Our Campaigns - Race Detail Page



New User Account

"A collaborative political resource."

UK Parliament - Birmingham Ladywood

RACE DETAILS

Parents

> United Kingdom > England > West Midlands > West Midlands > Birmingham Ladywood

Office

Parliament

Type

General Election

Filing Deadline

April 19, 2005 - 12:00pm

Polls Open

May 05, 2005 - 01:00am

Polls Close

May 05, 2005 - 05:00pm

Term Start

May 17, 2005 - 12:00pm

Term End

October 20, 2006 - 11:00am

Contributor

Wishful Thinking

Last Modified

Ralphie February 27, 2009 08:17pm

Data Sources

[Link]

Description

This is a very safe Labour seat with a colourful political history. In the 1920s it was held by Neville Chamberlain but then went to Labour. It stayed in their hands until going to the Liberals in 1969. Brian Walden, who won for Labour in 1974, resigned three years later to become the presenter of Weekend World. Clare Short, who quit as International Development Secretary over the Iraq war, has held Ladywood since 1983. Her majority now stands at 18,143, or 57.6%. Locally, Labour also dominates, but the Lib Dems won a surprising four-vote victory in the Nechells ward in 2000. Otherwise, the Justice (formerly Justice for Kashmir) candidates do less well here than in other areas of the city, though the People's Justice Party candidate did poll 6.7% in the 2001 General Election. Ladywood comprises the recently redeveloped City Centre shopping districts of Birmingham, plus an inner-city stretch to the north and west. It also includes Aston University, Winson Green prison and Villa Park. The smartness of the centre and its imposing Victorian buildings are in sharp contrast to the poverty and deprivation of the rest of the constituency. At the time of the 2001 Election, Ladywood had the highest unemployment (13%) of any constituency in the country. Aston is one of the most deprived wards in the UK.