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Post by froome on Jun 9, 2020 13:23:32 GMT
Something to add re: Wells: Highbridge did have a Labour councillor as recently as 2003 on Sedgemoor Council! Two of the three Labour seats (and one Tory) were lost in 2007 to the Lib Dems. Throughout the 1970s with the exception of 1987, there was at least one Labour representative (it was a ward with three councillors) as the other two seats were alternated between Lib / SDP / Lib Dem and Conservatives. I think the boundary changes merging with the go-between area for the Tories and Lib Dems of Burnham South ended any hope of this seat being regained by Labour again. There has been a lot of housing development around Highbridge and south Burnham in the last 20 or 30 years, which will have altered the voting patterns here enormously. Without looking up past votes, I would be surprised if Highbridge wasn't very safely Labour 40 years or so ago. |
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Post by andrewp on Jun 9, 2020 13:50:16 GMT
Something to add re: Wells: Highbridge did have a Labour councillor as recently as 2003 on Sedgemoor Council! Two of the three Labour seats (and one Tory) were lost in 2007 to the Lib Dems. Throughout the 1970s with the exception of 1987, there was at least one Labour representative (it was a ward with three councillors) as the other two seats were alternated between Lib / SDP / Lib Dem and Conservatives. I think the boundary changes merging with the go-between area for the Tories and Lib Dems of Burnham South ended any hope of this seat being regained by Labour again. There has been a lot of housing development around Highbridge and south Burnham in the last 20 or 30 years, which will have altered the voting patterns here enormously. Without looking up past votes, I would be surprised if Highbridge wasn't very safely Labour 40 years or so ago. I think you are both right. The boundary changes in Highbridge have included more of Burnham which will have been bad for Labour Highbridge results 1973 Lab 47%, Lib 27%, Con 26% 1976 Lab 41%, Con 35%, Lib 24% 1979 Lab 39%, Con 32% Lib 29% In 1983 it split 1 Lab, 1 Con, 1 SDP |
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Post by Pete Whitehead on Jun 9, 2020 14:06:38 GMT
I drove through Highbridge on the same journey in which I visited Bridgwater, the dystopian horror of the latter rather overshadowing any lasting impressions of the former. But it did strike me as a complete dump
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Post by andrewp on Jun 9, 2020 14:44:01 GMT
I drove through Highbridge on the same journey in which I visited Bridgwater, the dystopian horror of the latter rather overshadowing any lasting impressions of the former. But it did strike me as a complete dump Highbridge has a grim town centre, probably worse than Bridgwater. But has some reasonable residential estates. |
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Wells
Jun 9, 2020 16:23:02 GMT
Post by nn2019 on Jun 9, 2020 16:23:02 GMT
In the eight years I have lived down here, I have never visited Highbridge at all. I have heard it is pretty grim. I've only been past the rail station  I did gather that, with the boundary changes and housing developments so thank you for that information. As I said in my opening post, there was an attempt to gain the seat again in 2013, but it fell short due to a strong Lib Dem campaign, a known personality standing as an Indie (who was done for harassing his former wife at the start of 2020!), and from my conclusions a lazy candidate for us if his performance standing along me in 2015 gives me confidence in his abilities! |
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Post by froome on Jun 9, 2020 19:28:58 GMT
The last time I visited Highbridge, which was some years ago, I think there was quite an interesting docks-type warehouse building right in the centre, which may now, of course, be apartments.
I wouldn't describe it as grim, but unexciting. There are very few shops left in its centre, and most of the housing is now new estates.
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