Birmingham Hall Green was one of the last of the urban Conservative seats to be lost by the party, when a Labour scotsman, Steve McCabe, gained the constituency in 1997 on a larger-than-average swing of 14%. Birmingham therefore joined Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Cardiff, Leeds and indeed virtually all other cities in sending an entirely Labour delegation to Parliament. Indeed, the Conservatives have almost no urban MPs left at all outside London and (if it can be considered urban), Bournemouth.

Hall Green itself had never fallen to Labour since its creation, Andrew Hargreaves enjoying comfortable majorities of 7,600 in 1987 and 3,600 in 1992. But elsewhere in Birmingham, the Conservatives were gradually losing seats (Northfield, Selly Oak and Yardley in 1992) and Hall Green was always likely to be the next in line.

Predictably, Labour were able to stack up a large majority of 8,000 in 1997, but since then they have fallen behind, trailing the Conservatives narrowly in 1998 (40 - 39%) and 1999 (39 - 37% in the locals, 35 - 31% in the Euros) but more dramatically in May 2000 (44 - 29%). Conservative Chris White could regain a rare 'city seat' for his party next time.

Parliamentary Statistics pre-Election 2001

Labour majority 8,420 (20.1%)  Conservative target 160
MP Steve McCabe
1997 (Turnout 71.2%)
Labour	22,372	53.5%
Conservative	13,952	33.4%
Liberal Democrat	4,034	9.6%
Referendum	1,461	3.5%

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For Birmingham Hall Green 2001 Election result - click here.