Red Wall
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The Red Wall is a term used in British politics to describe a set of constituencies in England and Wales — mainly in the Midlands, Northern England and North East Wales — which historically tended to support the Labour Party. The term was coined in August 2019 by pollster James Kanagasooriam.[1]
When viewed on a map of previous results, the block of seats held by the party resembled the shape of a wall, coloured red, which has traditionally been used to represent Labour. This effect is exaggerated when results are projected into a map showing equal-size constituencies: in 2017, continuous blocks of red spanned the longitudinal distance across the North of England. In the UK/2019 General Election, many of these constituencies uncharacteristically supported the Conservative Party. Press coverage described the Red Wall as having "turned blue", "crumbled", "fallen", or having been "demolished".[2]
At the 2021 Hartlepool by-election, the Conservatives won for the first time in decades in another Red Wall seat.[3] The 2021 Batley and Spen by-election was also for a Red Wall seat, which Labour held albeit with a much-reduced majority.[4]
References
- ↑ "This is a huge 'Red Wall' stretching from N Wales into Merseyside, Warrington, Wigan, Manchester, Oldham, Barnsley, Nottingham and Doncaster"
- ↑ "General election 2019: How Labour's 'red wall' turned blue"
- ↑ "Tories take Hartlepool in historic Red Wall by-election victory"
- ↑ "Batley and Spen by-election results: Kim Leadbeater is the new MP for Batley and Spen as Labour clings on by 323 votes"
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