BBC Profile:
Between 1945 and 2008 Crewe was represented by just two MPs, both of them Labour. In 1983 the Conservative wards of Nantwich were added, but Labour's Gwyneth Dunwoody remained the MP of the newly expanded seat until her death in 2008. The subsequent by-election was won by Conservative Edward Timpson, the first time the Tories had taken a seat from Labour at a by-election since 1978.
At the election, the seat will lose part of two wards to Eddisbury, and gain part of one in return. 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.
Crewe and Nantwich, in Cheshire, is a socially and politically divided seat. On the one hand Crewe is a working class town, famous for the quality of its engineering works and major railway junction: the West Coast mainline splits at Crewe, with one line going on to Liverpool and one to Manchester. The world-famous cars of Rolls-Royce and Bentley have been manufactured in Crewe's factories.
Crewe Business Park is home to several national and international companies including Bentley, Adtranz, Fujitsu and Osmetech. Manchester Metropolitan University has a large campus outside the town which is undergoing expansion.
By contrast Nantwich is a traditional, middle class market town, famous for its Tudor buildings, antique shops and smaller enterprises, including cheese-making.
Improvements to the West Coast mainline have encouraged furt
[More...]BBC Profile:
Between 1945 and 2008 Crewe was represented by just two MPs, both of them Labour. In 1983 the Conservative wards of Nantwich were added, but Labour's Gwyneth Dunwoody remained the MP of the newly expanded seat until her death in 2008. The subsequent by-election was won by Conservative Edward Timpson, the first time the Tories had taken a seat from Labour at a by-election since 1978.
At the election, the seat will lose part of two wards to Eddisbury, and gain part of one in return. 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.
Crewe and Nantwich, in Cheshire, is a socially and politically divided seat. On the one hand Crewe is a working class town, famous for the quality of its engineering works and major railway junction: the West Coast mainline splits at Crewe, with one line going on to Liverpool and one to Manchester. The world-famous cars of Rolls-Royce and Bentley have been manufactured in Crewe's factories.
Crewe Business Park is home to several national and international companies including Bentley, Adtranz, Fujitsu and Osmetech. Manchester Metropolitan University has a large campus outside the town which is undergoing expansion.
By contrast Nantwich is a traditional, middle class market town, famous for its Tudor buildings, antique shops and smaller enterprises, including cheese-making.
Improvements to the West Coast mainline have encouraged further investment into the town, with quicker rail links from Crewe to Manchester and London.
Crewe town centre and the railway and bus stations are to be redeveloped in a 100m project that will also provide new residential and office space.
Nantwich riverside could also be transformed as part of an ambitious plan to make south Cheshire a popular tourist destination. The Cheshire and Warrington tourist board hopes to create a Weaver Valley Regional Park, which would benefit the picturesque villages along the River Weaver.
Rallings & Thrasher Notional:
Lab 21,860 (48.42%)
C 14,861 (32.92%)
LD 8,421 (18.65%)
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