Tiverton and Honiton

[john07]

Jun 25, 2022 17:59:34 GMT matureleft said:

Jun 25, 2022 17:41:37 GMT owainsutton said:

Manchester Labour hate them far more than they hate Tories.

Well in the city itself that probably doesn't matter in parliamentary terms. If we are talking the wider area some understanding in Hazel Grove and Cheadle would be useful. But Labour's vote in both was squeezed firmly in 2019 and is pretty low in historical terms without that. 

I never detected much antagonism between Labour and the Liberals in my time in Stockport. I lived in Cheadle Constituency for over 25 years and was twice a local authority candidate and once a parliamentary candidate in Hazel Grove. Back then there were only two wards in Stockport where direct Labour-Liberal opposition was apparent: Offerton and Bredbury. For most wards there was a choice between Labour and Conservative or between Conservative and Liberal. That was apart from Heald Green which was always won by the Heald Green Residents.

Subsequently the Conservatives have declined and the (now) Liberal Democrats are competitive in swathes of inner Stockport and Labour have twice won Cheadle Hulme North and ocassionally won Stepping Hill although Bredbury seems to be just out of their reach at the moment.

However in Constituency terms the polarisation remains. The Liberal Democrats and before them the Liberals have not done better than third in Stockport or Stockport North or Stockport South since the last war. Labour have never taken second place in Hazel Grove Constituency and have not done better than third in Cheadle since 1955.

[Andrew_S]