|
|
|
Christchurch
|
|
gain
from Conservative
|
|
Diana Maddock
|
|
0 ( 0.0%)
|
|
26,095 (46.4%)
|
|
3,884 ( 6.9%)
|
|
23,930 (42.6%)
|
|
0 ( 0.0%)
|
|
2,290 ( 4.1%)
|
|
|
|
71,488
|
|
56,199 (78.6%)
|
|
Diana Maddock
|
|
Christchurch
|
|
22,324 (40.4%)
|
|
35,237 (63.8%)
|
|
6,678 (12.1%)
|
|
12,913 (23.4%)
|
|
0 ( 0.0%)
|
|
418 ( 0.8%)
|
|
|
Conservative
|
|
68,353
|
|
55,246 (80.8%)
|
|
|
-17.3%
|
|
-5.2%
|
|
+19.2%
|
|
+0.0%
|
|
+3.3%
|
|
+4.6%
|
|
-2.2%
|
|
|
|
|
Christchurch, in Dorset just east of Bournemouth, previously one of the ten safest Conservative seats in Britain, made its mark on electoral history in the by-election on 29 July 1993. A Tory majority of 23,000 was turned into a Liberal Democrat victory by over 16,000 votes. The swing was 35%, among the three highest in modern political times.
The question is: can the new MP Diana Maddock hold on after a mid-term by-election triumph which occurred at a time when the government was particularly unpopular, having recently raised VAT on fuel in an area with among the highest proportions of pensioners in the country. This really is Tory heartland territory. 55% of the housing is detached, the highest figure anywhere in Britain. The chances must be that it will return to the Conservatives at the General Election, just as all their losses between 1987 and 1992 did in the latter year. In that event, the winner would be the former minister and Southampton Itchen MP, Christopher Chope.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,448
|
5.96
|
9.03
|
66
|
|
|
13,892
|
33.81
|
11.17
|
303
|
|
|
3,315
|
8.07
|
11.25
|
72
|
|
|
3,017
|
7.34
|
14.70
|
50
|
|
|
497
|
1.21
|
10.45
|
12
|
|
|
224
|
0.55
|
2.81
|
19
|
|
|
8,614
|
20.97
|
8.01
|
262
|
|
|
8,538
|
20.78
|
15.25
|
136
|
|
|
0
|
0.00
|
7.13
|
0
|
|
|
247
|
0.60
|
10.17
|
6
|
|
|
