Norwich North
Labour hold

Norwich has a long tradition of radicalism, and Labour are strong favourites to hold both Norwich seats in 2001. The city council is, as it has been for decades, a hopeless no-go area for the Conservatives, although the Liberal Democrats have extended their urban assault on Labour very successfully to Norwich, winning no fewer than 10 of the 16 wards in May 2000, including six gains. This is highly unlikely to make an impact on the parliamentary outcome, however, and the lively Ian Gibson seems set for a second term, even though half of this seat lies outside the city boundaries in the District of Broadland, and it is not as strongly Labour as South, which is entirely within the city.

Dr Ian Gibson, one of a score of Scots representing Labour in English seats, won here in 1997. With fading good looks and an ironical air, a recycled ex-Trot from the Socialist Workers' Party, he was born in 1938, educated at Dumfries Academy and at Edinburgh, Indiana and Washington Universities, and was a biologist at East Anglia University for 26 years. Entering the Commons at 58, a specialist in biotechnological research, and a spokesman on most things scientific, he takes a pragmatic line on various of the new orthodoxies, such as hostility to genetically modified organisms, and support for all-women shortlists, and has only rebelled selectively - on lone parent, and disability, benefit cuts.

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 11.37% 14.99% 75.81 Affluent Greys, Rural Communities 0.00% 2.13% 0.00 Prosperous Pensioners, Retirement Areas 3.37% 2.49% 135.64 Expanding Affluent Executives, Family Areas 9.40% 4.43% 212.51 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 6.37% 7.27% 87.55 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 1.27% 2.56% 49.54 Prosperous Professionals, Metropolitan Areas 0.36% 2.04% 17.51 Better-Off Executives, Inner City Areas 0.04% 3.94% 1.06 Settling Comfortable Middle Agers, Mature Home Owning Areas 25.03% 13.04% 192.00 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 9.47% 12.70% 74.52 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 10.54% 8.14% 129.46 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 3.19% 4.02% 79.27 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 4.38% 3.19% 137.65 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 9.99% 11.31% 88.30 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 1.57% 3.06% 51.34 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 3.20% 2.52% 127.06 People in Multi-Ethnic, Low-Income Areas 0.00% 2.10% 0.00 Unclassified Unclassified 0.44% 0.06% 712.31

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   £0-5K 11.39% 9.41% 121.01 £5-10K 20.58% 16.63% 123.71 £10-15K 19.31% 16.58% 116.48 £15-20K 14.57% 13.58% 107.27 £20-25K 10.21% 10.39% 98.27 £25-30K 7.00% 7.77% 90.04 £30-35K 4.79% 5.79% 82.71 £35-40K 3.30% 4.33% 76.21 £40-45K 2.30% 3.27% 70.47 £45-50K 1.62% 2.48% 65.38 £50-55K 1.16% 1.90% 60.87 £55-60K 0.84% 1.47% 56.85 £60-65K 0.61% 1.15% 53.25 £65-70K 0.45% 0.91% 50.02 £70-75K 0.34% 0.72% 47.11 £75-80K 0.26% 0.57% 44.48 £80-85K 0.19% 0.46% 42.09 £85-90K 0.15% 0.37% 39.91 £90-95K 0.12% 0.31% 37.92 £95-100K 0.09% 0.25% 36.10 £100K + 0.37% 1.34% 27.70