Stretford & Urmston
Labour hold

This new pairing stretches from almost the heart of Manchester in Stretford, which actually includes the Old Trafford football and cricket grounds right out to suburban Cheshire semi-detached owner-occupied trerritory in Urmston, Flixton and Davyhulme, which used to hold the name of its own seat until 1997. That was Conservative, indeed the constituency of Winston Churchill (junior), but it was easily overwhelmed in the circumstances of 1997 by the Stretford section. Here, as within the mighty stadium of United, the reds seem well nigh invincible.

Beverley Hughes, a worthy junior Environment minister after a stint as PPS to the equally worthy Environment Minister Hilary Armstrong, was elected in 1997, with a 'bog-standard' (as Alistair Campbell might say) Labour MP's background of local councillor (Trafford, which she led for two years) and lecturer (in social work, having earlier been a probation officer). She was born in 1959 and educated at Ellesmere Port Grammar School and Manchester University, and is one of only eight of Blair's 65 1997 Babes to have been given a job. No pair of hands is more safe or reliable.

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 6.62% 14.99% 44.16 Affluent Greys, Rural Communities 0.00% 2.13% 0.00 Prosperous Pensioners, Retirement Areas 0.58% 2.49% 23.43 Expanding Affluent Executives, Family Areas 0.26% 4.43% 5.87 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 10.92% 7.27% 150.12 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 0.49% 2.56% 19.27 Prosperous Professionals, Metropolitan Areas 0.00% 2.04% 0.00 Better-Off Executives, Inner City Areas 2.63% 3.94% 66.80 Settling Comfortable Middle Agers, Mature Home Owning Areas 27.35% 13.04% 209.72 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 13.77% 12.70% 108.43 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 6.22% 8.14% 76.35 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 7.60% 4.02% 188.99 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 2.38% 3.19% 74.62 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 12.04% 11.31% 106.42 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 2.83% 3.06% 92.52 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 2.96% 2.52% 117.50 People in Multi-Ethnic, Low-Income Areas 3.35% 2.10% 159.34 Unclassified Unclassified 0.00% 0.06% 0.00

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   £0-5K 9.30% 9.41% 98.79 £5-10K 17.12% 16.63% 102.91 £10-15K 17.45% 16.58% 105.23 £15-20K 14.36% 13.58% 105.73 £20-25K 10.89% 10.39% 104.79 £25-30K 8.00% 7.77% 102.86 £30-35K 5.81% 5.79% 100.30 £35-40K 4.22% 4.33% 97.40 £40-45K 3.08% 3.27% 94.34 £45-50K 2.27% 2.48% 91.25 £50-55K 1.68% 1.90% 88.22 £55-60K 1.26% 1.47% 85.28 £60-65K 0.95% 1.15% 82.48 £65-70K 0.72% 0.91% 79.82 £70-75K 0.56% 0.72% 77.31 £75-80K 0.43% 0.57% 74.95 £80-85K 0.34% 0.46% 72.74 £85-90K 0.26% 0.37% 70.68 £90-95K 0.21% 0.31% 68.74 £95-100K 0.17% 0.25% 66.94 £100K + 0.79% 1.34% 58.45