Bridgwater
Conservative hold

The veteran and senior Conservative Tom King has announced his retirement from the Commons after 30 years' service, and the task of holding off the Liberal Democrat challenge here in north west Somerset falls to Ian Liddell-Grainger, who must hope he does better than he did in west Devon in 1997. Although the next parliamentary boundary changes will not come into effect at the forthcoming election, the Commission has already provisionally recommended that the whole of the hunting fastness of Exmoor should in future be included in the Bridgwater division, which would benefit the Conservatives.

Tom King's exit after 31 years as Tory MP here, opens the way for itinerant Scots-born farmer and businessman, Ian Liddell-Grainger. Born 1959 and educated at Millfield School and South of Scotland Agriculture College, Edinburgh, he farmed in the Borders and then ran office furniture and property management companies. After losing the North East Euro seat in 1994 he headed south and lost Torridge and West Devon to the Liberal Democrats in 1997. Chairman of the Devon branch of the Countryside Alliance, he will have to hope Lib Dem candidate Ian Thorn does not put together a Lib-Lab tactical vote to thwart him in his third attempt.

Bridgwater Constituency Conservative Association

Bridgwater Labour Party

Somerset County Council

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 16.01% 14.99% 106.76 Affluent Greys, Rural Communities 5.36% 2.13% 252.21 Prosperous Pensioners, Retirement Areas 5.55% 2.49% 223.12 Expanding Affluent Executives, Family Areas 3.82% 4.43% 86.24 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 3.39% 7.27% 46.59 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 0.05% 2.56% 1.77 Prosperous Professionals, Metropolitan Areas 0.00% 2.04% 0.00 Better-Off Executives, Inner City Areas 0.67% 3.94% 17.05 Settling Comfortable Middle Agers, Mature Home Owning Areas 19.32% 13.04% 148.15 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 14.76% 12.70% 116.20 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 14.61% 8.14% 179.38 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 2.40% 4.02% 59.76 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 2.21% 3.19% 69.51 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 8.93% 11.31% 78.94 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 0.77% 3.06% 25.09 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 2.16% 2.52% 85.78 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 10.46% 9.41% 111.09 £5-10K 19.57% 16.63% 117.66 £10-15K 19.08% 16.58% 115.07 £15-20K 14.78% 13.58% 108.78 £20-25K 10.54% 10.39% 101.40 £25-30K 7.32% 7.77% 94.13 £30-35K 5.07% 5.79% 87.46 £35-40K 3.53% 4.33% 81.52 £40-45K 2.49% 3.27% 76.29 £45-50K 1.78% 2.48% 71.70 £50-55K 1.29% 1.90% 67.66 £55-60K 0.94% 1.47% 64.10 £60-65K 0.70% 1.15% 60.93 £65-70K 0.53% 0.91% 58.11 £70-75K 0.40% 0.72% 55.59 £75-80K 0.31% 0.57% 53.31 £80-85K 0.24% 0.46% 51.25 £85-90K 0.18% 0.37% 49.39 £90-95K 0.15% 0.31% 47.68 £95-100K 0.12% 0.25% 46.12 £100K + 0.52% 1.34% 38.88