Hammersmith
Notional 2005 Results:
Labour: 18662 (44.6%)
Conservative: 13015 (31.1%)
Liberal Democrat: 8044 (19.2%)
Other: 2127 (5.1%)
Majority: 5646 (13.5%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 22407 (45.4%)
Labour: 17378 (35.2%)
Liberal Democrat: 7116 (14.4%)
Green: 1933 (3.9%)
UKIP: 493 (1%)
Majority: 5029 (10.2%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 17786 (39.8%)
Labour: 19801 (44.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 5294 (11.8%)
UKIP: 375 (0.8%)
Green: 1444 (3.2%)
Majority: 2015 (4.5%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 21420 (39.6%)
Labour: 25262 (46.8%)
Liberal Democrat: 4728 (8.8%)
Referendum: 1023 (1.9%)
Other: 1593 (2.9%)
Majority: 3842 (7.1%)
Boundary changes: Major. The borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is paired with Kensington, rather than Ealing. This means the creation of a new Chelsea and Fulham seat, taking half of the old Hammersmith and Fulham. and the addition of the areas of Hammersmith and Fulham that had previously been in the Ealing Acton and Shepherds Bush seat.
Profile: A west London seat consisting of the western part of the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, stretching from Wormwood Scrubs in the north down to the Thames and up to the West Cross Route (the former M41) in the east. The seat covers the successful commerical and business hub of Hammersmith itself, the western part of Earl’s Court (the exhibition centre itself straddles the border between this and Westminster North), West Kensington, Shepherds Bush and White City, site of the BBC Television Centre.
The south of this seat is comparatively Conservative – it includes run down areas like West Kensington and council estates like Lytton, but at a local level the Conservatives swept dramatically to power in 2006. However, there are major boundary changes with the Fulham half of the old Hammersmith and Fulham pairing forming part of the new Chelsea and Fulham seat (and taking with it the current Conservative MP Greg Hands) and the seat gaining the the north part of Hammersmith and Fulham from the old Ealing Acton and Shepherd’s Bush seat (and bringing with it Labour MP and former Hammersmith and Fulham council leader Andy Slaughter). The northern part of this seat is far more Labour, including as it does a large ethnic population and council estates like White City and the Edward Woods Estate. The norther part of the seat also includes HMP Wormwood Scrubs, Hammersmith Hospital and the Linford Christie Stadium.
Current MP: Greg Hands (Con) born 1965 in New York to British parents. Educated at Dr Challoner`s Grammar School and Cambridge University. Former banker. Former Hammersmith & Fulham councillor and Leader of the Conservative group. First elected as MP for Hammersmith & Fulham in 2005. Will contest the new seat of Chelsea and Fulham at the next election (more information at They work for you)
Candidates: Andrew Slaughter (Labour) born 1960, London. Barrister specialising in criminal law. Former leader of Hammersmith and Fulham council. Contested Uxbridge by-election in 1997, First elected in 2005. Currently the MP for Ealing Acton and Shepherd`s Bush.
Shaun Bailey (Conservative) born in North Kensington into a black working class family. Educated at Henry Compton School and South Bank University. Director of MyGeneration, a youth charity, and a research fellow for the CPS.
Merlene Emerson (Liberal Democrat) born Singapore. Educated at Kings College. Former corporate lawyer. Contested West Central in 2008 GLA elections.
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 107934
Male: 48.3%
Female: 51.7%
Under 18: 18.6%
Over 60: 14%
Born outside UK: 35%
White: 74.3%
Black: 13.4%
Asian: 5.1%
Mixed: 4.2%
Other: 3.1%
Christian: 60.9%
Hindu: 1.3%
Jewish: 0.7%
Muslim: 8.2%
Full time students: 7.4%
Graduates 16-74: 43.6%
No Qualifications 16-74: 19%
Owner-Occupied: 41.1%
Social Housing: 35.6% (Council: 20.3%, Housing Ass.: 15.4%)
Privately Rented: 19.6%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 11.9%
What has been the constituency history of the Shepherds Bush and White City areas since 1885?
I think they were both in the Hammersmith seat from 1885-1918.
From 1918 this area was the core of the Hammermith North seat. The boundary then was the Goldhawk Road which means that constituency was identical to the ‘Shepherds Bush’ which was merged with Acton in 1997. From 1955 Hammersmith North was expanded to take in parts of Hammersmith South, the rest of which was merged with parts of Fulham in the Barons Court seat. A further reduction in seats in 1974 meant that the ‘Hammersmith North’ seat covered the whole of the old borough of Hammersmith and the boundaries within Hammersmith and Fulham reverted to the same as those from 1885 to 1918
I believe the reason why the 1974 – 1983 ‘Hammersmith North’ retained its name because when ‘Hammersmith’ and ‘Fulham’ were ‘merged’ in the 1960’s the merged borough was called simply Hammersmith, so ‘Hammersmith North’ still reflected the northern part of the post 1974 Hammersmith borough (which effectively had annexed Fulham).
During this period, Fulham was listed in The London Times as ‘Hammersmith, Fulham’.
In around 1978 there was some kind of order pushed by Fulham residents to include Fulham in the borough title, and the post 1983 constituencies were each named after the historical boroughs.
Rather surprisingly, the latest Politics Home poll of marginal seats predicts a Labour hold in Hammersmith.
Yes, but only with the UKPR calculations. With the Rallings & Thrasher figures (which I assume will be used by most of the TV networks on election night) Hammersmith would be a Tory gain. This is because the majority is only 8.4% with the R+T figures, less than in Poplar&Limehouse.
Even with the boundary changes don’t be surprised if Labour is ‘Slaughtered’ in this constituency!!
conservaties – 43%
labour – 37%
This is a useful poll because it is so large,
and I think the generalised points of where we are now could be about right,
but I still doubt it is enough to drill down into individual seats, even if they were polled.
I’m not sure when it was done – can’t find a date on the web-site. I guess it was over a couple of weeks or so.
But my main point is I simply don’t know whether London is going to produce a larger swing than average or not.
My gut feel is this time it is going to be patchier than it’s traditional role, because I think there is a kind of underlying cultural loyalty to Labour which is greater.
But the history shows this isn’t the case.
Above average swings in 1979 and 1997 definitely,
and also above average towards the opposition in 1992 and 2005.
My own view is that there will be a blue (with a couple of yellow patches) ring around greater London. There will then be a blue stepping stone which joins the ring to the Westminster constituency.
Joe James, I posted about this poll on another thread (forget which one), which had grouped the 5 Lib Dem seats in SW London as all having seen no Conservative progress since 2005 – I found that very hard to believe, especially in Kingston & Surbiton.
So I think you are right – the poll is far more extensive than the normal ones we get, but that any conclusions eg Conservatives to gain Gower, Labour to hold Hammersmith etc, probably need to be taken with a pinch of salt (personally, I don’t agree with either of those 2!)
The poll is showing the LDs on 55 seats altogether – only down 8, which is a bit difficult to believe.
Which ward is Barons Court in? And is it in this constituency or Chelsea & Fulham?
Earl’s Court is of course the name of a ward and is in the Kensington seat.
Barons Court Station is just within the Fulham Reach ward, but right on the border with North End and Avonmore & Brook Green wards. The street called Barons Court is in North End. All three of these wards are currently in the Hammersmith & Fulham seat and will be in this Hammersmith seat.
Barons court also lies right on the border between the old Hammersmith and Fulham LBs, hence why the name was used for the cross-borough constituency from 1955-74