Labour have been engaged in battles on a number of fronts over the last few years. In addition to the main struggle for national power with the Conservatives and a growing number of mainly northern spats for local control with the Liberal Democrats, there have been a small number of confrontations of an altogether different sort on Labour's left front, one of which persists in Coventry.

Labour have never entirely seen off the Socialist challenge of their former MP Dave Nellist, who following his expulsion from the party, polled over 10,000 votes in 1992 and still managed 3,000 in 1997. Since then, Socialist candidates have continued to win St Michael's ward in the centre of Coventry, and attracted a surprisingly high number of votes in the Euro elections. However the real threat for Labour in Coventry South is the more traditional danger on their rightward flank. The Conservatives led in the constituency by 11% in the 2000 local council elections, and their prospective parliamentary candidate Heather Wheeler must be in with a chance of repeating that result when the general election is called. If Labour continues to have to fight this constituency on two fronts, such an outcome is all the more likely.

Parliamentary Statistics pre-Election 2001

Labour majority 10,953 (21.9%)  Conservative target 172
MP Jim Cunningham
1997 (Turnout 69.8%)
Labour	25,511	50.9%
Conservative	14,558	29.0%
Liberal Democrat	4,617	9.2%
Socialist	3,262	6.5%
Referendum	943	1.9%
Others	1,233	2.5%

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For Coventry South 2001 Election result - click here.