The constituency of Manchester Withington was, up to the last election, considered to be a relatively safe Labour seat, since it was first won by Keith Bradley from the Tories in 1987. Keith built up a majority of over 11,000 ahead of the general election in 2005. But, with one of the biggest swings in the country (20%), the seat was narrowly won by the Liberal Democrats with a majority of 667. As it was in other, similar seats, the Iraq war was a key issue. The loss of Withington was one of the big shocks of the last election and this is a seat that Gordon Brown will look to regain to secure victory.
Covering most of south Manchester, Manchester Withington includes some of the most prosperous and vibrant parts of Manchester, such as Didsbury and Chorlton, which attract Manchester's new young professionals. Yet it also includes areas with high levels of social housing like Burnage, Old Moat and Chorlton Park.
One of the biggest changes in demographics in recent years, and seen by some as a key factor at the last election, is the growing student population in the north of the constituency, particularly in Withington.
Although at the next election eyes will be on the Labour/Tory marginals, seats such as Manchester Withington, which Labour needs to regain, could prove decisive in who forms the next government.
Lucy Powell was selected as Labour's parliamentary candidate in March 2007. Previously she had been the director of Britain in Europe, the cross-party, pro-European campaign group, based in London.
She started her career working in parliament for Beverley Hughes MP, now minister for children.
She currently works for NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, running an innovation programme in Manchester.
Lucy was born and bred in Manchester Withington, attending the local comprehensive school, Parrs Wood high school. She went on to study chemistry at the University of Oxford and King's College, London.
Lucy supports Manchester City and, when she has spare time, likes to enjoy what Manchester has to offer: shops, restaurants, great parks and places of historical and cultural interest.
Contact Lucy here.
