Bassetlaw
Labour hold

Joe Ashton, an archetypal bluff northern MP, held Bassetlaw in a by-election in 1968, which says much, since that was during a period when the Labour government was deeply unpopular and they were losing seats right, left and centre. Bassetlaw has remained loyal to Ashton for more than 30 years, despite a recent scandal, but he has now announced his retirement. Where is Bassetlaw? The answer is that it is that wedge at the very tip of north Nottinghamshire, based on Worksop, an industrial town that once boasted three mines within its boundaries. Bassetlaw was actually the name of a medieval "hundred" or group of parishes. There are rural elements here, but the urban and industrial is predominant, and if it remained in old Labour's hands in 1968, it will certainly support New Labour well into the 21st century. The new Labour candidate is John Mann.

John Mann, replacing the tabloid-exposed 32-year veteran Joe Ashton for Labour here, is a former Millbank apparatchik as National Trade Unions and Labour Party liaison officer, and before that an AEEU official. Born in 1960, and educated as a scholarship boy at Bradford Grammar School and Manchester University, he wrote a Fabian Society publication in 1985 called 'Labour and Youth, the Missing Generation'. He joined Labour aged 14, and as a union official rose to head the AEEU's Research & Education department, but is currently a self-employed small businessman. He is one of seven replacements for retiring Labour MPs to reflect Labour's still-important union links.

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 18.13% 14.99% 120.90 Affluent Greys, Rural Communities 1.61% 2.13% 75.59 Prosperous Pensioners, Retirement Areas 0.76% 2.49% 30.58 Expanding Affluent Executives, Family Areas 3.92% 4.43% 88.49 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 6.30% 7.27% 86.64 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 0.00% 2.56% 0.00 Prosperous Professionals, Metropolitan Areas 0.00% 2.04% 0.00 Better-Off Executives, Inner City Areas 0.89% 3.94% 22.55 Settling Comfortable Middle Agers, Mature Home Owning Areas 11.67% 13.04% 89.47 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 24.62% 12.70% 193.80 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 16.91% 8.14% 207.71 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 0.61% 4.02% 15.26 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 3.09% 3.19% 96.86 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 9.51% 11.31% 84.12 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 0.77% 3.06% 25.23 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 1.19% 2.52% 47.18 People in Multi-Ethnic, Low-Income Areas 0.00% 2.10% 0.00 Unclassified Unclassified 0.03% 0.06% 41.01

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   £0-5K 11.78% 9.41% 125.19 £5-10K 20.80% 16.63% 125.07 £10-15K 18.94% 16.58% 114.26 £15-20K 14.02% 13.58% 103.21 £20-25K 9.77% 10.39% 94.04 £25-30K 6.75% 7.77% 86.78 £30-35K 4.69% 5.79% 81.04 £35-40K 3.31% 4.33% 76.45 £40-45K 2.37% 3.27% 72.71 £45-50K 1.73% 2.48% 69.60 £50-55K 1.28% 1.90% 66.97 £55-60K 0.95% 1.47% 64.71 £60-65K 0.72% 1.15% 62.75 £65-70K 0.55% 0.91% 61.02 £70-75K 0.43% 0.72% 59.49 £75-80K 0.33% 0.57% 58.11 £80-85K 0.26% 0.46% 56.87 £85-90K 0.21% 0.37% 55.75 £90-95K 0.17% 0.31% 54.72 £95-100K 0.13% 0.25% 53.78 £100K + 0.66% 1.34% 49.33