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UK Parliament - Crosby

RACE DETAILS

Parents

> United Kingdom > England > North West > North West > Crosby

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

May 17, 2010 - 11:00am

Contributor

Wishful Thinking

Last Modified

RBH May 07, 2010 09:49pm

Data Sources

[Link]

Description

Crosby is a predominantly middle-class, residential constituency on the Merseyside coast on the way to Southport. It includes both the town of the same name and Formby and is worlds away from its impoverished and deprived neighbour, Bootle. This is commuter country and retirement land - 45% of residents are over 45. Crosby's Blundellsands is a sought-after residential area while Formby has its own 'Millionaires' Row' in the neighbourhood of Freshfield. Overall, 81% of households are owner-occupied. Labour's win in Crosby in 1997 was nothing short of sensational. It was one of the first constituencies to be declared on election night and Clare Curtis-Tansley (now Curtis-Thomas) won with a swing of 18%, overturning Sir Malcolm Thornton's 9,000 majority with a 7,000 majority of her own. Against national trends, she even managed to increase her majority here in 2001 to 8,353 - 22.7%. Crosby was no stranger to political drama. In 1981, 63 years of Conservative hegemony here were interrupted by Shirley Williams and the SDP who won a by-election, only for the Conservatives to win the seat back again at the general election two years later. Sir Malcolm Thornton then continued his representation of Crosby until it was abruptly terminated in 1997. Clare Curtis-Thomas was the first of the new intake of women Labour MPs to give birth, taking six months' maternity leave. She has frequently called for baby-friendly facilities to be introduced to the House of Commons.