The Wrekin (UK Parliament constituency)
52°42′58″N 2°27′14″W / 52.716°N 2.454°W
The Wrekin | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | Shropshire |
Electorate | 66,111 (December 2010)[1] |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1918 |
Member of Parliament | Mark Pritchard (Conservative) |
Seats | One |
Created from | Mid Shropshire/Wellington |
The Wrekin is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2005 by Mark Pritchard, a Conservative.[n 2]
History
- Most prominent members in Parliament
Anthony Trafford (Conservative) went on after serving as MP to serve as a health minister, from the House of Lords in 1989.
Gerald Fowler (Labour) reached the frontbenches of government as the Minister for Education and Science from 1969 to 1970, again in 1974 and 1976 and as Minister for the Privy Council Office from 1974 to 1976.
Bruce Grocott (Labour) went on, after serving as MP for the newly created neighbouring seat from 1997 to 2001, to serve as the Government's Chief Whip in the House of Lords for six years.
- Political history
The seat saw a first winning candidate from the Labour Party relatively early in the country's history, in 1923. The seat alternated between the two largest modern parties eight times between 1923 and 1979.
In more recent history, reflecting the growing population of Telford and the rich iron smelting, railway and mining industries as major historic employers in the area, the seat was more Labour-leaning than the national average but still marginal, being represented by a Conservative for the first eight years of the Thatcher ministry and then (from 1987) returning a Labour member, who went on to serve a new seat created to serve Telford in 1997, and another Labour member until 2005, followed by the present Conservative who was elected that year. The present majority is over 10,000 votes.
Boundaries
1918-1950: The Municipal Borough of Wenlock, the Urban Districts of Dawley, Newport, Oakengates, and Wellington, and the Rural Districts of Newport, and Shifnal and Wellington.
1950-1983: The Urban Districts of Dawley, Newport, Oakengates, and Wellington, and the Rural Districts of Shifnal and Wellington.
1983-1997: The District of The Wrekin wards of Arleston, Brookside, College, Cuckoo Oak, Dawley Magna, Donnington, Donnington Wood, Dothill, Ercall, Hadley, Haygate, Hollinswood/Randlay, Ironbridge (The Gorge), Ketley, Ketley Bank, Langley, Lawley, Leegomery, Lilleshall, Madeley, Malinslee, Park, Priorslee, Stirchley, Wombridge, Woodside, Wrockwardine, and Wrockwardine Wood.
1997-2010: The District of The Wrekin wards of Arleston, Church Aston, College, Donnington, Donnington Wood, Dothill and Park, Edgmond, Ercall, Ercall Magna, Hadley, Haygate, Ketley, Leegomery, Lilleshall, Newport East, Newport North, Newport West, and Wrockwardine, and the District of Bridgnorth wards of Albrighton, Idsall, Manor, and Sheriffhales.
2010-present: The Borough of Telford and Wrekin wards of Apley Castle, Arleston, Church Aston and Lilleshall, College, Donnington, Dothill, Edgmond, Ercall, Ercall Magna, Hadley and Leegomery, Haygate, Muxton, Newport East, Newport North, Newport South, Newport West, Park, Shawbirch, and Wrockwardine, and the District of Bridgnorth wards of Albrighton South, Donington and Albrighton North, Shifnal Idsall, Shifnal Manor, and Shifnal Rural.
When originally constituted, the constituency, with a population of 71,352, was the largest division of Shropshire created in the 1918 boundary changes.[2]
In the Third Periodical Review of the Boundary Commission, which took effect for the 1983 general election, the constituency was redefined after major local government changes. This redefinition resulted in a quarter of the electorate being removed to Shropshire North and Ludlow.[3]
Parliament approved major boundary changes which took effect at the 1997 general election, which created a new constituency containing and named after the town of Telford, before which Telford had been one of the largest elements of The Wrekin. The new Telford constituency took 62.9% of the electorate of The Wrekin leaving the remaining 37.1% to constitute a revised constituency of The Wrekin that incorporated areas previously within Shropshire North and Ludlow from two sides.[4]
The area almost encircles Telford, a 'New Town', encompassing much of the rural parts of the Telford and Wrekin borough, in which most of the constituency is. Its major settlements include: Wellington, Newport and Shifnal, as well as the suburban northern reaches of Telford (including Donnington). A small but significant area relates to the former Bridgnorth local government district (now part of the unitary Shropshire) and contains DCAE Cosford and a number of commuter villages along the M54 motorway: the civil parishes of Sheriffhales, Shifnal, Tong, Boscobel, Albrighton, Donington and Boningale make up the non-Telford and The Wrekin-administered portion. Boundary changes to realign the constituency boundaries to fit with the borough's most recent ward revisions resulted in the removal of Ketley (to the constituency of Telford) for the 2010 general election.[5]
Constituency profile
The constituency is in the east of Shropshire, specifically, around The Wrekin hill and therefore in undulating country within fast road access (and some rail access) commuter's reach to the West Midlands, Stafford and Stoke on Trent.
Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 3.1% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[6]
Members of Parliament
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Mark Pritchard | 22,579 | 49.7 | +2.0 | |
Labour | Katrina Gilman | 11,836 | 26.0 | -1.1 | |
UKIP | Jill Seymour | 7,620 | 16.8 | +12.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Rod Keyes | 1,959 | 4.3 | -13.1 | |
Green | Cath Edwards[9] | 1,443 | 3.2 | +3.2 | |
Majority | 10,743 | 23.6 | +3.0 | ||
Turnout | 45,437 | 68.9 | -1.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.55 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Mark Pritchard | 21,922 | 47.7 | +5.6 | |
Labour Co-op | Paul Kalinauckas | 12,472 | 27.1 | -12.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Alyson Cameron-Daw | 8,019 | 17.4 | +2.4 | |
UKIP | Malcolm Hurst | 2,050 | 4.5 | +0.9 | |
BNP | Susan Harwood | 1,505 | 3.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 9,450 | 20.6 | +18.5 | ||
Turnout | 45,968 | 70.1 | +3.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +8.9 |
Elections in the 2000s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Mark Pritchard | 18,899 | 41.9 | +3.5 | |
Labour | Peter Bradley | 17,957 | 39.9 | −7.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | Bill Tomlinson | 6,608 | 14.7 | +3.3 | |
UKIP | Bruce Lawson | 1,590 | 3.5 | +0.4 | |
Majority | 942 | 2.1 | |||
Turnout | 45,054 | 67.0 | +3.9 | ||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +5.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Peter Bradley | 19,532 | 47.1 | +0.1 | |
Conservative | Jacob Rees-Mogg | 15,945 | 38.4 | -1.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Ian Jenkins | 4,738 | 11.4 | -1.4 | |
UKIP | Denis Brookes | 1,275 | 3.1 | N/A | |
Majority | 3,587 | 8.7 | |||
Turnout | 41,490 | 63.1 | -12.1 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +0.95 |
Elections in the 1990s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Peter Bradley | 21,243 | 46.9 | N/A | |
Conservative | Peter Bruinvels | 18,218 | 40.2 | N/A | |
Liberal Democrats | Ian Jenkins | 5,807 | 12.8 | N/A | |
Majority | 3,025 | 6.7 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 76.6 | N/A | |||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A |
Note: although The Wrekin was a Labour-held seat in the previous Parliament, boundary changes made it notionally a Conservative seat, hence this is a gain rather than a hold.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Bruce Grocott | 33,865 | 48.3 | +5.5 | |
Conservative | Mrs Elizabeth Jane Holt | 27,217 | 38.8 | −1.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Anthony Clive West | 8,032 | 11.5 | −5.2 | |
Green | Robert Thomas Couper Saunders | 1,008 | 1.4 | N/A | |
Majority | 6,648 | 9.5 | +7.2 | ||
Turnout | 70,122 | 77.1 | −1.2 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +3.6 |
Elections in the 1980s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Bruce Grocott | 27,681 | 42.82 | ||
Conservative | Warren Hawksley | 26,225 | 40.57 | ||
SDP | G. Cook | 10,737 | 16.61 | ||
Majority | 1,456 | 2.25 | |||
Turnout | 78.34 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Warren Hawksley | 22,710 | 38.96 | ||
Labour | Bruce Grocott | 21,379 | 36.67 | ||
SDP | Mark Biltcliffe | 14,208 | 24.37 | ||
Majority | 1,331 | 2.28 | |||
Turnout | 75.49 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1970s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Warren Hawksley | 32,672 | 45.56 | ||
Labour | Gerald Teasdale Fowler | 31,707 | 44.22 | ||
Liberal | R. Yarnell | 7,331 | 10.22 | ||
Majority | 965 | 1.35 | |||
Turnout | 78.44 | ||||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gerald Teasdale Fowler | 30,385 | 48.71 | ||
Conservative | Philip Banks | 23,547 | 37.75 | ||
Liberal | Wally Dewsnip | 8,442 | 13.53 | ||
Majority | 6,838 | 10.96 | |||
Turnout | 74.46 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gerald Teasdale Fowler | 30,642 | 46.3 | ||
Conservative | Joseph Anthony Porteous Trafford | 24,121 | 36.4 | ||
Liberal | Ian George Powney | 11,487 | 17.34 | ||
Majority | 6,521 | 9.84 | |||
Turnout | 80.84 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Joseph Anthony Porteous Trafford | 26,282 | 50.50 | ||
Labour | Gerald Teasdale Fowler | 25,764 | 49.50 | ||
Majority | 518 | 1.00 | |||
Turnout | 78.75 | ||||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Elections in the 1960s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gerald Teasdale Fowler | 23,692 | 50.91 | ||
Conservative | William Yates | 22,846 | 49.09 | ||
Majority | 846 | 1.82 | |||
Turnout | 81.27 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | William Yates | 21,765 | 48.71 | ||
Labour | Donald William Trevor Bruce | 19,078 | 42.70 | ||
Liberal | John N. Davies | 3,839 | 8.59 | ||
Majority | 2,687 | 6.01 | |||
Turnout | 81.96 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1950s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | William Yates | 22,030 | 53.62 | ||
Labour | Donald William Trevor Bruce | 19,052 | 46.38 | ||
Majority | 2,978 | 7.25 | |||
Turnout | 84.20 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | William Yates | 19,019 | 50.64 | ||
Labour | Ivor Owen Thomas | 18,541 | 49.36 | ||
Majority | 478 | 1.27 | |||
Turnout | 80.09 | ||||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Ivor Owen Thomas | 20,109 | 52.35 | ||
Conservative | John Howard Cordle | 18,305 | 46.65 | ||
Majority | 1,804 | 4.70 | |||
Turnout | 83.05 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Ivor Owen Thomas | 19,730 | 53.66 | ||
Conservative | F.G. Bibbings | 17,039 | 46.34 | ||
Majority | 2,691 | 7.32 | |||
Turnout | 81.33 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1940s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Ivor Owen Thomas | 22,453 | 56.31 | ||
Conservative | William Arthur Colegate | 17,422 | 43.69 | ||
Majority | 5,031 | 12.62 | |||
Turnout | 72.32 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | William Arthur Colegate | 9,946 | |||
Ind. Conservative | Noel Pemberton Billing | 7,121 | |||
Independent | Mr. Kennedy | 1,638 | |||
Majority | 2,825 | ||||
Turnout | |||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1930s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Baldwin-Webb | 20,665 | 57.88 | ||
Labour | G.T. Garratt | 15,040 | 42.12 | ||
Majority | 5,625 | 15.75 | |||
Turnout | 78.52 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Baldwin-Webb | 22,258 | 61.11 | ||
Labour | Edith Picton-Turbervill | 14,162 | 38.89 | ||
Majority | 8,096 | 22.23 | |||
Turnout | 83.20 | ||||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Elections in the 1920s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Edith Picton-Turbervill | 14,569 | 44.4 | +0.1 | |
Unionist | Thomas Oakley | 11,707 | 35.6 | -20.1 | |
Liberal | W. E. Boyes | 6,576 | 20.0 | n/a | |
Majority | 2,862 | 8.8 | 20.2 | ||
Turnout | 76.7 | +2.5 | |||
Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +10.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Henry Nixon | 11657 | 53.2 | +5.6 | |
Unionist | Arthur Nicholas Fielden | 10274 | 46.8 | -20.1 | |
Majority | 1383 | 6.4 | +11.2 | ||
Turnout | 66.0 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +5.6 |
See also
Notes and references
- Notes
- ^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
- ^ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
- References
- ^ "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
{{cite web}}
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ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "31. County of Salop" in "Report of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission (England and Wales)" Cd. 8756.
- ^ "BBC/ITN Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies", 1983, p. 143, 230.
- ^ "Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies", BBC/ITN/PA News/Sky, 1995, p. 181, 267.
- ^ 2010 post-revision map non-metropolitan areas and unitary authorities of England
- ^ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 5)
- ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Telford & Wrekin Green Party - People". greenparty.org.uk.
- ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
{{cite web}}
:|archive-date=
/|archive-url=
timestamp mismatch; 26 July 2013 suggested (help) - ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
- ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig