Wansbeck
Labour hold

Some may never have heard of Wansbeck, or be able to locate it on a map. It is in fact in south east Northumberland, based on the middle class market and commuting town of Morpeth, on the A1 a dozen miles north of Newcastle upon Tyne, and three altogether more gritty communities, the ex mining Ashington, home of the footballing Charlton brothers, Bedlington, and Newbiggin by the Sea, where retired pit ponies used to be seen grazing on the fields at the top of the low cliffs fringing on the grey North Sea. This seat was solidly Labour even when named after the anomalous Morpeth, and usually represented by a quiet NUM backed MP. there is Liberal Democrat activity on Wansbeck council, where in 1999 20 LD councillors were elected to Labour's 25, and they held their vote in 1997 to move up to second in the General Election; but as that steady share was just over 15pc, Denis Murphy won massively to continue the traditional type of representation in this division.

Denis Murphy was a novelty in Labour's 183-strong 1997 intake as the sole miner, having worked as an electrician for nearly 30 years at the local Ashington-Ellington pit until made redundant in 1994. Born 1948 and educated at St. Cuthbert's Grammar School, Newcastle and Northumberland College, he has inevitably attacked the decline of the mining industry and less-inevitably rebelled against disability benefit spending cuts.

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 8.30% 14.99% 55.34 Affluent Greys, Rural Communities 0.07% 2.13% 3.49 Prosperous Pensioners, Retirement Areas 0.98% 2.49% 39.37 Expanding Affluent Executives, Family Areas 7.72% 4.43% 174.37 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 6.13% 7.27% 84.34 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 1.95% 2.56% 76.00 Prosperous Professionals, Metropolitan Areas 0.00% 2.04% 0.00 Better-Off Executives, Inner City Areas 0.00% 3.94% 0.00 Settling Comfortable Middle Agers, Mature Home Owning Areas 4.25% 13.04% 32.56 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 24.49% 12.70% 192.80 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 19.22% 8.14% 236.08 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 0.76% 4.02% 18.89 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 7.07% 3.19% 221.91 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 13.91% 11.31% 123.02 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 1.85% 3.06% 60.45 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 3.17% 2.52% 125.75 People in Multi-Ethnic, Low-Income Areas 0.00% 2.10% 0.00 Unclassified Unclassified 0.13% 0.06% 205.37

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   £0-5K 12.88% 9.41% 136.83 £5-10K 20.17% 16.63% 121.26 £10-15K 18.16% 16.58% 109.53 £15-20K 13.68% 13.58% 100.74 £20-25K 9.76% 10.39% 93.86 £25-30K 6.86% 7.77% 88.27 £30-35K 4.84% 5.79% 83.56 £35-40K 3.44% 4.33% 79.47 £40-45K 2.48% 3.27% 75.84 £45-50K 1.80% 2.48% 72.55 £50-55K 1.32% 1.90% 69.55 £55-60K 0.98% 1.47% 66.79 £60-65K 0.74% 1.15% 64.24 £65-70K 0.56% 0.91% 61.88 £70-75K 0.43% 0.72% 59.69 £75-80K 0.33% 0.57% 57.67 £80-85K 0.26% 0.46% 55.79 £85-90K 0.20% 0.37% 54.04 £90-95K 0.16% 0.31% 52.42 £95-100K 0.13% 0.25% 50.91 £100K + 0.59% 1.34% 43.66