Lichfield
2010 Results:
Conservative: 28048 (54.4%)
Labour: 10230 (19.84%)
Liberal Democrat: 10365 (20.1%)
UKIP: 2920 (5.66%)
Majority: 17683 (34.3%)
Notional 2005 Results:
Conservative: 23010 (48.8%)
Labour: 15217 (32.2%)
Liberal Democrat: 7269 (15.4%)
Other: 1702 (3.6%)
Majority: 7793 (16.5%)
Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 21274 (48.6%)
Labour: 14194 (32.4%)
Liberal Democrat: 6804 (15.6%)
UKIP: 1472 (3.4%)
Majority: 7080 (16.2%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 20480 (49.1%)
Labour: 16054 (38.5%)
Liberal Democrat: 4462 (10.7%)
UKIP: 684 (1.6%)
BNP: 5.1 (0%)
Majority: 4426 (10.6%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 20853 (42.9%)
Labour: 20615 (42.4%)
Liberal Democrat: 5473 (11.3%)
Referendum: 1652 (3.4%)
Majority: 238 (0.5%)
Boundary changes: gains the ward of Needwood and a small part of Yoxall from Burton.
Profile: The Lichfield seat contains Lichfield itself – a small Staffordshire cathedral city, once an ecclesiastical centre and place of pilgramage, later a centre for coaching and brewing, Burntwood – a former mining town, and a several rural villages to the North of the city, such as Armitage, Kings Bromley, Handsacre, Abbots Bromley and Barton-under-Needwood.
The rural villages tend to lean towards the Conservatives, as do suburban areas in Lichfield like Boley Park, cancelling out the Labour strength in Burntwood, meaning that in past elections the seat has been a tight marginal. In 1997 the Conservative majority was reduced to only 237.
Current MP: Michael Fabricant(Conservative) born 1950, Brighton. Educated at Brighton and Hove Grammar and Loughborough University, Doctorate from the University of Southern California. Prior to being elected he was the director of a broadcast manufacturing and management group. Contested South Shields in 1987. First elected as MP for Mid Staffordshire in 1992. PPS in the last Conservative government, shadow spokesman on trade and industry and economic affairs under Michael Howard, Conservative whip since 2005. Unfortunately best known for his unusual hair, which has been relentlessly mocked by Parliamentary sketchwriters (more information at They work for you)
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 86111
Male: 48.9%
Female: 51.1%
Under 18: 22.1%
Over 60: 21.3%
Born outside UK: 2.7%
White: 98.5%
Black: 0.2%
Asian: 0.5%
Mixed: 0.5%
Other: 0.3%
Christian: 80.9%
Full time students: 2.2%
Graduates 16-74: 20%
No Qualifications 16-74: 27.5%
Owner-Occupied: 79.9%
Social Housing: 12.9% (Council: 1.9%, Housing Ass.: 11%)
Privately Rented: 4.5%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 5%
I didn’t take too much of an interest in politics back then, so does anyone remeber the campaign in this seat in 2001? I guess both sides put a lot of effort in considering how small the tory majority was in 1997 and that some opinion polls were predicting a labour majority of over 200.
I guess the same level of campaigning was repeated in other labour/tory marginal seats that the tories only just held onto in 1997, Bosworth, Aldridge-Brownhills, Basingstoke, Bedfordshire South West, Dorset South, Hertfordshire North East, Norfolk South West, Bury St Edmonds, Eddisbury, Altrincham and Sale West, Hexam etc?
I remember reading somewhere that Michael Fabricant was quite worried about losing his seat in 2001, making a joke that at least 238 of his supporters had probably died since 1997. But to win Labour would have had to maintain a high turnout in Burntwood which is their local stronghold and that was unlikely.
Labour must have done incredibly badly in Burntwood this year to only poll 19.8% in the constituency overall. It’s a pity there were no local elections at the same time this year so we could see just how badly they did there.
I always thought that Burtwood was more of a tory voting area. Thats probably more true now than it was in 1997. My guess is that the new housing estates in Chase Terrace are probably packed full of tory voters.
The Tories were worried here in Beckenham in 2001 (defending a majority of 1200).
What prevented Labour winning here and in other close seats in 2001 was the collapse of working class turnout. If anything they extended their support amongst the middle class voters compared with 1997.
The Tories were defending a majority of 238 in 2001 not 1,200.
Burntwood is the general name of the town which consists of 3 areas: Burntwood itself, Chase Terrace and Chasetown.
It’s probably correct that Burntwood (the smaller division) is the most Tory part of the wider Burntwood area, with Chasetown being the least Conservative area.
Chase Terrace is becoming more upmarket with new private housing being built. I think it used to more resemble Chasetown a few decades ago.
Chasetown is a sort of local crime hotspot in the area, with occasional drugs problems, etc. Nothing much compared to a big conurbation of course.
In Beckenham the Tories were defending a majority of 1200 over the 2007 by-election
The swings here are on a par with Hemel Hempstead if you trace it back to 1997.
I’m really quite amazed Labour didn’t manage to keep second place here – they must have really underperformed their normal vote in Burntwood for this to happen.