General election 2010: Tories win Nuneaton target from Labour
By Marina Kim
Tory-Labour marginal Nuneaton has gone blue as Labour has lost its seat.
Conservative Marcus Jones gained the seat with 18,536 votes (41.5%). Labour Jayne Innes lost with 16,467 votes (36.9%). This represents a 7.2% swing from the Labour to the Conservatives.
The seat has been 83rd on the Tory target list. Tonight’s success for the Conservatives followed the steady erosion of Labour’s majority since 1992.
Nuneaton and Bedworth council was taken away from the Labour by the Tories in 2008. The British National party secured its first two councillors the same year.
Nuneaton was held by the Labour party for nearly 50 years until they lost it to the Conservatives in their heavy defeat in the 1983 general election. Labour regained the constituency at the 1992 election, and held it since then.
Nuneaton has a strong industrial and mining tradition. The traditional industries of textiles and manufacturing have declined dramatically in the post war years. Electronics and distribution remain major economic activities in the town.
