Stone General Election profile: Huge constituency a safe bet for Tory MP
Continuing our series on the election battles in Staffordshire and the Black Country, from the largest to the smallest majorities, today we look at Stone.
As safe Conservative seats go, Stone ranks amongst the most steadfast.
Veteran Eurosceptic Sir Bill Cash has represented the constituency since its formation in 1997 following boundary changes which saw parts of the Stafford, Staffordshire Moorlands and Mid Staffordshire patches combined to form the new seat.
But Sir Bill was first elected to the Commons in 1984, representing Stafford until 1997 before switching to the new Stone seat. It is one of the biggest constituencies geographically in the country.
Today, the Stone constituency covers Barlaston and Oulton, Chartley, Church Eaton, Eccleshall, Fulford, Gnosall and Woodseaves, Milwich, St Michael’s, Stonefield and Christchurch, Swynnerton, and Walton in Stafford borough.
It also stretches to Cheadle North East, Cheadle South East, Cheadle West, Checkley, and Forsbrook in the Moorlands, as well as the Loggerheads and Whitmore, and Madeley wards of Newcastle-under-Lyme.
A rural constituency, Stone sits between Stoke and Stafford but is also easily commutable to Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Manchester.
It also is on part of the West Midlands’ canal network with the Trent and Mersey Canal passing through the town of Stone.
The huge British Army training area Cold Meece near Swynnerton is in the constituency. In recent years the NHS has been a major issue with the scandal at Stafford Hospital and the subsequent downgrading and removal of health services from the nearby county town.
The town has regular rail services to Birmingham and some direct journeys to London. It will be affected by the construction of HS2 and residents are opposed to development on greenfield sites.
Who are the 2017 election candidates for Stone?
Sir Bill, 77, triumphed two years ago with nearly 55 per cent of the vote and is standing for the Conservatives again. He is a solicitor and one of the country’s leading campaigners for Britain to leave the European Union.
Labour came second in 2015 with 20 per cent of the vote. The candidate from 2015, Sam Hale, has been re-selected to contest the seat. From Cheadle, he was a member of the UK Youth Parliament and was awarded the Princess Diana Memorial award for his service to the community. He was just 21 when he was named the Labour candidate two years ago.
Edward Whitfield is standing for UKIP, which won 16 per cent of the vote. He stood in Stafford two years ago. His selection comes despite UKIP leader Paul Nuttall saying the party wouldn’t run against Brexiteers. He went to school with Michael Palin and worked in the family ceramics business.
Martin Lewis is the Liberal Democrat candidate. In 2015, he came fourth for the party in the seat with just over five per cent of the vote. He is a retired civil servant.
Samantha Pancheri is the Green Party candidate. She works for the party as a party development co-ordinator and stood for the party in Milton Keynes South, 2015.
Who can we expect to win?
Best Odds – Cons 1/200, Labour 40/1, Lib Dems 100/1, UKIP 125/1, Green 500/1
Prediction: Conservative hold with an increased majority
Only a brave man would bet against Sir Bill Cash winning this seat.
When it was created in 1997, it was thought it may be something of a Tory-Labour marginal. But it has grown to become one of the most solid Conservative constituencies in the country while neighbouring Stafford has become more of a bellwether seat.
People in Staffordshire overwhelmingly voted for Brexit and there is nobody who has been banging the anti-EU drum in the country for as long as Sir Bill.
The Labour candidate Sam Hale is young and enthusiastic, but it is difficult seeing him making anything of a challenge this time around.
The Tories swept Staffordshire in the county council elections earlier this month, winning 51 out of 62 seats.
Labour finished nearly 4,000 votes behind the Tories here in 1997 at the height of Blair’s popularity. Under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership it would not be surprising to see them fall 20,000 votes behind.
All eyes will be on UKIP to see whether the party can retain third place or whether its 7,620 voters from 2015 desert them.
