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"A collaborative political resource." |
UK Parliament - Leigh
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> United Kingdom > England > North West > North West > Leigh
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| 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 | Wishful Thinking June 16, 2005 08:05pm |
| Data Sources | [Link] |
| Description | Between Manchester and Liverpool, to the south west of Wigan and roughly bordered by the M6, M61 and M62, lie the small working-class communities and the rugby-league town of Leigh that make up the parliamentary constituency of the same name. It is one of three former Lancashire coalfield constituencies seen as a Labour safe seat. It has been Labour since 1922, with a five-figure majority ever since 1945, and has never elected a Conservative MP. The last set of boundary changes in 1995 took away 11,000 voters to Worsley and replaced them with 11,000 from Makerfield. This nominally reduced Labour's majority but this was more than offset by the national swing to the party in 1997. This is an almost entirely white population [98.5%] with 71% owner-occupation. Although the traditional industries of mining and textiles have long since disappeared, light industry in the form of printing and electronics is now well established in Leigh, Atherton and Hindley. Leigh's name means "meadow", expressing its rural origins and, until the late 1800s, the district was noted for its dairy produce, especially cheese. Industrialisation in the 18th and 19th Centuries brought growth and wealth boosted by new rail and water connections. The Leigh branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, once busy with barges, is now popular with walkers and cyclists. Labour's Andy Burnham took over this seat from Lawrence Cunliffe in 2001. |
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