Swinging
BRITISH general elections used to be won and lost in the West Midlands. This time London could be the crucial electoral battleground. Labour did well in the capital in 1992, winning ten of London's 84 seats from the Conservatives and two from the Liberal Democrats, giving it 35 seats. Now a raft of London marginals, from Edmonton to Ilford South, are within the party's grasp. It would need a swing of only 2.5% for seven Tory seats to be won by Labour and another half dozen are within striking range.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Swinging”
From the April 12th 1997 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Britain
Has the Royal Navy become too timid?
A new paper examines how its culture has changed
A plan to reorganise local government in England runs into opposition
Turkeys vote against Christmas
David Lammy’s plan to shake up Britain’s Foreign Office
Diplomats will be tasked with growing the economy and cutting migration
Britain’s government has spooked markets and riled businesses
Tax rises were inevitable. Such a shaky start was not
Labour’s credibility trap
Who can believe Rachel Reeves?