One of Labour's most remarkable gains at the 1997 general election was Rugby and Kenilworth. To the west of this rather oddly shaped constituency, prosperous Kenilworth has always been safely Conservative in national elections, and even when chalking up huge and unlikely gains elsewhere in the local elections of 1995, Labour failed to win a single local council seat here. To the east, Rugby is a mixed town politically, with a local authority never controlled outright by Labour since the local government map was redrawn in 1973. Although there are Labour wards in the town, notably Benn, Newbold and New Bilton, Conservative support becomes stronger the further one travels out, particularly to the south west in Bilton and then surrounding villages such as Dunchurch and Thurlaston. Overall in the borough of Rugby, the Conservatives had 14 local council seats in 1999, only slightly fewer than Labour's 18.

In the Euro elections of 1999, the Conservatives led Labour by 40%-23% and it is difficult to see how Andy King can possibly see off the challenge of David Martin to retain this improbable Labour seat should there be any sort of Conservative recovery at the general election.

Parliamentary Statistics pre-Election 2001

Labour majority 495 (0.8%)  Conservative target 8
MP Andy King
1997 (Turnout 77.1%)
Labour	26,356	43.1%
Conservative	25,861	42.2%
Liberal Democrat	8,737	14.3%
Other	251	0.4%

Politico's Bookstore - General Election Shop

Back to West Midlands page
Back to main UK page

For Rugby & Kenilworth 2001 Election result - click here.