Election 97

Forest of Dean

Current MP Paul Marland
Conservative 97 17,860
Labour 97 24,203
LibDem 97 6,165
Nationalist 97 0
Other 97 332
Elected party
Forest of Dean

Robert Waller wrote
Old constituency Gloucestershire West
Conservative 92 21,444
Labour 92 22,176
LibDem 92 8,422
Nationalist 92 0
Other 92 204
Elected party Labour

The former West Gloucestershire seat had a Conservative majority of just under 5,000 in 1992. In the most recent boundary changes 17,000 voters have been removed to help boost the electorate in the new and additional Tewkesbury constituency. These are mainly suburban - and Conservative-inclined - electors in the Greater Gloucester area. What remains is the re-creation of the old Forest of Dean seat which existed before 1950. That seat was solidly Labour, apart from an interruption between 1931 and 1935. It looks like once again there will be a Forest of Dean represented by a Labour MP.

The economy of the Forest of Dean was originally shaped by coalmining, although the last colliery closed as long ago as 1965. The gaunt towns of Coleford and Cinderford still exist in the woods as stark reminders of the working-class traditions of the Forest. The likely victor is Labour's Diana Organ, one of the first batch of candidates selected from an all-female shortlist in 1995, before the policy was dropped as discriminatory.


Super Profiles

3,479 9.84 9.03 109
6,565 18.58 11.17 166
5,009 14.17 11.25 126
3,270 9.25 14.70 63
186 0.53 10.45 5
3,203 9.06 2.81 322
482 1.36 8.01 17
10,630 30.08 15.25 197
2,308 6.53 7.13 92
0 0.00 10.17 0