Chorley
Labour hold

Yet another Lancashire marginal gained by Labour in 1997, Chorley seems a safer hold next time that some seats nearby, at least when analysing the results of very recent local elections. Whereas the Conservatives seized almost every ward in Hyndburn and Rossendale in May 2000, they only took 7 of the 16 available in Chorley Borough, and outpolled Labour by only 3pc across the 16 wards contested. This suggests that Lindsay Hoyle (son of Doug, the former Warrington MP) is in a strong position to resist the nine per cent negative swing needed to lose the Chorley seat.

Born into a life of politics as an MP’s son, if bearing little physical resemblance to his father Doug (now Lord) Hoyle, Lindsay Hoyle won Chorley for Labour in 1997. He proceeded to act as a local ambassador on job protection in aerospace, textiles and Royal Ordnance and defence of northwestern regionalist interests. Chubby-faced and beaky-nosed with a partly poshed-up version of his father’s voice, he was born in 1957, educated at Bolton School and FE college and owned a printing business. His ambivalent name must be blamed on his father who is of the generation who knew of the Australian cricket captain, Lindsay Hassett. In the wake of Princess Diana’s death he called for Heathrow Airport to be named after her.

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 22.54% 14.99% 150.31 Affluent Greys, Rural Communities 0.00% 2.13% 0.00 Prosperous Pensioners, Retirement Areas 0.48% 2.49% 19.31 Expanding Affluent Executives, Family Areas 8.67% 4.43% 195.93 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 17.05% 7.27% 234.39 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 0.17% 2.56% 6.48 Prosperous Professionals, Metropolitan Areas 0.00% 2.04% 0.00 Better-Off Executives, Inner City Areas 0.80% 3.94% 20.21 Settling Comfortable Middle Agers, Mature Home Owning Areas 13.57% 13.04% 104.11 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 17.26% 12.70% 135.86 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 6.44% 8.14% 79.09 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 1.32% 4.02% 32.84 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 2.52% 3.19% 78.98 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 8.47% 11.31% 74.84 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 0.20% 3.06% 6.39 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 0.50% 2.52% 19.70 People in Multi-Ethnic, Low-Income Areas 0.00% 2.10% 0.00 Unclassified Unclassified 0.03% 0.06% 53.94

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   £0-5K 7.35% 9.41% 78.07 £5-10K 14.95% 16.63% 89.86 £10-15K 16.06% 16.58% 96.89 £15-20K 13.81% 13.58% 101.70 £20-25K 10.93% 10.39% 105.17 £25-30K 8.38% 7.77% 107.75 £30-35K 6.35% 5.79% 109.68 £35-40K 4.81% 4.33% 111.12 £40-45K 3.66% 3.27% 112.17 £45-50K 2.80% 2.48% 112.90 £50-55K 2.16% 1.90% 113.38 £55-60K 1.68% 1.47% 113.66 £60-65K 1.31% 1.15% 113.78 £65-70K 1.03% 0.91% 113.75 £70-75K 0.82% 0.72% 113.62 £75-80K 0.65% 0.57% 113.40 £80-85K 0.52% 0.46% 113.10 £85-90K 0.42% 0.37% 112.74 £90-95K 0.34% 0.31% 112.33 £95-100K 0.28% 0.25% 111.89 £100K + 1.45% 1.34% 107.92