A Look @: Enfield and Haringey

The Westminster seats in the North London boroughs of Enfield and Haringey are politically split. Currently Labour hold two of the three seats in Enfield with the other represented by the Conservatives. In Haringey the Liberal Democrats and Labour share the two seats. However, Enfield council was comfortably held by the Conservatives before 2006 when they lost five seats; three of them to Labour. They still run the council though with 34 of the 63 seats. Labour and the Lib Dems are the main players in Haringey and the last election saw a big shift towards the latter. The Lib Dems gained 11 seats leaving Labour clinging on to control with 30 of the 57 seats. This would have been a massive boost for Lynne Featherstone in her marginal Hornsey & Wood Green seat.

Constituency	Incumbent	Notional Majority	Swing Needed	Favourite	Prediction
Enfield North	Joan Ryan	-937	1.2%	1/25	CON Gain
Enfield Southgate	David Burrowes	1,127	1.4%	1/66	CON Hold
Edmonton	Andy Love	10,312	14.2%	1/20	LAB Hold
Hornsey & Wood Green	Lynne Featherstone	2,395	2.6%	1/8	LD Hold
Tottenham	David Lammy	13,034	20.6%	1/100	LAB Hold

 

Joan Ryan must feel like the world is against her. After producing a bit of a surprise by holding Enfield North quite comfortably in 2005, Ryan's constituency boundary has been altered by just under a third turning her 2000 vote majority into a 1000 notion deficit. On top of that she's put herself at the wrong end of the expenses table by claiming almost £1 million in the last 8 years. Ryan flipped her second home to undertake renovations on her constituency house despite the fact she only lives 14 miles from Parliament. She has little to no chance of hanging on this year and Nick de Bois should finally win this seat for the Conservatives on his third attempt; Tory Gain.

Enfield Southgate produced of one of the most memorable moments the 1997 election when Stephen Twigg defeated the then Conservative Defence Secretary, Michael Portillo. But Twigg himself lost the seat in 2005 and Labour don't look likely to take it back this year. David Burrowes has received some bad press recently in relation to his foreign trips which could cost him in May. Bambos Charalambous is the Labour candidate hoping to exploit this issue but he'll still have a tough time swimming against the tide; Tory Hold.

Andy Love gained Edmonton for Labour in 1997 and his majorities have been consistently large ever since. He had to pay back just over £700 relating to over-claimed mortgage interest, but this won't be enough to unseat him; Labour Hold.

Lynne Featherstone first contested Hornsey & Wood Green in 1997 and has hauled their share of the vote from 9.9% to take the seat from Labour in 2005. The expenses scandal has swung both ways for her as although she doesn't claim a second home allowance her office ran up a £22,000 stationary bill in one month. However, the Labour run council have received far more bad press following the death of Baby P, which is still rumbling on now. Voters are unlikely to turn to the Labour PPC Karen Jennings through no fault of her own. The political momentum is with Featherstone; Lib Dem Hold.

Tottenham has been Labour's since 1964 and they have steely grip on this seat. It's going to take a lot to shift David Lammy, who was the baby of the house when he became an MP in a 2000 by-election. Lammy had to answer some questions over the need for his second home considering how close he is to Westminster, but he can take a hit to his majority without much to worry about; Labour Hold.