Kensington & Chelsea
Conservative hold

Surely one of the safest Conservative seats in the country, if not the safest, it is a fair bet that whatever his longer-term future, Michael Portillo will not suffer another public humiliation on Election Night 2001 as in Enfield Southgate in 1997. The Tory vote here is not only massive, but it is solid, and low-swinging. With its convenient location in southwest-central London, and omitting the Labour-inclined wards of far north Kensington at the 'wrong' end of Ladbroke Grove, it is indeed a plum seat for whichever Conservative (in recent years these have been a colourful breed in Kensington and Chelsea) holds it.

Michael Portillo, the emblematically unpopular, if dignified, Thatcherite victim of May 1997, was elected here at the November 1999 byelection in revamped socially-conscious form, including admission of his earlier homosexuality. Born 1953 and educated at Harrow County School for Boys and Peterhouse, Cambridge, he worked as a party apparatchik for eight years until first entering the Commons in 1984. A consummate professional politician, as demonstrated by first his advocacy, and then demolition, of the poll tax, and his rebranding in opposition, his move from Shadow Chancellor to Leader of the Opposition depends on the scale of the Conservatives' anticipated second defeat.

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 0.25% 14.99% 1.64 Affluent Greys, Rural Communities 0.05% 2.13% 2.57 Prosperous Pensioners, Retirement Areas 0.98% 2.49% 39.40 Expanding Affluent Executives, Family Areas 0.03% 4.43% 0.76 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 0.01% 7.27% 0.14 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 22.20% 2.56% 865.75 Prosperous Professionals, Metropolitan Areas 7.31% 2.04% 358.16 Better-Off Executives, Inner City Areas 63.73% 3.94% 1,616.02 Settling Comfortable Middle Agers, Mature Home Owning Areas 0.20% 13.04% 1.53 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 0.00% 12.70% 0.00 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 0.00% 8.14% 0.00 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 0.41% 4.02% 10.18 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 0.00% 3.19% 0.00 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 0.00% 11.31% 0.00 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 2.62% 3.06% 85.55 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 0.00% 2.52% 0.00 People in Multi-Ethnic, Low-Income Areas 2.08% 2.10% 99.13 Unclassified Unclassified 0.12% 0.06% 195.54

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   £0-5K 2.55% 9.41% 27.10 £5-10K 6.22% 16.63% 37.43 £10-15K 8.70% 16.58% 52.48 £15-20K 9.61% 13.58% 70.77 £20-25K 9.48% 10.39% 91.20 £25-30K 8.78% 7.77% 112.97 £30-35K 7.85% 5.79% 135.46 £35-40K 6.85% 4.33% 158.17 £40-45K 5.90% 3.27% 180.77 £45-50K 5.04% 2.48% 203.01 £50-55K 4.28% 1.90% 224.72 £55-60K 3.62% 1.47% 245.77 £60-65K 3.06% 1.15% 266.12 £65-70K 2.59% 0.91% 285.70 £70-75K 2.19% 0.72% 304.52 £75-80K 1.85% 0.57% 322.57 £80-85K 1.57% 0.46% 339.87 £85-90K 1.34% 0.37% 356.43 £90-95K 1.14% 0.31% 372.28 £95-100K 0.97% 0.25% 387.44 £100K + 6.33% 1.34% 470.70