BBC Profile:
The old Grantham seat has long been Conservative, represented since 1979 by Douglas Hogg. The boundary changes for 1997 removed the town of Grantham itself and adding North Hykeham, Skellingthorpe and Waddington, largely suburban voting areas to the south of Lincoln. Based on 1992 figures Hogg was defending a notional majority of nearly 20,000. The (notional) swing to Labour here was 13.4% leaving him with an actual majority of just over 5,000.

But four years later a 4% swing back to the Conservatives boosted Hogg's majority back to a comfortable 8,622; and in 2005 Douglas Hogg increased his majority to five figures.

At the election, boundary changes see Skellingthorpe and part-ward Bracebridge Heath and Waddington East move to Lincoln, while Barrowby, Peascliffe and part-wards Heighington and Washingborough, Witham Valley, and Ermine move into this seat. To find out what might have happened had this boundary change been in force at the last election, see a notional - or estimated - result below.

This is a largely rural constituency of villages, suburbs and small towns; the largest town, Sleaford, has only approximately 13,000 inhabitants. This area has long been dependent on farming and market gardening on its rich land, much of it reclaimed from the marshes.

Though agriculture has declined, many people still work in related and dependent businesses, including the manufacture of trailers and agricultural equipment. Another source of local employment

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BBC Profile:
The old Grantham seat has long been Conservative, represented since 1979 by Douglas Hogg. The boundary changes for 1997 removed the town of Grantham itself and adding North Hykeham, Skellingthorpe and Waddington, largely suburban voting areas to the south of Lincoln. Based on 1992 figures Hogg was defending a notional majority of nearly 20,000. The (notional) swing to Labour here was 13.4% leaving him with an actual majority of just over 5,000.

But four years later a 4% swing back to the Conservatives boosted Hogg's majority back to a comfortable 8,622; and in 2005 Douglas Hogg increased his majority to five figures.

At the election, boundary changes see Skellingthorpe and part-ward Bracebridge Heath and Waddington East move to Lincoln, while Barrowby, Peascliffe and part-wards Heighington and Washingborough, Witham Valley, and Ermine move into this seat. To find out what might have happened had this boundary change been in force at the last election, see a notional - or estimated - result below.

This is a largely rural constituency of villages, suburbs and small towns; the largest town, Sleaford, has only approximately 13,000 inhabitants. This area has long been dependent on farming and market gardening on its rich land, much of it reclaimed from the marshes.

Though agriculture has declined, many people still work in related and dependent businesses, including the manufacture of trailers and agricultural equipment. Another source of local employment is the RAF with its staff college at Cranwell and important bases at Digby and Waddinton, home to the AWACS aircraft.

Otherwise, this is a constituency of commuters. The major centres of Lincoln, Newark and Grantham are just outside its borders and many travel further to work to Nottingham, Leicester and even London (little more than an hour from Grantham on the East Coast main line).

Rallings & Thrasher Notional:
C 26,566 (50.56%)
Lab 13,879 (26.41%)
LD 9,485 (18.05%)
UKIP 2,614 (4.97%)

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