Hemsworth

Hemsworth is a small town on the edge of West Yorkshire in the Wakefield district. It is famous for being the place where Labour votes were "weighed, not counted" during the 1960s and 1970s. It was a one-industry town, where coal mining employed the vast majority of residents, and the closure of the pits under Conservative governments led to huge levels of unemployment and deprivation in the area. Hemsworth, along with nearby villages such as South Kirkby, South Elmsall, Ackworth, West Yorkshire and Fitzwilliam, was made into a special regeneration area. Fortunes have improved as a result. The town is not even so heavily Labour-voting as it once was. The town's member of Parliament is Jon Trickett - an openly gay politician and a former leader of Leeds council.

Related Topics:
Yorkshire - Wakefield - Coal mining - South Kirkby - South Elmsall - Ackworth, West Yorkshire - Fitzwilliam - Member of Parliament - Jon Trickett

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In May, 2005, the Office of National Statistics estimated that unemployment in Hemsworth was just 2.8%. This marks great progress from periods in the previous two decades when it could reach as high as 50%.

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