Post by jamie on Mar 29, 2020 18:34:32 GMT
Newcastle upon Tyne East
The city of Newcastle upon Tyne is the largest in the North East of England. The city has historically been a major port and industrial hub, and more recently has seen a growing public sector and university presence. This constituency covers the socially diverse eastern section of the city. Newcastle upon Tyne East is currently a safe Labour seat. When created in 2010, it was a target for the Liberal Democrats but ultimately won by Labour by 12%. From 2015 onwards, the Conservatives have taken a very distant 2nd. On the banks of the Tyne, the Byker and Walker areas are dominated by council estates, and are among the most deprived areas in the entire UK. They have long provided the bedrock of Labour support in the constituency even when other areas were tempted by the Liberal Democrats. On the edge of the city centre, the constituency includes Northumbria University and part of Newcastle University, with substantial numbers of students living in the adjacent Manors and Shieldfield area. The constituency also covers the Heaton and Jesmond areas. Both mix students with predominantly middle class private housing, the latter becoming more numerous as you get further away from the city centre. At the northern end of Heaton are the offices of the DWP and HMRC, major local employers. The combination of students and public sector workers leads to strong Labour support in both areas, though the longstanding middle class residents are more Conservative friendly and decades ago made these wards safely Conservative (and at present largely vote Liberal Democrat in council elections). Overall, Newcastle upon Tyne East remains a safe Labour seat. It seems unlikely that in the foreseeable future Labour will lose substantial enough support among the poor, students and the liberal middle class all at once as is necessary to ever make this constituency competitive.
The city of Newcastle upon Tyne is the largest in the North East of England. The city has historically been a major port and industrial hub, and more recently has seen a growing public sector and university presence. This constituency covers the socially diverse eastern section of the city. Newcastle upon Tyne East is currently a safe Labour seat. When created in 2010, it was a target for the Liberal Democrats but ultimately won by Labour by 12%. From 2015 onwards, the Conservatives have taken a very distant 2nd. On the banks of the Tyne, the Byker and Walker areas are dominated by council estates, and are among the most deprived areas in the entire UK. They have long provided the bedrock of Labour support in the constituency even when other areas were tempted by the Liberal Democrats. On the edge of the city centre, the constituency includes Northumbria University and part of Newcastle University, with substantial numbers of students living in the adjacent Manors and Shieldfield area. The constituency also covers the Heaton and Jesmond areas. Both mix students with predominantly middle class private housing, the latter becoming more numerous as you get further away from the city centre. At the northern end of Heaton are the offices of the DWP and HMRC, major local employers. The combination of students and public sector workers leads to strong Labour support in both areas, though the longstanding middle class residents are more Conservative friendly and decades ago made these wards safely Conservative (and at present largely vote Liberal Democrat in council elections). Overall, Newcastle upon Tyne East remains a safe Labour seat. It seems unlikely that in the foreseeable future Labour will lose substantial enough support among the poor, students and the liberal middle class all at once as is necessary to ever make this constituency competitive.
