Most conservative part of the UK?

[CumbrianLefty]

I think the more interesting question would be which part of England is the most conservative.

That is indeed a good one.

Though I would be interested in the reasoning of those who chose Wales in the above poll

[CumbrianLefty]

Northern Ireland. The Orange-y parts of Scotland are pretty right wing too.

There's little difference in voting behaviour historically except in 2017 and on constitutional issues.

That is mostly true in the last half century or so, yes.

Going further back, though, it was rather different.

[CumbrianLefty]

Lincs is a pretty good shout (not least because it is *very* white, more so than either Kent or Essex)

[CumbrianLefty]

the first answer that comes to me is Surrey: absolutely no Labour tradition (the county has never elected a Labour MP, and even the areas of the county that were absorbed into London contains some of the most anti-Labour regions of the capital), no real Liberal tradition (they returned 3 Liberals in the 1906 landslide and Guildford ramdomly returned a Lib Dem in 2001; they've enjoyed some local success, but as small c-conservatives), no radical tradition before then (well, unless you go to like, the Diggers, who weren't exactly popular locally). It basically transitioned seamlessly from sleepy gentry-controlled rural fiefdom to favoured domitary of the most well-off of London commuters, with little of the more working-class/lower middle-class towns that dot many of the other supposed "bourgeois" Home Counties. Of course, in the supposed realignement of Brexit, the Lib Dems desperately tried excising Tory domination, but their efforts proved fruitless.

One partial sort of exception - Spelthorne elected a Labour MP in 1945. However it was wholly in Middlesex at that time, and a lot of the seat then is in Greater London now.

[CumbrianLefty]

the first answer that comes to me is Surrey: absolutely no Labour tradition (the county has never elected a Labour MP, and even the areas of the county that were absorbed into London contains some of the most anti-Labour regions of the capital), no real Liberal tradition (they returned 3 Liberals in the 1906 landslide and Guildford ramdomly returned a Lib Dem in 2001; they've enjoyed some local success, but as small c-conservatives), no radical tradition before then (well, unless you go to like, the Diggers, who weren't exactly popular locally). It basically transitioned seamlessly from sleepy gentry-controlled rural fiefdom to favoured domitary of the most well-off of London commuters, with little of the more working-class/lower middle-class towns that dot many of the other supposed "bourgeois" Home Counties. Of course, in the supposed realignement of Brexit, the Lib Dems desperately tried excising Tory domination, but their efforts proved fruitless.

One partial sort of exception - Spelthorne elected a Labour MP in 1945. However it was wholly in Middlesex at that time, and a lot of the seat then is in Greater London now.

Croydon South elected a Labour MP in 1945 (on boundaries much more like the present Croydon Central), as did Wimbledon and Mitcham, and they were all still in Surrey at the time. Although even those were narrow victories, so Surrey's claim to be the most conservative part of the UK still stands up.

Though I think its the post Greater London definition of Surrey that is being used here.

[CumbrianLefty]

LibDems had several near misses in Dorset prior to coalition, even if frustratingly few actual wins.