This city witnessed fiercer battles than most between Labour and Militant in the 1980s and in the thick of the battle was Coventry North West MP Geoffrey Robinson. Generally speaking, the seat is less impoverished than Coventry North East, but while unemployment here is actually below the national average, it is still not as prosperous as Coventry South.
Although Labour still has 11 city councillors in this constituency to the Conservatives’ seven, the opposition picked up four seats in 2000 alone.
Coventry City Football Club is building a new stadium in the area, a development which will also house community facilities including a library and swimming pool. The major shareholder in the development is Mr Robinson.
Elsewhere, the constituency’s biggest employer, Jaguar, also has a strong personal connection with Mr Robinson - who used to be its chief executive. The luxury car maker has its main Browns Lane factory in this part of the city. Other major employers include Dunlop and Mayflower, which builds body parts for Jaguar and for black taxis.
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