Knowsley

[Merseymike]

The seat of Knowsley contains most of the borough of the same name. To confuse matters the constituency was drawn up under ward boundaries in place in 2010 but the under-sized borough had an interim boundary review in 2015 where it's wards were equalised and now each have three Councillors. In some cases this was simply a matter of taking three wards and collapsing them into two. In the case of Prescot an east-west divide was altered to a north-south so ward boundaries are currently not coterminous with the constituency.
No doubt this will be remedied at the next boundary review.

There is a serious question as to whether the borough of Knowsley should exist at all. The borough contains two townships which are undoubtedly Liverpool-facing, and a further two which relate more to St. Helens. The borough is very small for a metropolitan and a case has been raised for abolishing it altogether. What cannot be in doubt are it's political preferences. In the past it has been one of Labour's one-party states and in the 2019, while it was overtaken as Labours safest seat by Liverpool Walton, it has Labour's largest majority of 39,942

The constituency consists of all of Kirkby and Huyton, and half of Prescot (the old West ward). In the middle is Knowsley Hall, home of the Safari Park. Both Kirkby and Huyton expanded in the 1950's to rehouse Liverpool slum clearances - and were represented by Harold Wilson's Huyton seat. In consequence they are effectively Liverpool suburbs, with a very high proportion of social housing. Kirkby has had independent councillors in the past who fought to the left of the very middle of the road local Labour party. Both Huyton and Kirkby have a full slate of Labour councillors. Some opposition did emerge at the last council elections, with the redrawn Prescot North returning three LibDems and the Greens emerging as the main opposition in other Knowsley wards, with some success in wards within St Helens South and Whiston (the fourth township). Together with the Halewood independents it no longer provides Labour with a full house. However, this has had no impact on the national outcome with Labours percentage of 80%+ meaning that all other parties had to share the rest with the Conservatives taking second on just 8% of the vote.

Like Bootle, this is essentially a Liverpool seat outside the boundaries of the city. And it shares the same political preferences and will provide Avery safe seat to whoever succeeds George Howarth, the longstanding local MP.

[Merseymike]

Apr 26, 2020 8:38:15 GMT @barnabymarder said:

As Mike will know Huyton gained its own seat in 1950. Its only ever MP was Harold Wilson. Shorn of most of the metropolitan areas, Ormskirk became a safe Tory seat for some years, mostly held by Douglas Glover. It was only after the development of Skelmersdale in the 1960s that it took on the marginal characteristics it later had. Perhaps Z Cars deserves a mention. Otherwise good profile. The bit about the existence of Knowsley is interesting.

I wasn't sure how to best describe the way the seat changed - it became Huyton, then Knowsley South. The old Ince seat included Skelmersdale and it only linked together with Ormskirk in 1983. Kirkby was in the Ormskirk seat from 1974 to 1983 which turned it Labour under Robert Kilroy-Silk. I'm not sure which seat it was in before then?

I wanted to try and avoid mentioning all that but giving a credit to Wilson!

[Pete Whitehead]

Apr 26, 2020 9:14:31 GMT Merseymike said:

Apr 26, 2020 8:38:15 GMT @barnabymarder said:

As Mike will know Huyton gained its own seat in 1950. Its only ever MP was Harold Wilson. Shorn of most of the metropolitan areas, Ormskirk became a safe Tory seat for some years, mostly held by Douglas Glover. It was only after the development of Skelmersdale in the 1960s that it took on the marginal characteristics it later had. Perhaps Z Cars deserves a mention. Otherwise good profile. The bit about the existence of Knowsley is interesting.

I wasn't sure how to best describe the way the seat changed - it became Huyton, then Knowsley South. The old Ince seat included Skelmersdale and it only linked together with Ormskirk in 1983. Kirkby was in the Ormskirk seat from 1974 to 1983 which turned it Labour under Robert Kilroy-Silk. I'm not sure which seat it was in before then?

I wanted to try and avoid mentioning all that but giving a credit to Wilson!

Kirkby was in Huyton before 1974 - the 1950-74 Huyton seat was very similar to this Knowsley seat, including Huyton, Kirkby and Prescott (but also Eccleston and Windle). Halewood and Whiston were in the Widnes seat

[Merseymike]

Apr 26, 2020 9:27:53 GMT Pete Whitehead said:

Apr 26, 2020 9:14:31 GMT Merseymike said:

I wasn't sure how to best describe the way the seat changed - it became Huyton, then Knowsley South. The old Ince seat included Skelmersdale and it only linked together with Ormskirk in 1983. Kirkby was in the Ormskirk seat from 1974 to 1983 which turned it Labour under Robert Kilroy-Silk. I'm not sure which seat it was in before then?

I wanted to try and avoid mentioning all that but giving a credit to Wilson!

Kirkby was in Huyton before 1974 - the 1950-74 Huyton seat was very similar to this Knowsley seat, including Huyton, Kirkby and Prescott (but also Eccleston and Windle). Halewood and Whiston were in the Widnes seat

Thanks - in that case I'll amend the original to change Ormskirk to Huyton. Makes more sense

[Robert Waller]

"It contains two townships which are undoubtedly Liverpool-facing, and a further two which relate more to St. Helens"

I wasn't quite sure that this was picked up in so many terms later in the profile - Huyton and Kirkby to Liverpool and Prescot and ? Halewood to St Helens?

[Merseymike]

Apr 26, 2020 11:06:49 GMT Robert Waller said:

"It contains two townships which are undoubtedly Liverpool-facing, and a further two which relate more to St. Helens"

I wasn't quite sure that this was picked up in so many terms later in the profile - Huyton and Kirkby to Liverpool and Prescot and ? Halewood to St Helens?

Whiston to St Helens. Halewood just isn't a township, though - its Liverpool, just as much as Speke is Liverpool (and with better connections to it)
Edited to clarify

[Robert Waller]

Ah, yes, you were talking about the borough of Knowsley not the constituency at that point; of course neither Whiston nor Halewood are in this seat. You make a very fair point in that context I'm sure.

[Merseymike]

Apr 26, 2020 11:17:30 GMT Robert Waller said:

Ah, yes, you were talking about the borough of Knowsley not the constituency at that point; of course neither Whiston nor Halewood are in this seat. You make a very fair point in that context I'm sure.

Edited to clarify. Its why having a seat with the same name as the borough is stupid when it doesn't include significant parts of the borough! And why they really should have abolished the borough when the opportunity arose.

[Devil Wincarnate]

Knowsley is the home of Lambrini.

[AdminSTB]

Apr 26, 2020 12:30:20 GMT Devil Wincarnate said:

Knowsley is the home of Lambrini.

How did they come up with that name? It sounds Italian.

[finsobruce]

Apr 26, 2020 12:39:17 GMT AdminSTB said:

Apr 26, 2020 12:30:20 GMT Devil Wincarnate said:

Knowsley is the home of Lambrini.

How did they come up with that name? It sounds Italian.

presumably a deliberate sound alike to Lambrusco.

Especially as it is sparkling perry, rather than sparkling wine.  There was a court case twenty years ago - Lambrini won.

[Merseymike]

Apr 26, 2020 12:30:20 GMT Devil Wincarnate said:

Knowsley is the home of Lambrini.

Knowsley borough - but isn't it made in Halewood, within the Garston and Halewood constituency?
They also make Crabbie's alcoholic ginger beer! And distribute Tsingtao Chinese beer in the UK, though its not brewed here.

[Devil Wincarnate]

Apr 26, 2020 13:03:42 GMT Merseymike said:

Apr 26, 2020 12:30:20 GMT Devil Wincarnate said:

Knowsley is the home of Lambrini.

Knowsley borough - but isn't it made in Halewood, within the Garston and Halewood constituency?
They also make Crabbie's alcoholic ginger beer! And distribute Tsingtao Chinese beer in the UK, though its not brewed here.

Halewood have a few sites- I once audited one of their factories in Huyton, might be gone now. They've even got a distillery near Conwy. They are also known as International Drinks.

[Robert Waller]

2011 Census

Age 65+ 15.8% 399/650
Lone parent with dependent children 12.7% 12/650
Owner-occupied 59.7% 480/650
Private rented 10.1% 574/650
Social rented 28.4% 67/650
White 97.7% 153/650
Black 0.3% 459/650
Asian 0.6% 611/650
Christian 81.5% 1/650
Country of birth England 96.8% 2/650
All people in household have English as main language 99.0% 1/650
Managerial & professional 19.2%
Routine & Semi-routine 34.3%
Degree level 14.3% 638/650
No qualifications 36.4% 12/650
Students 7.8% 234/650


2021 Census

Owner occupied 58.3% 421/573
Private rented 14.7% 454/573
Social rented 27.0% 54/573
White 95.7%
Black 0.8%
Asian 1.3%
Christian 67.1% 3/650
Managerial & professional 22.9% 519/573
Routine & Semi-routine 30.4% 74/573
Degree level 22.9% 529/573
No qualifications 27.5% 18/573




General Election 2019: Knowsley

Party Candidate Votes % ±%

Labour George Howarth 44,374 80.8 -4.5
Conservative Rushi Millns 4,432 8.1 -1.2
Brexit Party Tim McCullough 3,348 6.1
Green Paul Woodruff 1,262 2.3 +1.4
Liberal Democrats Joe Slupsky 1,117 2.0 -0.1
Liberal Ray Catesby 405 0.7

Lab Majority 39,942 72.7 -3.3

Turnout 54,938 65.4 -2.4

Labour hold

Swing 1.6 Lab to C

[aargauer]

I wonder if if this seat has the biggest ratio of brexit supporters to Conservative supporters?

[Pete Whitehead]

Notional result 2019 on new boundaries

Lab	38400	80.7%
Con	3942	8.3%
BxP	2932	6.2%
Grn	1071	2.2%
LD	924	1.9%
Oth	335	0.7%
Majority	34458	72.4%