Election 97

Wells


Result 97 gain
from Conservative
Current MP 97 David Heathcoat-Amory
Majority 0 ( 0.0%)
Conservative 97 22,208 (39.4%)
Labour 97 10,204 (18.1%)
LibDem 97 21,680 (38.5%)
Nationalist 97 0 ( 0.0%)
Other 97 2,288 ( 4.1%)
Elected party 97
Electorate 97 72,178
Turnout 97 56,380 (78.1%)



1992 MP David Heathcoat-Amory
Old constituency name Wells
Majority 92 6,649 (11.5%)
Conservative 92 28,620 (49.6%)
Labour 92 6,126 (10.6%)
LibDem 92 21,971 (38.0%)
Nationalist 92 0 ( 0.0%)
Other 92 1,042 ( 1.8%)
Elected party 92 Conservative
Electorate 92 70,105
Turnout 92 57,759 (82.4%)
Wells



Tory change -10.2%
Labour change +7.5%
Lib Dem change +0.4%
Nationalist change +0.0%
Other change +2.3%
Electorate change +3.0%
Turnout Change -4.3%
Robert Waller wrote

Liberal (Democrat) candidates have achieved a strong second place in the last six general elections in the Wells constituency in the Mendip hills of Somerset. Yet there is always a feeling that they lack the power to push forward and actually take victory in the seat. They must have high hopes next time, for the Conservatives are seen to be in a position of national weakness, and the Liberal Democrats are dominant in politics in Somerset from local to Euro-level; but they will need to maintain the squeeze on Tony Blair's surging New Labour party if they are to close the gap of over 6,500 votes of Tory MP David Heathcoat-Amory in Wells.

This is an attractive seat running from the Mendips, with the small cathedral city of Wells and the counter-culture centre of Glastonbury, to the Bristol Channel at Burnham on Sea. One interesting feature this time is that the Labour candidate is Michael Eavis, who runs the pop music festival on his farmland at Pilton, near Glastonbury.


Super Profiles

4,654 11.85 9.03 131
8,155 20.77 11.17 186
3,441 8.76 11.25 78
5,949 15.15 14.70 103
333 0.85 10.45 8
2,616 6.66 2.81 237
5,348 13.62 8.01 170
7,655 19.50 15.25 128
187 0.48 7.13 7
420 1.07 10.17 11