Great Yarmouth gain from Conservative Michael Carttiss 0 ( 0.0%) 17,416 (35.6%) 26,084 (53.4%) 5,381 (11.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 68,625 48,881 (71.2%) Michael Carttiss Great Yarmouth 5,309 (10.0%) 25,505 (47.9%) 20,196 (38.0%) 7,225 (13.6%) 0 ( 0.0%) 284 ( 0.5%) Conservative 68,334 53,210 (77.9%) -12.3% +15.4% -2.6% +0.0% -0.5% +0.4% -6.6% Labour's strength in the East Anglian county of Norfolk back in the 1950s was concentrated in the more rural areas - a rare example of an area of strong agricultural trade unionism. This rapidly declined in the 1960s and subsequently, and now Labour's only chance of a gain in the county (apart from in urban Norwich North) is in the rather unlikely setting of a coastal resort and port, Great Yarmouth. Labour held Great Yarmouth in the Commons from 1945 to 1951 and again from 1966 to 1970, but they never came at all near again until 1992, when a swing of over 5 per cent from the Conservatives reduced the majority to little over 5,000: the sort of margin that Mr Blair's renewed 'New Labour' party is seriously looking at as they entertain hopes of forming a government on their own, perhaps with an overall majority, in 1997. Certainly they can take encouragement from local government elections in the borough of Great Yarmouth, which they have controlled easily for some years. There are solidly Labour supporting council estate wards, and overall the seat is average or just below in its class composition. In this eastern coastal town, they might just be able to make gains as they believe they can win on other coasts in places like Brighton (Pavilion), Blackpool (South) and Dover. 894 2.20 9.03 24 6,572 16.15 11.17 145 2,797 6.88 11.25 61 6,782 16.67 14.70 113 607 1.49 10.45 14 724 1.78 2.81 63 9,105 22.38 8.01 279 7,653 18.81 15.25 123 1,411 3.47 7.13 49 3,853 9.47 10.17 93