Exeter
Geoffrey Harvey-Barnes
Wtihichever party wins Exeter is likely to form ;Lrle next Government. The cost of living is not `ne biggest issue. Exeter people are not obs,essed by industrial matters and will take a 'etached view of the miners' strike; Exeter is tint primarily an industrial city and its Workers do not have a record of militancy. The cost of living is of even more concern to the voters than those of most other conpXuencies. Wages are comparatively low in eter and house prices comparatively high; all,d family budgets are all the tighter because °r it. There is no major local issue. The bigrst threat to Hannan, the Conservative, may be the possibility that so many people will eiieve the Liberals have an outside chance of 'ePlacing Labour in second place, or even of Winning, that the centre party will capture et,nough votes from the Tories to let in Labour. 2(eter has a Liberal tradition and the Liberal, Yorrish , a local college lecturer, is expected to `I° considerably better than in 1970. In the elkinty council elections last year the Liberals Dolled almost as many votes in Exeter as either of the two main parties. ,aoundary changes since 1970 have brought 1.1"'Ore suburbs into the constituency, which h°,vg Comprises the entire city, and this will ne'13 Mr Hannan. So will the fact that he has ,11rsed the constituency assiduously and is 9ch better known than Mr Powell, Labour's eailWayman from Wales. All things being bqual nationally, Mr Hannan may do a little etter than in 1970.
Mr Harvey-Barnes is the senior political l'ePorter of the Exeter Express and Echo.
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