ter ial ▁road - building ▁projects ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁ ▁Political ▁history ▁ ▁To ▁date ▁since ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁a ▁stronger ▁area ▁for ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party ▁than ▁neighbour ing ▁H arrow ▁West , ▁the ▁seat ▁has ▁been ▁mostly ▁Conserv ative ▁in ▁outcome . ▁Labour ▁did ▁win ▁here ▁in ▁lands lide ▁vict ories ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁and ▁held ▁on ▁in ▁the ▁two ▁subsequent ▁general ▁elections . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁the ▁seat ▁was ▁reg ained ▁by ▁a ▁Conserv ative ▁on ▁a ▁high ▁turn out , ▁though ▁Labour ' s ▁inc umb ent ▁managed ▁to ▁hold ▁on ▁to ▁H arrow ▁West , ▁largely ▁due ▁to ▁boundary ▁changes ▁which ▁fav oured ▁Labour ▁there . ▁Res idents ▁in ▁the ▁bor ough ▁include ▁fewer ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁category ▁of ▁no ▁qual ifications ▁than ▁the ▁national ▁average , ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁at ▁ 1 6 . 8 %. ▁ ▁The ▁seat ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁bell w ether ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁general ▁election ▁( in clus ive ), ▁by ▁reflect ing ▁the ▁result ▁nation ally . ▁ ▁The ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁result ▁gave ▁the ▁seat ▁the ▁ 2 9 th ▁most ▁marg inal ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁Party ' s ▁ 3 1 7 ▁seats ▁by ▁percentage ▁of ▁majority . ▁ ▁B ound aries ▁ 1