Birmingham Edgbaston will forever be remembered as 'Labour's Basildon': it was the first marginal constituency in 1997 to declare its result in front of the watching nation, and Labour duly gained the seat for the first time with a swing of exactly 10%, thus announcing that 18 years of Conservative government were over.

In many ways this is unlikely Labour territory. Edgbaston contains affluent and leafy neighbourhoods to the south west of the city centre (as well as an international cricket ground, the University of Birmingham and BBC Pebble Mill), and Labour failed to win here even in 1945. However, urban areas have been swinging to the left for many years, and the 'urban Conservative MP' has been becoming an increasingly endangered species. Having said all that, the Conservatives have done well here since 1997; they led by 10% in the 1998 local elections, 12% in the 1999 local elections, 13% in the Euro elections and no less than 23% in May 2000, when they gained the one normally Labour ward (Quinton). The battle between Labour incumbent Gisela Stuart and Conservative hopeful Nigel Hastilow will certainly be one to watch.

Parliamentary Statistics pre-Election 2001

Labour majority 4,842 (10.0%)  Conservative target 79
MP Gisela Stuart
1997 (Turnout 69.0%)
Labour	23,554	48.6%
Conservative	18,712	38.6%
Liberal Democrat	4,691	9.7%
Referendum	1,065	2.2%
Green	443	0.9%

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For Birmingham Edgbaston 2001 Election result - click here.