Election 97

Luton South

Current MP Graham Bright
Conservative 97 15,109
Labour 97 26,428
LibDem 97 4,610
Nationalist 97 0
Other 97 832
Elected party
Luton South

Robert Waller wrote
Old constituency Luton South
Conservative 92 22,928
Labour 92 22,396
LibDem 92 5,795
Nationalist 92 0
Other 92 676
Elected party Conservative

Luton South contains most of the institutions associated in the public mind with this rather unglamorous Bedfordshire town: the Vauxhall motor works, the airport which is so popular with European holiday package operators and the huge Arndale shopping centre. The Conservatives did really well to hold the functional heart of Luton in the 1992 election, even though it was only by 799 votes. Next time they might not be so successful, or fortunate.

Boundary changes are neutral as just one ward, Saints, is transferred from Luton North. Labour has usually been able to win at least one seat in Luton; they held the old unified constituency in a 1963 by-election, 1964 and 1966, and they won both Luton seats when it was first divided in 1974. They must now believe they can win South, certainly, and maybe even North, in 1997.


Super Profiles

984 2.42 9.03 27
673 1.66 11.17 15
5,183 12.76 11.25 113
6,254 15.39 14.70 105
12,226 30.09 10.45 288
149 0.37 2.81 13
7,142 17.58 8.01 219
3,850 9.48 15.25 62
1,155 2.84 7.13 40
2,684 6.61 10.17 65