Before the 1995 boundary changes, the seat of Swindon had almost 90,000 electors, which was about 20,000 voters above the average for English constituencies. This reflected the fact that Swindon is one of Europe’s fastest growing towns and in an attempt to redress the balance, the Boundary Commission awarded Wiltshire the additional seat of ‘North Swindon’.
The old Swindon part of the new seat had a strong Labour vote and its hopes of winning it came to fruition with Michael Wills, a former television producer and an old friend of Peter Mandelson, who was elected in 1997 with a majority of 7,688.
Unemployment is among the lowest in the country in Swindon North, and the local economy is booming. Manufacturing companies, such as GEC Plessey and Rover are located here.
The seat expects to see the opening of the high-tech PFI funded Great Western Hospital in 2002, and is currently witnessing the development of the ‘Northern Sector’, a new residential community in the north of the constituency which will provide accommodation for Swindon’s aspirational middle-classes.