Post by andrewp on Jun 2, 2020 12:27:53 GMT
Worcester is a cathedral city, lying on the River Severn, 30 miles South West of Birmingham, and this is middle England. Prior to the 1997 general election, Worcester Woman was identified as a key swing voter, who the Labour party sought to win over from the Conservatives and the city remains a seat that is key to winning elections.
Worcester city centre is on the East bank of the River Severn and three quarters of the city is on that side of the river too. The fine 11th century cathedral, home to the tomb of King John sits magnificently on the river bank, looking down at the river and the wonderful Worcestershire County Cricket Ground at New Road. Worcester is known as the home of Royal Worcester Porcelain and of Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce. It has also been home to the University of Worcester, which was awarded University status in 2005, thus bringing more students into the city.
Worcester is 93% White, with a small muslim population situated in the wards to the East of the City Centre.
The city is extremely prone to flooding, with frequent floods around the riverside, the Cricket Ground and the Racecourse.
The city is a key marginal and control of the City Council, whose boundaries are coterminous with the parliamentary constituency has been on a knife edge for the last 10 or so years. The current council is Conservative 16, Labour 15, Green 3, Lib Dem 1. The Green councillors here have been in favour of an all party approach rather than a ‘progressive alliance’, so the council has a Conservative leader and Labour deputy leader. It’s a city that whilst marginal as a whole, traditionally has a number of safe Conservative wards and a number of safe Labour wards with relatively few marginals. The Conservative middle class strongholds of Bedwardine in the South West, St Peters in the South East, and St Stephen in the North were able to withhold even the 1995 meltdown. And likewise Labour were able to hold their eastern Council estate wards like Gorse Hill, Rainbow Hill and Warndon in the likes of 2008. This has slightly changed in recent years with the Greens being able to win 2 previously safe Conservative wards- the aforementioned St Stephen, and Battenhall, with the Conservatives able to win in the previously safe Labour ward of Gorse Hill in 2018 with an Asian candidate.
Worcester saw enormous growth in the 1990s and 2000s with two enormous estates being built at Warndon Villages in the East and St Peters in the South. These estates are reasonably comfortably Conservative at the moment and are popular with Birmingham commuters.
Politically Labour had never won Worcester until 1997. In 1945, the Conservatives held the seat by 4 votes, and then in 1950, the seat was expanded to take in some more Worcestershire countryside. As the City grew, that countryside was gradually lopped off until the last villages were removed in 1997. Its MP from 1961-92 was ‘wet’ Thatcher cabinet minister Peter Walker. His closest shave was 3000 in 1966, when the City itself would have been very close. Walker retired in 1992 and was succeeded by Peter Luff. The boundary changes that came into force for the 1997 election proved bad for the Conservatives in Worcestershire. Worcester lost its remaining villages to Mid Worcestershire cutting the notional Conservative majority from 6000 to 3000, and leading to Peter Luff fighting for, and winning the nomination for Mid Worcestershire, and in the process sending Eric Forth off to Bromley. Michael Foster gained Worcester for Labour in 1997 and held it in 2001 and 2005. He lost in 2010 to Robin Walker, son of Peter. Worcester voted 54% leave. In 2017, there was a 3% swing to Labour and Walker’s majority was cut to 2500. In December he restored that to its biggest ever level of 6750. Worcester is now number 80 on Labour’s target list and is the sort of seat that they would very likely still need to win to form a government.
Worcester city centre is on the East bank of the River Severn and three quarters of the city is on that side of the river too. The fine 11th century cathedral, home to the tomb of King John sits magnificently on the river bank, looking down at the river and the wonderful Worcestershire County Cricket Ground at New Road. Worcester is known as the home of Royal Worcester Porcelain and of Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce. It has also been home to the University of Worcester, which was awarded University status in 2005, thus bringing more students into the city.
Worcester is 93% White, with a small muslim population situated in the wards to the East of the City Centre.
The city is extremely prone to flooding, with frequent floods around the riverside, the Cricket Ground and the Racecourse.
The city is a key marginal and control of the City Council, whose boundaries are coterminous with the parliamentary constituency has been on a knife edge for the last 10 or so years. The current council is Conservative 16, Labour 15, Green 3, Lib Dem 1. The Green councillors here have been in favour of an all party approach rather than a ‘progressive alliance’, so the council has a Conservative leader and Labour deputy leader. It’s a city that whilst marginal as a whole, traditionally has a number of safe Conservative wards and a number of safe Labour wards with relatively few marginals. The Conservative middle class strongholds of Bedwardine in the South West, St Peters in the South East, and St Stephen in the North were able to withhold even the 1995 meltdown. And likewise Labour were able to hold their eastern Council estate wards like Gorse Hill, Rainbow Hill and Warndon in the likes of 2008. This has slightly changed in recent years with the Greens being able to win 2 previously safe Conservative wards- the aforementioned St Stephen, and Battenhall, with the Conservatives able to win in the previously safe Labour ward of Gorse Hill in 2018 with an Asian candidate.
Worcester saw enormous growth in the 1990s and 2000s with two enormous estates being built at Warndon Villages in the East and St Peters in the South. These estates are reasonably comfortably Conservative at the moment and are popular with Birmingham commuters.
Politically Labour had never won Worcester until 1997. In 1945, the Conservatives held the seat by 4 votes, and then in 1950, the seat was expanded to take in some more Worcestershire countryside. As the City grew, that countryside was gradually lopped off until the last villages were removed in 1997. Its MP from 1961-92 was ‘wet’ Thatcher cabinet minister Peter Walker. His closest shave was 3000 in 1966, when the City itself would have been very close. Walker retired in 1992 and was succeeded by Peter Luff. The boundary changes that came into force for the 1997 election proved bad for the Conservatives in Worcestershire. Worcester lost its remaining villages to Mid Worcestershire cutting the notional Conservative majority from 6000 to 3000, and leading to Peter Luff fighting for, and winning the nomination for Mid Worcestershire, and in the process sending Eric Forth off to Bromley. Michael Foster gained Worcester for Labour in 1997 and held it in 2001 and 2005. He lost in 2010 to Robin Walker, son of Peter. Worcester voted 54% leave. In 2017, there was a 3% swing to Labour and Walker’s majority was cut to 2500. In December he restored that to its biggest ever level of 6750. Worcester is now number 80 on Labour’s target list and is the sort of seat that they would very likely still need to win to form a government.
