Aldershot
Conservative hold

Long known as the "home of the British Army", Aldershot constituency is more accurately symbolised nowadays by the hi-tech industries of Farnborough, which claims to be the birthplace of aeronautical research and development, and is home to the prestigious annual air show. Military connections of all kinds skew the area to Conservatism, and after the aberration of 27 years of being represented by the liberal Tory Julian Critchley, Aldershot is in the safe Right-wing hands of Gerald Howarth, and will remain so in spite of the reduction in Army manpower. The successor to the late 'Screaming Lord' David Sutch as leader of the Monster Raving Loony Party, the publican Alan 'Howling Lord' Hope, has moved from Ashburton, Devon, where he had held the office of town mayor, to the Dog and Partridge in Yateley within the Aldershot constituency. However, his bid for election here on June 7 is hampered by - among other opponents - the candidature of the arch druid Arthur Pendragon.

Gerald Howarth’s predecessor as Tory MP for Aldershot, the late Sir Julian Critchley, described him as “the last PPS to the Handbag over the Water,” for his role of Margaret Thatcherís aide. A hard right Thatcherite, re-elected here in 1997 having lost his Cannock & Burntwood seat after nine years in 1992, he has covered all the right’s causes from white South Africa, through birching, immigration and Pinochet, to Europhobia. Born 1947, educated at Bloxham School and Southampton University, he worked in merchant banking, and more recently made himself conspicuous as defender of another Right-wing lost cause, Neil Hamilton.

Rushmoor Borough Council

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 16.32% 14.99% 108.84 Affluent Greys, Rural Communities 0.00% 2.13% 0.00 Prosperous Pensioners, Retirement Areas 0.58% 2.49% 23.42 Expanding Affluent Executives, Family Areas 18.81% 4.43% 424.96 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 18.88% 7.27% 259.59 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 3.00% 2.56% 116.85 Prosperous Professionals, Metropolitan Areas 0.64% 2.04% 31.18 Better-Off Executives, Inner City Areas 5.02% 3.94% 127.36 Settling Comfortable Middle Agers, Mature Home Owning Areas 10.01% 13.04% 76.76 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 9.95% 12.70% 78.34 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 3.76% 8.14% 46.23 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 1.78% 4.02% 44.24 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 2.53% 3.19% 79.55 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 7.64% 11.31% 67.51 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 0.39% 3.06% 12.75 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 0.50% 2.52% 19.94 People in Multi-Ethnic, Low-Income Areas 0.00% 2.10% 0.00 Unclassified Unclassified 0.19% 0.06% 306.21

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   £0-5K 4.71% 9.41% 50.08 £5-10K 10.93% 16.63% 65.74 £10-15K 13.60% 16.58% 82.03 £15-20K 13.23% 13.58% 97.38 £20-25K 11.51% 10.39% 110.78 £25-30K 9.48% 7.77% 121.98 £30-35K 7.59% 5.79% 131.09 £35-40K 5.99% 4.33% 138.36 £40-45K 4.70% 3.27% 144.08 £45-50K 3.69% 2.48% 148.49 £50-55K 2.89% 1.90% 151.80 £55-60K 2.27% 1.47% 154.21 £60-65K 1.79% 1.15% 155.87 £65-70K 1.42% 0.91% 156.90 £70-75K 1.13% 0.72% 157.42 £75-80K 0.91% 0.57% 157.50 £80-85K 0.73% 0.46% 157.23 £85-90K 0.59% 0.37% 156.68 £90-95K 0.48% 0.31% 155.89 £95-100K 0.39% 0.25% 154.90 £100K + 1.95% 1.34% 144.73