Worcestershire West
Notional 2005 Results:
Conservative: 22707 (45.5%)
Liberal Democrat: 19113 (38.3%)
Labour: 5087 (10.2%)
Other: 2955 (5.9%)
Majority: 3594 (7.2%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 20959 (44.5%)
Labour: 4945 (10.5%)
Liberal Democrat: 18484 (39.3%)
Green: 1099 (2.3%)
UKIP: 1590 (3.4%)
Majority: 2475 (5.3%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 20597 (46%)
Labour: 6275 (14%)
Liberal Democrat: 15223 (34%)
UKIP: 1574 (3.5%)
Green: 1138 (2.5%)
Majority: 5374 (12%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 22223 (45%)
Labour: 7738 (15.7%)
Liberal Democrat: 18377 (37.2%)
Other: 1006 (2%)
Majority: 3846 (7.8%)
Boundary changes: gains Lindridge and parts of Teme Valley and Woodbury from Leominster.
Profile: A large, sparsely populated rural seat with a mix of fruit growing and sedate country towns and villages. The seat stretches from the Birmingham commuter belt to the North, around Worcester itself to take in the South of the county, including Great Malvern at the foot of the Malvern Hills and Bredon Hill in the South-East. The largest population centre is Malvern, known for its spring water and its association with Elgar. It is also the location of two public schools, Malvern College and Malvern Girls College. Other towns in the constituency are Pershore and Upton-upon-Severn.
It is an affluent and middle class area, almost a stereotype of traditional British countryside: victorian spa towns, Edward Elgar, morris dancing – Upton is supposedly the model for P.G.Wodehouse`s Market Snodsbury. As might be expected the seat is Conservative, but there has always been a strong Liberal prescence – the Liberals came close to winning the predecessor seat in 1974 after the departure of Sir Gerald Nabarro and it has been a Conservative/Lib Dem marginal since 1997. Labour are almost non-existant and do not even contest local elections in Malvern Hills. The loss of any personal vote from Sir Michael Spicer`s retirement may be seen as an opportunity for the Liberal Democrats.
Current MP: Michael Spicer(Con) born 1943, Bath. educated at Wellington College and Cambridge. Prior to his election worked as a journalist on the Daily Mail and Sunday Times. Constested Easington in 1966 and 1970. First elected to the then South Worcestershire constituency in 1970. Served as a junior minister under Thatcher, briefly reaching the level of Minister of State in 1990, but returned to the backbenches under John Major where he was a major player in the Maastricht rebellions. Knighted in 1996. Following the 2001 election he became Chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs (more information at They work for you)
Candidates: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative) educated at Oxford and McGill University in Canada. Investment manager with J P Morgan. Contested Stockton North in 2005.
Richard Burt (Liberal Democrat) born 1954. Dudley Borough Councillor and former Liberal Democrat Group leader on Dudley Borough Council. Contested Shrewsbury and Atcham in 2005 and Dudley South in 2001. Married to Lorely Burt, MP for Solihull.
Malcolm Victory (Green)
Caroline Bovey (UKIP) Contested Worcestershire West 2005.
Fred Bishop (English Democrats) Retired fire officer. Contested West Midlands region 2009 European elections.
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 89244
Male: 48.6%
Female: 51.4%
Under 18: 20.9%
Over 60: 26.9%
Born outside UK: 4%
White: 98.7%
Asian: 0.2%
Mixed: 0.5%
Other: 0.5%
Christian: 78.9%
Full time students: 2.4%
Graduates 16-74: 24.7%
No Qualifications 16-74: 25%
Owner-Occupied: 75.4%
Social Housing: 14% (Council: 1%, Housing Ass.: 13%)
Privately Rented: 7.3%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 5.9%
Ladbrokes:
Con 1/12
LD 6/1
Lab 100/1