West Ham (UK Parliament constituency)

UK constituency infobox alt
Name = West Ham


Type = Borough
Entity = Greater London
DivisionType = County
Division = Greater London
Year = 1997
MP = Lyn Brown
Party = Labour
EP = London

West Ham is a parliamentary constituency in the London Borough of Newham, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1997 when the constituency of Newham North West was merged with part of Newham South.

Boundaries

The constituency covers the western half of Newham, including the areas of West Ham, Forest Gate, Plaistow, Stratford, and Upton Park.

Members of Parliament

Election results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Lyn Brown
votes = 15,840
percentage = 51.2
change = -18.7Election box candidate with party link
party = RESPECT The Unity Coalition
candidate = Lindsey German
votes = 6,039
percentage = 19.5
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Chris Whitbread
votes = 3,618
percentage = 11.7
change = -4.7Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Alexandra Sugden
votes = 3,364
percentage = 10.9
change = +3.5Election box candidate with party link
party = Green Party of England and Wales
candidate = Jane Lithgow
votes = 894
percentage = 2.9
change = -1.2Election box candidate with party link
party = Christian Peoples Alliance
candidate = Stephen Hammond
votes = 437
percentage = 1.4
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = United Kingdom Independence Party
candidate = Henry Mayhew
votes = 409
percentage = 1.3
change = -0.9Election box candidate with party link
party = Veritas (political party)
candidate = Generoso Alcantara
votes = 365
percentage = 1.2
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 9,801
percentage = 31.7
change = Election box turnout
votes = 30,966
percentage = 49.8
change = +0.9Election box hold with party link
winner =Labour Party (UK)
swing ="N/A"Election box begin
title=General Election 2001: West HamElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Tony Banks
votes = 20,449
percentage = 69.9
change = -3.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Syed Kamall
votes = 4,804
percentage = 16.4
change = +1.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Paul Fox
votes = 2,166
percentage = 7.4
change = 0.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Green Party of England and Wales
candidate = Jackie Chandler-Oatts
votes = 1,197
percentage = 4.1
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = United Kingdom Independence Party
candidate = Gerard Batten
votes = 657
percentage = 2.2
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 15,645
percentage = 53.5
change = -4.4Election box turnout
votes = 29,273
percentage = 48.9
change = -9.5Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing = Election box begin
title=General Election 1997: West HamElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Tony Banks
votes = 24,531
percentage = 72.9
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Mark McGregor
votes = 5,037
percentage = 15.0
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Samantha McDonough
votes = 2,479
percentage = 7.4
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = British National Party
candidate = Kenneth Francis
votes = 1,198
percentage = 3.6
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Official Monster Raving Loony Party
candidate = Toby Jug
votes = 300
percentage = 0.9
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Vote For Yourself Rainbow Dream Ticket
candidate = Jonathan Rainbow
votes = 116
percentage = 0.3
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 14,494
percentage = 57.9
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes = 33,361
percentage = 58.5
change = "N/A"Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing = "N/A"

Politics and history of the constituency

The area is generally considered a safe Labour seat; West Ham South had in 1906 sent Keir Hardie to the Commons. Labour's Tony Banks was MP for first Newham North West and then West Ham from 1983 until his retirement in 2005. He held the seat at the 2001 general election with nearly 70% of the vote.

The constituency is one of the few in the country where white people are in the minority; there is a significant Asian population, many of whom are Muslims. As a result the RESPECT Coalition targeted it for the 2005 election, hoping to benefit from opposition to the Iraq war; in the end it was not enough to unseat Labour's replacement for Banks, Lyn Brown, but they managed to take nearly 20% of the vote away from Labour.

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2005/html/625.stm BBC Election 2005: West Ham]

See also

* List of Parliamentary constituencies in Greater London