West Bromwich West
Conservative gain

Its safe Labour status disguised by its Honourable Member's tenancy of the Speaker's Chair for eight years, West Bromwich West was briefly eyed by the Conservatives during the by-election campaign caused by Betty Boothroyd's retirement in autumn 2000. However in the end there was again no real contest, as local worthy Adrian Bailey dashed the Tory hopes. This, along with another failure in the Preston by-election on the same day, led to a marked disillusionment in the Conservative Party after their brief revival of fortunes in September 2000 after the government's mishandling of the fuel crisis. Any party with a serious chance of winning the next general election should at least have come close in West Bromwich West in a midterm, low turnout by-election in a volatile region where Labour had done badly in local elections.

Adrian Bailey was elected at the December 2000 by-election as Labour's replacement for the departed Speaker, Betty Boothroyd. A bearded political organiser for the Co-operative Party since 1982, and before that a librarian for 11 years, he was born in 1945 and educated at Cheltenham Grammar School, Exeter University and Loughborough College of Librarianship. An allegedly uncharismatic deputy leader of the local Sandwell Council, his selection was said to worry Millbank beardists.

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 0.85% 14.99% 5.67 Affluent Greys, Rural Communities 0.00% 2.13% 0.00 Prosperous Pensioners, Retirement Areas 0.00% 2.49% 0.00 Expanding Affluent Executives, Family Areas 0.10% 4.43% 2.19 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 6.00% 7.27% 82.55 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 0.14% 2.56% 5.35 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 2.76% 13.04% 21.14 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 16.44% 12.70% 129.42 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 25.46% 8.14% 312.64 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 0.64% 4.02% 15.81 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 5.28% 3.19% 165.75 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 29.39% 11.31% 259.85 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 5.27% 3.06% 172.09 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 7.29% 2.52% 289.53 People in Multi-Ethnic, Low-Income Areas 0.39% 2.10% 18.43 Unclassified Unclassified 0.00% 0.06% 0.00

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   £0-5K 14.69% 9.41% 156.03 £5-10K 22.18% 16.63% 133.36 £10-15K 19.32% 16.58% 116.53 £15-20K 13.94% 13.58% 102.61 £20-25K 9.44% 10.39% 90.79 £25-30K 6.27% 7.77% 80.70 £30-35K 4.18% 5.79% 72.08 £35-40K 2.80% 4.33% 64.72 £40-45K 1.91% 3.27% 58.41 £45-50K 1.32% 2.48% 53.00 £50-55K 0.92% 1.90% 48.33 £55-60K 0.65% 1.47% 44.29 £60-65K 0.47% 1.15% 40.78 £65-70K 0.34% 0.91% 37.72 £70-75K 0.25% 0.72% 35.03 £75-80K 0.19% 0.57% 32.66 £80-85K 0.14% 0.46% 30.56 £85-90K 0.11% 0.37% 28.69 £90-95K 0.08% 0.31% 27.02 £95-100K 0.06% 0.25% 25.53 £100K + 0.26% 1.34% 19.24