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Banbury Constituency
1262256
RESULT: Conservative retained
Tony Baldry (Con) 29,703
David Rundle (Lib Dem) 11,476
Les Sibley (Lab) 10,773
Dr David Fairweather (UKIP) 2,806
Alastair White (Green) 959
Roseanne Edwards (Ind) 524
Turn-out: 66.8 per cent
2005: Conservative (retained)
2005 majority: 10,797
2005 turnout: 64.5%
THE Banbury constituency has been a Conservative stronghold since 1983, with Tory MP Tony Baldry holding the seat through four Prime Ministers.
The constituency is made up of the towns of Banbury and Bicester and the villages of north-east Oxfordshire.
Although the constituency is mainy rural, Banbury and Bicester, where the majority of the electorate now live, have expanded significantly over the past 10 years and will continue to grow with planned housing developments in both areas.
The Government’s South East Plan states 13,400 homes must be built in the area by 2026, made up of 6,760 in Banbury and its villages, and 6,640 in Bicester and surrounding villages.
This year’s boundary changes see part of the Kirtlington, and the whole of the Otmoor ward moved to Henley.
There is a strong armed forces presence in the area with the RAF Bicester Garrison, the MOD and shopping centre Bicester Village being the main employers, behind Banbury’s Kraft Foods factory.
Main issues for the area are keeping maternity services at the Horton General Hospital and the building of a new community hospital at Bicester, which has been fraught with delays and legal wrangles.
And a proposed new high speed rail link earmarked to cut through parts of North Oxfordshire is also raising concerns among constituency residents who are worried about how it will affect house prices and quality of life.
Mr Baldry has served as the area’s MP under Margaret Thatcher, John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
He is faced this year – for the third election in a row – by Labour’s Les Sibley.
He will be joined by Liberal Democrat David Rundle, Green hopeful Alastair White, Independent Roseanne Edwards, and UKIP’s David Sebastian Fairweather in contesting the seat.
Hunt for driver after accident
7:55pm Wednesday 16th March 2011
Police are looking for a man who left the scene of a car accident in Ferriston, Banbury.
BANBURY DOUBLE KILLING: Mum died of head injuries
9:10am Wednesday 15th December 2010
A MOTHER found dead following an axe attack at her Banbury home died of multiple head injuries, police said.
Worker tried to blackmail his boss
10:30am Wednesday 8th December 2010
A 20-year-old man who attempted to blackmail his boss for £15,000 has been given a community order.
Fire at Kraft factory
7:39pm Tuesday 7th December 2010
Coffee residue ignited and started a fire at Kraft Foods in Ruscote Avenue, Banbury, today.
Fire at Banbury cannabis factory
6:30pm Tuesday 9th November 2010
Fire crews were met with an unusual odour when they attended a blaze at a house in Boxhedge Road West, Banbury, and discovered a cannabis factory.
ELECTION NIGHT: Banbury count won't start until 2am
11:56pm Thursday 6th May 2010
By 10.30pm station staff were queueing outside the Spiceball Leisure Centre to deliver the Banbury constituency ballot boxes.
Guardroom plays host to Caversfield polling station
6:30am Thursday 29th April 2010
VOTERS in Caversfield, near Bicester, are being warned that their polling cards give incorrect information about the location of their polling station.
POLL RESULTS: Election count u-turn is right
9:10am Sunday 25th April 2010
DAVID BUCKLE's climbdown over holding three of the General Election constituency counts on the day after voting has been welcomed by oxfordmail.co.uk readers.
GENERAL ELECTION: Poll results
7:43am Friday 23rd April 2010
DAVID CAMERON becoming Prime Minister would not be positive for Oxfordshire, according to almost two-thirds of voters on oxfordmail.co.uk In our second General Election ballot, we asked if the Witney MP's elevation to Downing Street would be of benefit to the county as a whole.
GENERAL ELECTION: Banbury candidates announced
4:14pm Tuesday 20th April 2010
The following candidates have been named in the Banbury constituency for the General Election on Thursday, May 6.
Banbury: Five election candidates meet on Sunday
5:27pm Monday 12th April 2010
Residents can question five candidates standing for the Banbury seat at a meeting on Sunday. The event, organised by faith groups, takes place at the town hall, Bridge Street, from 7.30pm.
GENERAL ELECTION: County candidates prepare for battle
7:43pm Tuesday 6th April 2010
BATTLE lines have been drawn across Oxfordshire as Gordon Brown today finally named May 6 as the date for the General Election.
General Election to be held on May 6
10:32am Tuesday 6th April 2010
The General Election will be held on Thursday, May 6, it has been confirmed.
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