Election 97

Dover


Result 97 gain
from Conservative
Current MP 97 David Shaw
Majority 0 ( 0.0%)
Conservative 97 17,796 (32.8%)
Labour 97 29,535 (54.5%)
LibDem 97 4,302 ( 7.9%)
Nationalist 97 0 ( 0.0%)
Other 97 2,567 ( 4.7%)
Elected party 97
Electorate 97 68,669
Turnout 97 54,200 (78.9%)



1992 MP David Shaw
Old constituency name Dover
Majority 92 860 ( 1.5%)
Conservative 92 25,443 (44.1%)
Labour 92 24,583 (42.6%)
LibDem 92 6,234 (10.8%)
Nationalist 92 0 ( 0.0%)
Other 92 1,422 ( 2.5%)
Elected party 92 Conservative
Electorate 92 69,646
Turnout 92 57,682 (82.8%)
Dover



Tory change -11.3%
Labour change +11.9%
Lib Dem change -2.9%
Nationalist change +0.0%
Other change +2.3%
Electorate change -1.4%
Turnout Change -3.9%
Robert Waller wrote

There are currently no Labour seats out of any of the 17 in the populous south-eastern county of Kent. This is very likely to change at the next election. If it does, the most likely constituency to be gained is Dover.

At the 1992 election Labour made considerable advances in the Dover seat, mainly by squeezing the Liberal Democrat share in third place, but failed to oust the voluble Conservative MP David Shaw, who held on by 833 votes. The seat's boundaries have not been changed for the next election, which means that Labour only need a swing of three-quarters of 1 per cent to take it; it is number 13 on their national target list, which means that they could actually gain it, yet still fail to become the largest party or form a government.

Besides the characteristics of Dover as an active working port, the seat also includes the remnants of the defunct Kent coalfield around Aylesham and the Mill Hill sector of Deal. These are the Labour strongholds. In return, other parts of the coast, including the rest of the town of Deal are better for the Tories. It is a mixed and heterogeneous seat, and the contest here will be tough and even bitter.


Super Profiles

755 1.86 9.03 21
9,446 23.26 11.17 208
4,226 10.41 11.25 93
7,169 17.65 14.70 120
1,222 3.01 10.45 29
678 1.67 2.81 59
5,872 14.46 8.01 180
7,653 18.84 15.25 124
1,047 2.58 7.13 36
1,798 4.43 10.17 44