I remember reading about a swing seat in the UK that always 'predicted' the outcomes of the election (e.g. if the Conservatives were the largest party then the seat would swing Conservative, etc.). Do you know of any such seat?
2 Answers
This kind of seat is known as a bellwether seat. This article highlights the different seats that have served as bellwethers in the UK. The longest lasting on has apparently been Dartford, which has elected an MP from the majority party for 55 years:
For the last 55 years, whichever party has claimed the seat of Dartford, in Kent, has also gone on to form a government. This year Conservative candidate Gareth Johnson is seeking to defend a majority of 13,186.
Here is their complete list:
Which seats are Britain's bellwethers?
Britain's bellwethers have had their titles for different lengths of times.
Since 1997: Nuneaton
Since 1983: Amber Valley, Corby, Norwich North, Reading West
Since 1979: Worcester
Since February 1974: Loughborough, Northampton North, Watford
Since 1964: Dartford
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1Thanks very much. I was having trouble researching this because I didn't know this was how these seats were referred to.– JoeDec 14, 2019 at 20:50
The Telegraph did a feature where it listed 12 bellwether seats that has always voted for the winner every election since 1979.
It’s quite an interesting read, but unfortunately, it’s behind a paywall. So, I’ve included a screenshot of the seats.
(Source: The Telegraph)