Wigan
Labour hold

Labour's Neil Turner slipped almost unnoticed into the Commons in a by-election in September 1999, following the early death of Roger Stott, on a turnout of just 25pc, and will hold the seat just as quietly and convincingly at the general election. This is one of Labour's old-fashioned heartlands, which is recognisable in a few ways from George Orwell's pre-war investigation of working class culture in The Road to Wigan Pier. It has still few non-whites, single parent households, middle class or Tory or even Liberal Democrat wards, and it is still a temple of rugby league success, even if the pits have closed and most of the population now have mobile phones and videos and other methods of keeping in contact with the outside world. Improved communication does not necessarily lead to universal culture, though.

Neil Turner was elected at a by-election in 1999. Whilst no model Blairite, given his beard and reservations about elected mayors, he is otherwise a very safe pair of municipal hands, with 25 years' service on Wigan Council, and a conventional advocate of public-private partnerships. Born 1945 and educated at Carlisle Grammar School, he was formerly a quantity surveyor. Surveying the (small) quantity of electors who bothered to vote in his by-election, he favours various measures - including electronic voting from home - to boost turnout. In March this year he scored something of a first by returning a constituent's letter with spelling mistakes ringed.

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 8.09% 14.99% 53.97 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 7.16% 4.43% 161.78 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 8.32% 7.27% 114.45 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 0.00% 2.56% 0.00 Prosperous Professionals, Metropolitan Areas 0.00% 2.04% 0.00 Better-Off Executives, Inner City Areas 0.14% 3.94% 3.63 Settling Comfortable Middle Agers, Mature Home Owning Areas 12.62% 13.04% 96.77 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 26.50% 12.70% 208.59 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 11.06% 8.14% 135.88 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 1.25% 4.02% 31.08 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 2.51% 3.19% 78.92 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 15.50% 11.31% 137.08 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 1.76% 3.06% 57.49 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 5.07% 2.52% 201.42 People in Multi-Ethnic, Low-Income Areas 0.00% 2.10% 0.00 Unclassified Unclassified 0.00% 0.06% 0.00

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   £0-5K 10.42% 9.41% 110.68 £5-10K 18.58% 16.63% 111.71 £10-15K 18.03% 16.58% 108.74 £15-20K 14.23% 13.58% 104.75 £20-25K 10.46% 10.39% 100.60 £25-30K 7.51% 7.77% 96.57 £30-35K 5.37% 5.79% 92.75 £35-40K 3.86% 4.33% 89.14 £40-45K 2.80% 3.27% 85.75 £45-50K 2.05% 2.48% 82.56 £50-55K 1.52% 1.90% 79.57 £55-60K 1.13% 1.47% 76.77 £60-65K 0.85% 1.15% 74.15 £65-70K 0.65% 0.91% 71.70 £70-75K 0.50% 0.72% 69.40 £75-80K 0.39% 0.57% 67.25 £80-85K 0.30% 0.46% 65.25 £85-90K 0.24% 0.37% 63.37 £90-95K 0.19% 0.31% 61.60 £95-100K 0.15% 0.25% 59.95 £100K + 0.70% 1.34% 51.73