One would expect Newcastle Central , on the strength of its name, to be rock solid Labour territory; in this case, however, names can be deceptive, since the seat does not in fact cover the true centre of Newcastle, but rather surrounds the large open space of Town Moor. The consequential effects on house prices and employment make this the Newcastle seat which has seemed least firmly tied to Labour.
Central has one of the highest proportions of professional workers in the country, and a relatively small number of skilled manual workers. The seatís middle-class credentials extend to a high student population, with both of the cityís universities within its boundaries. Even the employment is more white-collar than is typical for the area, with the City Council being the largest single employer in a seat lacking any heavy industry.
The seat did in fact return a Tory MP, Piers Merchant in 1983 (as a result of vote splitting between Labour and the SDP), although it was won back for Labour in 1987 by Jim Cousins, who has held it ever since.