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UK Parliament - Manchester Central

RACE DETAILS

Parents

> United Kingdom > England > North West > North West > Manchester Central

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 11:25pm

Data Sources

[Link]

Description

Manchester Central was first created in 1974 when the city's seats were reduced in number from 10 to eight mirroring the decline in population. In the last general election it had the second lowest turn-out in the whole country - 39.1%. This constituency now includes much more of the inner city area than it did previously - including the troubled Moss Side district, Manchester University, the BBC, Granada Studios (with Coronation Street and the replica of the House of Commons Chamber), Boddington's Brewery and Strangeways Prison. It also contains the commercial and retail heart of the city which has been rebuilt after its devastation by an IRA bomb in 1996. The Metrolink tram system connects the main railway termini of Victoria and Piccadilly across the city centre. The paradox is that, for all its generated wealth, this is a very poor and deprived constituency. Extensive gentrification is attracting young professionals back to the new and revamped housing, and there is a large rented sector (half of which is local authority owned). Chinatown is thriving and the area has one of the highest proportions of Chinese residents in the UK. There is also a considerable student population. Almost 58% of residents do not have access to a car and the level of teenage pregnancies and young single mothers is among the highest in the country. Unemployment is high. Of those who do work a significant percentage is employed in the catering and hotel industries, but most of the workers here are commuters. Former Stretford MP (1983-1997) and Foreign Office minister Tony Lloyd has held this seat for eight years. His majority in 2001 was 53%.