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- Meriden
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Constituency Profile
At the election, Meriden will lose parts of Elmdon and St Alphege wards to Solihull, but gain parts of Bickenhall and Blythe wards. Its south-west corner will extend further west, absorbing what was Solihull's part of Bickenhill ward.
After constituency boundary changes Meriden will be formed of nine wards: Bickenhill, Blythe, Castle Bromwich, Chelmesley Wood, Dorridge and Hockley Heath, Kingshurst and Fordbridge, Knowle, Meridan, and Smith's Wood. To find out what might have happened had this boundary change been in force at the last election, see a notional - or estimated - result below.
Situated in the commuter belt between Birmingham and Coventry, Meriden claims to be the geographical heart of England.
Meriden is at the centre of England's transport system, the home of Birmingham International Airport, the intersection of the M6 and M42 and rail links through Birmingham. It contains some of the most affluent residential areas in the West Midlands in the southern half of the constituency around Knowle and Dorridge.
The transformation of Solihull town centre, and the opening of the Touchwood retail complex in neighbouring Solihull constituency in 2001, helped bolster retail employment across Solihull, while the Blyth Valley Business Park created 3,000 jobs between 2000 and 2006. During 2005/06 there were more signs of renewal: 19 businesses either expanded or relocated, bringing around 550 jobs.
Candidates
Name | Party | Votes | % | +/- |
---|---|---|---|---|
James Harrison | Green | |||
Frank O'Brien | British National Party | |||
Simon Slater | Liberal Democrat | |||
Caroline Spelman | Conservative | |||
Ed Williams | Labour | |||
Majority | ||||
Turnout |
2005 Result
Party | Votes Share | |
---|---|---|
Conservative | 47.6% | |
Labour | 32.3% | |
Liberal Democrat | 16.7% | |
Others | 3.4% |
Based on a notional - or estimated - result if boundary changes have affected this seat. For real result, see Election 2005.
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