Newark (UK Parliament constituency)
| Newark | |
|---|---|
| County constituency | |
| for the House of Commons | |
 Boundary of Newark in Nottinghamshire. |
|
 Location of Nottinghamshire within England. |
|
| County | Nottinghamshire |
| Electorate | 72,407 (December 2010)[1] |
| Major settlements | Newark-on-Trent and Southwell |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 1885 |
| Member of Parliament | Patrick Mercer (Conservative) |
| Number of members | One |
| 1673–1885 | |
| Number of members | Two |
| Type of constituency | Borough constituency |
| Overlaps | |
| European Parliament constituency | East Midlands |
Newark is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since 1885, it has elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
A parliamentary borough of the same name existed from 1673 to 1885, when it was replaced by a county division of the same name.
Contents |
[edit] Boundaries
The constituency covers large parts of the Newark and Sherwood district in the east of Nottinghamshire, including the towns of Newark-on-Trent and Southwell, and the villages of Collingham and Sutton-on-Trent. It also covers the south-east of the Bassetlaw district, including Retford and Markham Moor.
[edit] Boundary review
Following their review of parliamentary representation in Nottinghamshire, the Boundary Commission for England have modified the existing Newark constituency to be fought at the 2010 general election. The Newark constituency will lose the town of Retford to the Bassetlaw constituency (although it will still cover a smaller part of the Bassetlaw district), but will gain the area around Bingham from the Rushcliffe constituency.
The electoral wards used in the formation of this modified seat are:
- From the district of Bassetlaw - East Markham, Rampton, and Tuxford and Trent
- From the district of Newark and Sherwood - Balderton North, Balderton West, Beacon, Bridge, Castle, Caunton, Collingham and Meering, Devon, Farndon, Lowdham, Magnus, Muskham, Southwell East, Southwell North, Southwell West, Sutton-on-Trent, Trent and Winthorpe
- From the borough of Rushcliffe - Bingham East, Bingham West, Cranmer, Oak and Thoroton.
[edit] History
Newark was the last borough seat to be created in the Unreformed House of Commons in 1673, prior to the Reform Act 1832. It returned two representatives to Parliament from 1673 until 1885. The future Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone, began his political career as Member of Parliament for Newark from 1832 to 1845, later moving to other constituencies.
More recently, the Labour Party held Newark from 1950 until 1979, when it was taken by the Conservatives' Richard Alexander. Alexander lost his seat during Labour's landslide victory at the 1997 general election. The victorious Labour candidate, Fiona Jones, was convicted of electoral fraud and expelled from the House of Commons in 1999 over misrepresented election expenses. The conviction was later overturned upon appeal, and she returned to Parliament. However, Jones lost her seat at the 2001 general election to Patrick Mercer of the Conservatives, who has held it since.
Mercer held the position of Shadow Minister for Homeland Security from June 2003 until March 2007, when he was forced to resign following racially contentious comments made to The Times.[2]
For the first time ever on Wednesday 28th March 2010, three of the four candidates came together in a live radio debate broadcast to the Newark Constituency. Local community radio station 102.6fm Boundary Sound organised the event, which was held at the Everyday Champions Church and saw over 150 local residents attend. Topics covered where Newark's Accident and Emergency facility, Crime, local sports facilities and local education. To listen to the debate and hear the opinions of those present click here. The live two hour broadcast followed the same format as the TV leaders debates, with questions on local and national topics submitted by local residents.
[edit] Members of Parliament
[edit] MPs before 1885
[edit] MPs since 1885
[edit] Elections
[edit] Elections in the 2010s
| General Election 2010: Newark[6] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Patrick Mercer | 27,590 | 53.9 | +3.4 | |
| Labour | Ian Campbell | 11,438 | 22.3 | -6.0 | |
| Liberal Democrat | Pauline Jenkins | 10,246 | 20.0 | +1.6 | |
| UKIP | Rev Major Tom Irvine | 1,954 | 3.8 | +1.0 | |
| Majority | 16,152 | 31.5 | |||
| Turnout | 51,228 | 71.4 | +8.0 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +4.7 | |||
[edit] Elections in the 2000s
| General Election 2005: Newark | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Patrick Mercer | 21,946 | 48.0 | +1.5 | |
| Labour | Jason Reece | 15,482 | 33.9 | −3.6 | |
| Liberal Democrat | Stuart Thompstone | 7,276 | 15.9 | +2.7 | |
| UKIP | Charlotte Creasy | 992 | 2.2 | N/A | |
| Majority | 6,464 | 14.1 | |||
| Turnout | 45,696 | 63.2 | −0.3 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +2.6 | |||
| General Election 2001: Newark | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Patrick Mercer | 20,983 | 46.5 | +7.1 | |
| Labour | Fiona Jones | 16,910 | 37.5 | -7.8 | |
| Liberal Democrat | David Harding-Price | 5,970 | 13.2 | +1.8 | |
| Independent | Donald Haxby | 822 | 1.8 | N/A | |
| Socialist Alliance | Ian Thomson | 462 | 1.0 | N/A | |
| Majority | 4,073 | 9.0 | |||
| Turnout | 45,147 | 63.5 | -10.8 | ||
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
[edit] Elections in the 1990s
| General Election 1997: Newark | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Labour | Fiona Jones | 23,496 | 45.2 | ||
| Conservative | Richard Alexander | 20,480 | 39.4 | ||
| Liberal Democrat | Peter Harris | 5,960 | 11.5 | ||
| Referendum Party | G. Creedy | 2,035 | 3.9 | N/A | |
| Majority | 3,016 | ||||
| Turnout | 74.5 | ||||
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
"
| General Election 1992: Newark[7] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Richard Alexander | 28,494 | 50.4 | −3.1 | |
| Labour | DH Barton | 20,265 | 35.8 | +8.1 | |
| Liberal Democrat | PRB Harris | 7,342 | 13.0 | −5.8 | |
| Green | Ms. PA Wood | 435 | 0.8 | N/A | |
| Majority | 8,229 | 14.6 | −11.3 | ||
| Turnout | 56,536 | 82.2 | +4.2 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −5.6 | |||
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. http://www.boundarycommissionforengland.org.uk/electoral-figures/electoral-figures.htm. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ^ Byers, David (8 March 2007). "Exclusive Tory frontbencher sparks race row with black bastards gibe". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1484909.ece.
- ^ a b c Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "N" (part 1)
- ^ Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 215–6. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
- ^ Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S.. ed. The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 249–250. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
- ^ "Newark". YourNextMP. http://www.yournextmp.com/seats/newark. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
- ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/ge92index.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
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