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> United Kingdom > England > London > London
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| Established | December 14, 1918 |
| Disbanded | Still Active |
| Contributor | RP |
| Last Modified | RBH April 18, 2021 11:12pm |
| Description |
After Michael Portillo's mauling in Enfield Southgate, the demise of David Mellor in Putney was one of the key moments in the 1997 general election. The pro-European, Chelsea-supporting former heritage secretary, who resigned eventually in 1992 after publicity about his private life, was challenged by the then leader of the Referendum Party, the late Sir James Goldsmith. Goldsmith polled 3.5% of the vote but Labour won the seat in the person of Tony Colman, chair of the Low Pay Unit from 1990 and, as a Burton Group director 1969-90, founder of the Top Shop clothing chain. Current cabinet minister and Leader of the House Peter Hain contested this seat unsuccessfully in 1983 and 1987. Putney is comfortable south-west London, nestling between Barnes Common, Putney Heath, Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park. Like neighbouring Richmond Park constituency, it is strongly middle-class and affluent. But unlike Richmond where anti-Tory tactical vote unseated Jeremy Hanley and brought in the Lib Dems' Jenny Tonge, here the victors of the anti-Conservative vote were Labour. There are some large council estates in Roehampton and these bring the party support. The Tories benefited here, as in most of the London borough of Wandsworth, by the very low levels of council tax levied by one of Margaret Thatcher's flagship councils. In 2001 Putney had the unique distinction of being the only Labour constituency with no Labour councillors. With an 84% white population, a high proportion of well-qualified middle and upper tier managers and professionals, just above-average unemployment and the fourth highest proportion of those working in real estate, this is a surprising Labour seat. The Tories had expected to do better in 2001 with a local candidate but Tony Colman increased his majority.
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