Birmingham Northfield (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 52°24′N 1°59′W / 52.40°N 1.98°W

Birmingham, Northfield
Borough constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Birmingham, Northfield in Birmingham.
Location of Birmingham within England.
County	West Midlands
Population	101,422 (2011 census)[1]
Electorate	72,190 (December 2010)[2]
Current constituency
Created	1950
Member of parliament	Richard Burden (Labour)
Number of members	One
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency	West Midlands

Birmingham, Northfield is a constituency^{[n 1]} of part of the city of Birmingham represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1992 by Richard Burden of the Labour Party.^{[n 2]}

Constituency profile

Among the areas largest features are the closed MG Rover Group factory that long formed a major employer in the constituency and officially closed in the run up to the 2005 general election, a large hospital and the North Worcestershire Golf Course.^[3] The Labour MP Richard Burden was nonetheless returned, albeit with a majority reduced by 5.6%. He was re-elected, with a majority reduced by 14.1%,^{[n 3]} in 2010. Shortly after the 2010 election, Liberal Democrat candidate Mike Dixon was jailed for clubbing a family cat to death with a walking stick.^[4]

History

Since creation in 1950, Labour Party MPs have served the ward with the exception of the period from 1979 to 1992 while the Conservative Party were in government, with a one-year gap caused by a Labour win in a by-election, in 1982. From 1979 to 1982 the MP was a member of the influential and large Cadbury family, Jocelyn Cadbury.

Boundaries

1950-1974: The County Borough of Birmingham wards of King's Norton, Northfield, and Weoley.

1974-1983: The County Borough of Birmingham wards of Longbridge, Northfield, and Weoley.

1983-1997: The City of Birmingham wards of Bartley Green, Longbridge, Northfield, and Weoley.

1997-2010: The City of Birmingham wards of Longbridge, Northfield, and Weoley.

2010-present: The City of Birmingham wards of King's Norton, Longbridge, Northfield, and Weoley.

Following the review of parliamentary representation in Birmingham and the West Midlands,^[5] the Boundary Commission for England created a modified Northfield seat which gained the ward of Kings Norton (previously in the Selly Oak constituency).

Members of Parliament

Election		Member[6]	Party
	1950	Raymond Blackburn	Labour
	1951	Donald Chapman	Labour
	1970	Ray Carter	Labour
	1979	Jocelyn Cadbury	Conservative
	1982 by-election	John Spellar	Labour
	1983	Roger King	Conservative
	1992	Richard Burden	Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Birmingham Northfield[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Richard Burden	17,673	41.6	+1.3
	Conservative	Rachel Maclean	15,164	35.7	+2.1
	UKIP	Keith Rowe	7,106	16.7	+13.5
	Liberal Democrat	Steve Haynes	1,349	3.2	−12.5
	Green	Anna Masters[8]	1,169	2.8	+1.8
Majority			2,509	5.9
Turnout			42,461	59.4
	Labour hold		Swing	-0.8

Going into the 2015 general election, this was the 121st most marginal constituency in Great Britain, the Conservatives requiring a swing from Labour of 3.3% to take the seat (based on the result of the 2010 general election).^[9]

General Election 2010: Birmingham Northfield[10][11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Richard Burden	16,841	40.3	−10.1
	Conservative	Keely Huxtable	14,059	33.6	+3.2
	Liberal Democrat	Mike Dixon	6,550	15.7	+3.3
	BNP	Les Orton	2,290	5.5	+2.2
	UKIP	John Borthwick	1,363	3.3	+1.0
	Green	Susan Pearce	406	1.0	N/A
	Common Good	Dick Rodgers	305	0.7	−0.4
Majority			2,782	6.7
Turnout			41,814	58.6	+3.4
	Labour hold		Swing	−6.6

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Birmingham Northfield[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Richard Burden	15,419	49.6	−6.4
	Conservative	Vicky Ford	8,965	28.9	−0.7
	Liberal Democrat	Trevor Sword	4,171	13.4	+2.2
	BNP	Mark Cattell	1,278	4.1	N/A
	UKIP	Gillian Chant	641	2.1	+0.2
	Common Good	Richard Rogers	428	1.4	N/A
	Socialist Alternative	Louise Houdley	120	0.4	N/A
	Workers Revolutionary	Frank Sweeney	34	0.1	N/A
Majority			6,454	20.8
Turnout			31,056	56.6	+3.8
	Labour hold		Swing	−2.8

General Election 2001: Birmingham, Northfield[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Richard Burden	16,528	56.0	−1.5
	Conservative	Nils Purser	8,730	29.6	+1.6
	Liberal Democrat	Trevor Sword	3,322	11.2	+0.8
	UKIP	Stephen Rogers	550	1.9	N/A
	Socialist Alliance	Clive Walder	193	0.7	N/A
	Socialist Labour	Zane Carpenter	151	0.5	N/A
	Communist	Andrew Chaffer	60	0.2	N/A
Majority			7,798	26.4
Turnout			29,534	52.8	−15.5
	Labour hold		Swing	−1.5

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Birmingham Northfield[14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Richard Burden	22,316	57.4	+11.9
	Conservative	Alan C. Blumenthal	10,873	28.0	−14.4
	Liberal Democrat	Micheal R. Ashell	4,078	10.5	+0.4
	Referendum	David Gent	1,243	3.2	N/A
	BNP	Keith A. Axon	337	0.9	N/A
Majority			11,443	29.5
Turnout			38,847	68.3	−7.8
	Labour hold		Swing	+13.1

General Election 1992: Birmingham Northfield[15][16]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Richard Burden	24,443	45.5	+6.3
	Conservative	Roger King	23,803	44.4	−0.7
	Liberal Democrat	David L. Cropp	5,431	10.1	−5.5
Majority			630	1.1	−4.8
Turnout			53,667	76.1	+4.5
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+3.5

Election in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Birmingham Northfield[17]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Roger King	24,024	45.1	+2.4
	Labour	John Spellar	20,889	39.2	+1.7
	Social Democratic	John Christopher Gordon	8,319	15.6	−3.6
Majority			3,135	5.9
Turnout			53,232	72.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.0

General Election 1983: Birmingham Northfield[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Roger King	22,596	42.7	−2.7
	Labour	John Spellar	19,836	37.5	−7.6
	Liberal	David Webb	10,045	19.0	+10.8
	Communist	Peter Raymond Sheppard	420	0.8	N/A
Majority			2,760	5.2
Turnout			52,897	71.2
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	+5.1

By-election 1982: Birmingham Northfield
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Spellar	15,904	36.3	−8.8
	Conservative	Roger Gale	15,615	35.6	−9.8
	Liberal	Stephen Ridley	11,453	26.1	+18.0
	National Front	Ian Anderson	411	0.9	−0.2
	Communist	Peter Sheppard	349	0.8	N/A
	People's Progressive Party	Ronald Taylor	63	0.2	N/A
	Democratic Monarchist, Public Safety, White Resident	Bill Boaks	60	0.1	N/A
Majority			289	0.7
Turnout			43,855	55.0
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	−0.5

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Birmingham Northfield
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Jocelyn Cadbury	25,304	45.4	+13.4
	Labour	Raymond John Carter	25,100	45.1	−7.0
	Liberal	R. Lewthwaite	4,538	8.2	−6.7
	National Front	R. Newman	614	1.1	N/A
	Workers Revolutionary	J. Beale	144	0.3	N/A
Majority			204	0.4
Turnout			55,700	70.6	+2.7
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	+10.2

General Election October 1974: Birmingham Northfield
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Raymond John Carter	27,435	52.1	−4.0
	Conservative	Jocelyn Cadbury	16,838	32.0	−9.0
	Liberal	D. Haines	7,851	14.9	N/A
	People	E. A. Davenport	359	0.7	N/A
	Communist	Derek Robinson	180	0.3	−0.4
Majority			10,597	20.1
Turnout			52,663	67.9	−5.6
	Labour hold		Swing	+2.5

General Election February 1974: Birmingham Northfield
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Raymond John Carter	31,704	56.1	+5.6
	Conservative	John Butcher	23,175	41.0	−7.6
	Independent	M. Newman	1,237	2.2	N/A
	Communist	Derek Robinson	368	0.7	−0.2
Majority			8,529	15.1
Turnout			56,484	73.5
	Labour hold		Swing	+1.0

General Election 1970: Birmingham Northfield
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Raymond John Carter	33,364	50.5	−8.2
	Conservative	David W. Bell	32,148	48.6	+8.9
	Communist	Derek Robinson	605	0.9	−0.7
Majority			1,216	1.8
Turnout			66,117	68.3
	Labour hold		Swing	−8.6

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Birmingham Northfield
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Donald Chapman	36,801	58.7	+11.5
	Conservative	Christopher Cromwell Chalker	24,899	39.7	−0.7
	Communist	Derek Robinson	1,029	1.6	N/A
Majority			11,902	19.0
Turnout			62,729	75.1
	Labour hold		Swing	+6.1

General Election 1964: Birmingham Northfield
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Donald Chapman	29,301	47.2	−3.6
	Conservative	Herbert Banner Adkins	25,063	40.4	−8.8
	Liberal	Roy Lewthwaite	7,682	12.4	N/A
Majority			4,238	6.8
Turnout			62,046	77.2
	Labour hold		Swing	+2.6

Election in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Birmingham Northfield
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Donald Chapman	29,587	50.8	−2.0
	Conservative	Reginald Edwin Eyre	28,647	49.2	+2.0
Majority			940	1.6
Turnout			58,234	78.5
	Labour hold		Swing	−2.0

General Election 1955: Birmingham Northfield
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Donald Chapman	27,072	52.8	+0.0
	Conservative	Clement Sweet	24,188	47.2	+0.0
Majority			2,884	5.6
Turnout			51,260	78.6
	Labour hold		Swing	+0.0

General Election 1951: Birmingham Northfield
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Donald Chapman	26,580	52.8	−0.2
	Conservative	Maurice Chandler	23,730	47.2	+7.6
Majority			2,850	5.7
Turnout			50,310	83.4
	Labour hold		Swing	−3.9

General Election 1950: Birmingham, Northfield
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Albert Raymond Blackburn	26,714	53.0	N/A
	Conservative	Thomas Lascelles Isa Shandon Valiant Iremonger	19,974	39.6	N/A
	Liberal	Evan Laurence Frederick Richards	3,280	6.5	N/A
	Communist	Richard Albert Etheridge	479	1.0	N/A
Majority			6,740	13.4	N/A
Turnout			50,447	84.7	N/A
	Labour win (new seat)

See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in the West Midlands (county)

Notes and references

Notes

1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
2. 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.
3. Which leaves the incumbent MP with a majority of 6.7%

References

1. "Birmingham, Northfield: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
2. "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
3. Ordnance survey website
4. http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-news/2011/03/11/birmingham-liberal-democrat-election-candidate-jailed-for-killing-cat-65233-28320274/
5. http://www.boundarycommissionforengland.org.uk/review_areas/West_Midlands_Boroughs/images/Birmingham_OM_RR.gif
6. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "N" (part 3)
7. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
8. https://my.greenparty.org.uk/candidates/105819
9. Ransome Mpini; Charlotte Thornton; John Walton; Marcelo Zanni (24 February 2014). "Election 2015: The political battleground". BBC News. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
10. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
11. Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll 2010
12. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
13. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
14. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
15. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
16. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
17. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
18. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

External links

• Birmingham city council constituency page