West Ham
Labour hold

The football club with the same name has been a symbol for eastenders, the narrow terraces of its ground Upton Park reflecting the tight-knit local housing neighbourhoods, and the international nature of the players reflecting the move to a more cosmopolitan and mixed race culture. This has remained a safe Labour area through its changes of recent decades, and Alf Garnett's Conservatism is not typical of West Ham supporters. This is a very safe constituency for Tony Banks, who one can imagine blowing bubbles, even though he is not originally from the East End and is reputed to follow Chelsea FC.

Tony Banks, one of the Campaign Group's three ministers in 1997, worked for two years as Sports Minister before heading the campaign for the UK's bid to host the football World Cup in 2006. A loquacious, rent-a-quote, cheeky chappy elected in 1983, his surprising appointment to the government had reflected his transition from the role of left-wing factionalist in Livingstone's 1980s GLC, to self-deprecating jester in the Blairite 1990s. Born in 1943 and educated at Archbishop Tennison's Grammar School, Kennington, and York University, he worked successfully for two unions (AUEW and the Association of Broadcasting Staffs), and has been dubbed (by Ian Aitken) "the left's most effective comedian". A stickler for animal welfare, he has opposed Livingstone's expulsion of the pigeon-feeders from Trafalgar Square, and for even more enhanced street cred, been mugged by black youths in his constituency.

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 0.00% 14.99% 0.00 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 0.00% 4.43% 0.00 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 0.01% 7.27% 0.21 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 0.80% 2.56% 31.34 Prosperous Professionals, Metropolitan Areas 0.02% 2.04% 1.20 Better-Off Executives, Inner City Areas 8.58% 3.94% 217.48 Settling Comfortable Middle Agers, Mature Home Owning Areas 0.00% 13.04% 0.00 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 0.99% 12.70% 7.82 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 0.00% 8.14% 0.00 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 43.55% 4.02% 1,082.98 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 0.46% 3.19% 14.44 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 2.72% 11.31% 24.07 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 10.84% 3.06% 354.11 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 0.00% 2.52% 0.00 People in Multi-Ethnic, Low-Income Areas 31.99% 2.10% 1,523.47 Unclassified Unclassified 0.01% 0.06% 23.97

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   £0-5K 8.96% 9.41% 95.16 £5-10K 15.65% 16.63% 94.10 £10-15K 16.11% 16.58% 97.19 £15-20K 13.64% 13.58% 100.40 £20-25K 10.70% 10.39% 102.93 £25-30K 8.14% 7.77% 104.68 £30-35K 6.13% 5.79% 105.77 £35-40K 4.61% 4.33% 106.33 £40-45K 3.48% 3.27% 106.49 £45-50K 2.64% 2.48% 106.36 £50-55K 2.02% 1.90% 106.02 £55-60K 1.56% 1.47% 105.55 £60-65K 1.21% 1.15% 104.97 £65-70K 0.95% 0.91% 104.35 £70-75K 0.75% 0.72% 103.68 £75-80K 0.59% 0.57% 103.01 £80-85K 0.47% 0.46% 102.34 £85-90K 0.38% 0.37% 101.68 £90-95K 0.31% 0.31% 101.03 £95-100K 0.25% 0.25% 100.41 £100K + 1.31% 1.34% 97.22