Government, Economy and Education
Walney has two tiers of local government. At the most local level, the island is governed as part of the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness, being divided between two wards, Walney North and Walney South. Barrow-in-Furness also forms part of the lager county of Cumbria, for which Walney is again divided into two wards. In the 2009 elections to Cumbria County Council, Walney North voted for a Labour Party councillor, whilst Walney South voted for a Conservative Party councillor. At the 2011 elections at the Borough level, six Labour Party councillors were elected from the island, three from each ward. At a national level, Walney forms part of the Barrow and Furness parliamentary constituency. The Member of Parliament is currently John Woodcock of the Labour Party. Woodcock was first elected in the 2010 general election, though Labour have held the seat since 1992.
As of the 2001 UK Census, Walney North had an unemployment rate of 7.7%, whilst it was 6.3% in Walney South Walney was historically agricultural, and a number of farms remain on the island, particularly at its southern half. Following the construction of Vickerstown, the defence manufacturer Vickers became the major employer on the island, reflecting wider trends in Barrow-in-Furness. Vickers' successor, BAE Systems, remains a major employer in Barrow and on Walney today: the island has particularly high levels of workers in skilled trades.
Walney has one secondary school, Walney School. It opened in 1952 and currently teaches 681 pupils. It has numerous primary schools but, students entering sixth form college or further education must go to schools on the mainland in Barrow.
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