mayoral term expired he rejoined the Conservatives on the grounds that they were more gay-friendly than the Lib Dems!! Not content with this, however, he has apparently since then urged all Conservatives to vote for Susan Kramer in the general election. By now however I suspect no-one’s listening to him any more…..
In the event of him applying to join the Labour Party I can assure all readers that he will meet firm opposition from this party member!