The 'Footballer Belt' Is On The Brink Of Turning Labour

The leafy suburbs of Cheshire have long been Conservative strongholds and the backbone of the party’s election-winning coalition. But changing demographics — plus a collapsing Tory brand — mean Labour could turn the ‘Footballer Belt’ red for the first time in its history.

It is clear why the three constituencies of Altrincham, Congleton and Tatton are home to some of the UK’s richest postcodes outside of London.

Altrincham Market, which led the way in reviving the town centre, is filled with wine bars, breweries, and a collection of British, Mexican and Italian food stalls. It’s a regular weekend haunt for Love Island contestants, footballers, cricketers, and TV presenters.

The neighbouring seat of Tatton boasts more than 1,000 acres of green land, and a national park with 16th century mansions. Alderley Edge, a village in the constituency, revibrates wealth. It has enough former footballers to fill an all-star Manchester United team.

Congleton, a short drive from Tatton and firmly within the 'Footballer Belt', is home to Tudor architecture and wall-to-wall independent shops.

All three seats were symbolic of the Conservative Party’s base during the years of former prime ministers Margaret Thatcher, John Major and David Cameron.

These seats, long considered Conservative to the bone, have often been used by the party’s central office to parachute rising stars in. Tory alumni in this desirable pocket of northwest England include former chancellors Anthony Barbour and George Osborne, Thatcher’s PPS Fergus Montgomery, ex-1922 committee chair Sir Graham Brady and minister Esther McVey.

The cluster of constituencies remain full of “aspirational” voters who prioritise personal success for them and their family, according to one Tory