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> United Kingdom > England > East of England > East of England
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| Established | June 09, 1983 |
| Disbanded | Still Active |
| Contributor | RP |
| Last Modified | RBH May 12, 2021 05:57pm |
| Description |
Shirley Williams represented this constituency, and its predecessors, between 1964 and 1979. In her maiden speech she described Stevenage as "a microcosm of new Britain". The town of Stevenage grew out of a small Anglo-Saxon settlement known as Stithenaece, which means strong oak, and over the centuries it has proved an apt name for a place that has constantly had to adapt to change. One of the greatest changes came in 1946, when the new Labour Government, fresh from their landslide victory, decided to tackle the chronic housing shortage in the overcrowded and bomb-damaged east end of London by building 11 new towns. Stevenage, with its population of 6,000, was the first. There was resistance, most notably from local novelist E. M. Forster, who had lived in Stevenage as a child. Howard's End was based on Rook's Nest farm, in the old town. Other famous novelists include Ken Follett, husband of the incumbent MP Barbara. She gained victory in Stevenage from the Conservatives in 1997 with a swing of nearly 14%. Stevenage provided a political base for Shirley Williams from 1964 until 1979, when, as education secretary, she was one of the high profile casualties at Thatcher's first election victory. Throughout the 1980s the SDP had strong appeal in Stevenage, nearly taking the seat in 1983 and 1987. But by 1992, Labour re-emerged as the main challenger to the Tories. In 2001, the Labour vote dropped only slightly and the Liberal Democrats saw a resurgence of their vote, possibly due to the return of those voters who voted tactically in 1997, and a low Labour turnout. Modern Stevenage has a population of more than 76,000 and a consultation exercise was launched in 2005 over controversial plans to build 14,400 new houses in the town.
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