English Local Elections 2006

[yorkshiredave]

Few comments on the West Yorkshire map:

Tories only hold one seat at Westminster - 21 Shipley. Map clearly highlights the seats that the Tories should be looking to pick up at the next GE.

5 Calder Valley and 6 Colne Valley, Labour seem to be shut out at the 2006 Locals. Seem to remember the local tories lost their candidates in both these seats in the run upto the 2005 election, the fallout from this may have had an adverse effect on the 2005 result. In future GE these should be first tory gains.  

12 Keighley includes true blue wards like Ilkley in the North and the 3 Keighley town wards which were won by Labour in 2006 (and BNP defeated in recent byelection!). Labour may struggle to hold, especially if local MP Ann Cryer stands down at next GE.

The 4 seats covering North Leeds were all Conservative prior to '97. 20 Pudsey and 8 Elmet tories now lead in local election votes. However labour majority in both seats held up well in 2005. With tory strongholds in both seats, they should be aiming to win both in any future GE.

16 Leeds NW - 3 way marginal. Boundary changes shown below have moved  LD/Lab voters out of seat from old Headingley Ward full of students. Should help tories in future.

15 Leeds North East. Boundary changes haven't helped tories. Ward 30 Roundhay gained inner city bits while losing tory voters to the North of the ring road. Also changing demographics in the Seat, may now make this harder to win back for the tories.

22 Wakefield and 7 Dewsbury have changed significantly due to boundary changes, Dewsbury especially has gained conservative wards. In both seats tories were ahead of labour in 2006 votes. If tories start to again pick up votes from skilled manual workers could go blue in GE.

Sad to see pockets of the brown BNP in W Yorks, now have councillors on 4 of the 5 councils. Only Wakefield BNP free.