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> United Kingdom > England > South West > South West
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| Established | November 24, 1885 |
| Disbanded | Still Active |
| Contributor | RP |
| Last Modified | RBH November 16, 2021 04:47pm |
| Description |
The main town in this largely rural seat is Dorchester, or Casterbridge to readers of Thomas Hardy. It was here that Judge Jeffries held one of the bloodiest of assizes, sentencing 292 to death or transportation following the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685. In 1834 the Tolpuddle Martyrs were sentenced to seven years exile in Tasmania. Today the trend is more towards incoming tourists than outward-bound "malefactors", and the area as a whole has much to interest the visitor. There is Hardy's old house at Max Gate, Sherborne Castle, Maiden Castle - the largest hill fort in Britain - and Lyme Regis, an increasingly popular seaside resort. This is a seat principally made up of small villages and market towns, with an elderly population. Among those of working age, there are a high proportion of self-employed people. This should add up to an extremely safe Conservative seat, but after a wobble in 1997, when the Tory majority over the Lib Dems fell to just 3.4%, it became a major battleground in 2001. This was exacerbated by the incumbent Oliver Letwin making some remarks about tax cuts which appeared to contradict the party's policy, making himself the target of Labour attacks, and a well-organised campaign calling for tactical voting. However, Mr Letwin managed narrowly to survive on a high turnout.
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