Our Campaigns - UK Parliament - Bury South Race

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UK Parliament - Bury South

RACE DETAILS

Parents

> United Kingdom > England > North West > North West > Bury South

Office

Parliament

Honorific

Member of Parliament - Abbr: MP

Type

General Election

Filing Deadline

April 19, 2005 - 12:00pm Central

Polls Open

May 05, 2005 - 01:00am Central

Polls Close

May 05, 2005 - 05:00pm Central

Term Start

May 17, 2005 - 12:00pm

Term End

May 17, 2010 - 11:00am

Contributor

Wishful Thinking

Last Modified

Wishful Thinking June 14, 2005 06:15pm

Data Sources

[Link]

Description

Labour failed to achieve the 3% swing required in 1992 to unseat Conservative David Sumberg who had been MP Bury South since the constituency's creation in 1983. In 1997 this was Labour's 11th target seat and Ivan Lewis took it with a swing of 13%. Labour did well in both the 1999 European and 2000 local elections and Ivan Lewis managed to increase his majority in 2001. The constituency includes Prestwich, a declining but still desirable suburb with a large Jewish population. Both the previous and present MPs are Jewish. The population overall is 95% white, higher even than in Bury North. There is 73% owner-occupation (compared with 78% in North). Bury South is generally more urban in character than its northern neighbour. Whitefield and Radcliffe have suffered from a declining industrial base and have not really encouraged the residential or retail developments of Bury as a whole. There are, however, tourist attractions like the East Lancashire steam railway, Lancashire Fusiliers Museum and the green expanses of Heaton Park. Transport links are good with the Metrolink Light Transit system connecting Bury to Manchester, the M62 and M66 motorways, and Manchester Airport about half an hour away.