Cheltenham
Liberal Democrat hold

As in the case of the other large West Country spa town, Bath, Cheltenham has become a Liberal Democrat stronghold at both local and parliamentary level over the last couple of decades; indeed although their advance started on the council, they are now stronger in General Elections, as the Tories actually outpolled them in May 1999 and May 2000. Although injured in the stabbing assault at his constituency surgery in which his agent was killed, Liberal Democrat MP Nigel Jones will fight Cheltenham for a third time, and a third victory is to be expected as his party is now very well established in the distinguished and elegantly laid out Cotswolds town which is also a prosperous hub of commercial enterprise as well as the well publicised headquarters of the secret government communications centre, GCHQ.

Bearded, former ICI computer consultant Nigel Jones won the seat for the Liberal Democrats in 1992 on the back of white resentment of the black Conservative candidate. He held it in 1997, and narrowly missed being killed in January 1998 by a crazed samurai sword-wielding constituent, who killed a Liberal Democrat councillor during the attack. It was this incident that brought the uncharismatic Jones, born locally in 1944 and educated at Prince Henry's Grammar School, Evesham, to national public attention, though he had long been an effective ward heeler in his constituency, especially on the big local issue of union rights at GCHQ.

Cheltenham Labour Party

Cheltenham Conservative Party

Cheltenham Borough Council

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 17.63% 14.99% 117.56 Affluent Greys, Rural Communities 0.00% 2.13% 0.00 Prosperous Pensioners, Retirement Areas 3.94% 2.49% 158.66 Expanding Affluent Executives, Family Areas 1.65% 4.43% 37.17 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 4.62% 7.27% 63.56 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 6.41% 2.56% 250.12 Prosperous Professionals, Metropolitan Areas 1.58% 2.04% 77.23 Better-Off Executives, Inner City Areas 8.12% 3.94% 205.88 Settling Comfortable Middle Agers, Mature Home Owning Areas 13.70% 13.04% 105.09 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 11.51% 12.70% 90.59 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 8.73% 8.14% 107.19 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 8.63% 4.02% 214.64 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 2.87% 3.19% 90.09 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 7.16% 11.31% 63.31 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 0.82% 3.06% 26.79 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 2.37% 2.52% 93.99 People in Multi-Ethnic, Low-Income Areas 0.00% 2.10% 0.00 Unclassified Unclassified 0.26% 0.06% 421.12

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   £0-5K 9.29% 9.41% 98.70 £5-10K 16.37% 16.63% 98.44 £10-15K 16.65% 16.58% 100.42 £15-20K 13.82% 13.58% 101.77 £20-25K 10.63% 10.39% 102.32 £25-30K 7.95% 7.77% 102.30 £30-35K 5.90% 5.79% 101.92 £35-40K 4.39% 4.33% 101.35 £40-45K 3.29% 3.27% 100.68 £45-50K 2.48% 2.48% 99.98 £50-55K 1.89% 1.90% 99.27 £55-60K 1.45% 1.47% 98.58 £60-65K 1.13% 1.15% 97.90 £65-70K 0.88% 0.91% 97.25 £70-75K 0.69% 0.72% 96.63 £75-80K 0.55% 0.57% 96.04 £80-85K 0.44% 0.46% 95.47 £85-90K 0.36% 0.37% 94.93 £90-95K 0.29% 0.31% 94.41 £95-100K 0.23% 0.25% 93.91 £100K + 1.22% 1.34% 90.87