Twenty-five miles from London and 40 miles from the south coast, Woking is another traditionally safe Conservative seat in Surrey. However, at the last election it saw a drop in the Conservative share of the vote by over 20%.
This was perhaps partially due to the retirement of Sir Cranley Onslow, who had been the MP for Woking since 1964, but was also due to support for both the Independent Conservative candidate, who retained his deposit with over 3,900 votes, and the Referendum Party.
Woking is the largest town in Surrey, and home to many commuters. Over recent years it has also become the retail and service centre for the stockbroker belt, and has undergone rapid expansion. Extensive office development took place in the town centre in the 1980s, attracting industry based on new technologies.
This has lead to further development of shopping and entertainment centres, including the Peacock Theatre. As a result, the population has also grown, as shown by the boom in the residential sector.
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