Post by sirbenjamin on Jun 20, 2018 22:10:33 GMT
On the original proposal, obviously the benefit to including bits of Surrey would be offset a little by the loss of bits of present-day Havering. If it was all included, then London would be somewhat more Tory than it is now. If it expanded further out, it would be more Tory still. A London the size of North Yorkshire would be monolithically Conservative.
The inner-outer-hinterland divide was nowhere near as marked in the 50s and 60s as it is now and the expansion of London at the time probably only yielded a small net benefit to the Conservatives. Expanding London further now would be political suicide for Labour, very good for the Tories and probably of modest benefit to the LDs too in that seats might be created where they have a shout - the southern bit of LB Croydon joined with Whyteleafe and Caterham would be the sort of seat they'd fancy in a good year.
The inner-outer-hinterland divide was nowhere near as marked in the 50s and 60s as it is now and the expansion of London at the time probably only yielded a small net benefit to the Conservatives. Expanding London further now would be political suicide for Labour, very good for the Tories and probably of modest benefit to the LDs too in that seats might be created where they have a shout - the southern bit of LB Croydon joined with Whyteleafe and Caterham would be the sort of seat they'd fancy in a good year.
