Northampton South Constituency

Paul Varnsverry, Parliamentary Candidate for Northampton South

The Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Northampton South is Paul Varnsverry, who was selected in September 2008. Paul is Borough Councillor for West Hunsbury & Upton and took a leading role in the successful campaign to prevent the closure of Gloucester Avenue Post Office, in Delapre; the only post office in Northamptonshire to be saved. Paul has also campaigned in support of Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service's efforts to improve fire safety by calling for automated sprinkler systems to be fitted in appropriate buildings.

Under the boundary changes to be introduced at the next election, the constituency will consist of the areas of Delapre, St Crispin, St James, Old and New Duston, East and West Hunsbury, Nene Valley, Weston and Castle within the Borough of Northampton.

The current Tory MP won the seat from Labour in May 2005. The seat was one of the most marginal in the country and had been unexpectedly won by Labour in the 1997 Labour landslide. The Labour MP retained the seat in 2001. In 2005 it was 14th on the Conservatives target list.

Lib Dems breakthrough into the South

See past General Election results courtesy of The Guardian's website.

Whilst Delapre ward in the South had the last Liberal Councillor in Northampton up until the decline of the party in the 1950's the Northampton South constituency has not been fertile territory for the party until 1999. Then in the Borough Council elections the party won its first ward by gaining the then new seat of West Hunsbury. This was followed by the gain of Delapre ward in 2003.

Traditionally up until the forming of the Liberal Democrats in 1988 the SDP had fought the Northampton South seat whilst the Liberals Northampton North.

The party has been struggling to make major progress since coming second in 1983 with 23.4% of the vote - a high point for the Lib/SDP Alliance. The constituency is a typical Labour/Conservative marginal but with the Lib Dems beginning to make headway:

• 1987 - George Hopkins - 18.6%

• 1992 - Graham Mabbutt - 14.9%

• 1997 - Tony Worgan - 11.1%

• 2001 - Andrew Simpson 12.5%

• 2005 - Kevin Barron - 15.3%

The 2005 General Election

The party selected local Lib Dem activist Kevin Barron in the spring of 2005 as its candidate for the General Election. It was Kevin's first campaign as a parliamentary candidate and he concentrated on supporting colleagues standing for council in the constituency as well as tackling national issues with Northampton South getting high profile media coverage as a key marginal seat.

Whilst the result saw the Conservatives gaining the seat from Labour the Lib Dem vote increased by 2.8% and did not get squeezed in this traditional two-way marginal contest.

Northampton South General Election Result - May 2005.