Nuneaton (UK Parliament constituency)

Nuneaton
County constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Boundary of Nuneaton in Warwickshire.

Outline map

Location of Warwickshire within England.
County Warwickshire
Electorate 68,288 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created 1885
Member of parliament Marcus Jones (Conservative)
Number of members One
Created from North Warwickshire
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency West Midlands

Nuneaton is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Marcus Jones, a Conservative.[n 2]

In the 2015 general election, Nuneaton was the first key marginal seat between the Conservatives and Labour to declare its results. Instead of seeing the predicted victory for Labour,[2] the seat saw a swing of 3.0% towards the Conservatives which proved to be a big indication that they were heading for victory in the 2015 general election, contrary to prior Opinion Poll projections.

Boundaries

1885-1918: The Sessional Division of Coventry, the Municipal Borough of Coventry, and part of the Sessional Divisions of Atherstone and Coleshill.

1918-1945: The Municipal Borough of Nuneaton, the Urban District of Bulkington, and the Rural Districts of Atherstone (the civil parishes of Ansley, Atherstone, Baddesley Ensor, Baxterley, Bentley, Grendon, Hartshill, Mancetter, Merevale, Oldbury, and Polesworth), Coventry (the civil parishes of Coventry Holy Trinity Without and Coventry St Michael Without), Foleshill (the civil parishes of Ansty, Bedworth, Binley Woods, Exhall, Foleshill, Keresley, Shilton, Stoke, Stoke Heath, Walsgrave-on-Sowe, Willenhall, Withybrook, and Wyken), and Nuneaton (the civil parishes of Arley, Astley, Burton Hastings, Caldecote, Stretton Baskerville, Weddington, and Wolvey).

1945-1955: The Municipal Borough of Nuneaton, the Urban District of Bedworth, and the Rural District of Atherstone (the civil parishes of Ansley, Atherstone, Baddesley Ensor, Baxterley, Bentley, Caldecote, Grendon, Hartshill, Mancetter, Merevale, Oldbury, and Polesworth).

1955-1974: The Municipal Borough of Nuneaton, and the Urban District of Bedworth.

1974-1983: The Municipal Borough of Nuneaton, and the Urban District of Bedworth as altered by the Coventry Order 1965.

1983-2010: The Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth wards of Abbey, Arbury, Attleborough, Bulkington, Camp Hill, Chilvers Coton, Galley Common, St Nicolas, Stockingford, Weddington, and Whitestone, and the Borough of Rugby wards of Earl Craven, Fosse, and Wolvey.

2010-present: The Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth wards of Abbey, Arbury, Attleborough, Bar Pool, Camp Hill, Galley Common, Kingswood, St Nicolas, Weddington, Wem Brook, and Whitestone, and the Borough of North Warwickshire wards of Arley and Whitacre, and Hartshill.

The boundary changes which took effect for the 1983 general election removed the town of Bedworth, which was transferred to the newly created North Warwickshire constituency. As a result the sitting MP Les Huckfield declined to stand and unsuccessfully sought nomination in other constituencies such as Wigan[3] and Sedgefield.[4]

History

The constituency was created as a result of the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, in an area whose population had expanded as coal miners poured in from other parts of the country. At one time 20 collieries operated in the area and now one of three major British coal mines continued with operations in the constituency at Daw Mill atop the Warwickshire Coalfield (known as the Warwickshire Thick) in the north of the county until 2012 when it closed. The associated heavy industry and mining-centred economy coupled with the Representation of the People Act 1918 (Fourth Reform Act) led to Nuneaton being held by the Labour Party for nearly 50 years until lost in the 1983 Conservative Landslide to Lewis Stevens, a Conservative who retained the seat in 1987.

Labour regained the constituency at the 1992 election. Bill Olner beat Stevens and retained the seat in 2001 and 2005. Olner announced in 2007 that he would not be contesting the 2010 general election and would be standing down at the end of the 2005-2010 parliament.[5] Former Nuneaton and Bedworth Council Leader, Marcus Jones was successful in taking the seat for the Conservative Party at the 2010 election.

2015 general election significance

In the 2015 general election, Nuneaton was the first marginal constituency between the Conservatives and Labour to declare its results. The result proved to be significant as it saw a 3.0% swing to the Conservatives, despite the seat being Labour's 38th biggest target[6] and Labour being predicted to win the seat.[2] The result therefore proved to be a major indication that the Conservatives were going to win a majority of seats in the House of Commons for the first time since the 1992 general election, something which went against national opinion polls which pointed towards Labour gains in the key marginal constituencies.[7]

This has led to many pointing out the similarities between Nuneaton and the former constituency of Basildon which in 1992, Labour failed to win. This is why the Nuneaton result has been seen as the 'Basildon Moment' of 2015, since the Basildon constituency similarly foreshadowed the Conservative's election victory in 1992.[8]

Labour's failure to win Nuneaton in the 2015 general election was seen as symbolic of their national failure. This meant Nuneaton was chosen by the Labour Party as the host of their first televised leadership debate.[9]

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember[10] Party
1885 Jasper Wilson Johns Liberal
1886 John Stratford Dugdale Conservative
1892 Francis Newdigate, from 1902 Francis Newdigate-Newdegate Conservative
1906 William Johnson Liberal
1909 Labour
1914 Liberal
1918 Sir Henry Maddocks Coalition Conservative
1923 Herbert Willison Liberal
1924 Arthur Hope Conservative
1929 Francis Smith Labour
1931 Edward North Conservative
1935 Reginald Fletcher Labour
1942 by-election Frank Bowles Labour
1965 by-election Frank Cousins Labour
1967 by-election Les Huckfield Labour
1983 Lewis Stevens Conservative
1992 Bill Olner Labour
2010 Marcus Jones Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Nuneaton[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Marcus Jones 20,827 45.5 +4.0
Labour Vicky Fowler 15,945 34.9 -2.0
UKIP Alwyn Waine [12] 6,582 14.4 N/A
Green Keith Kondakor [13] 1,281 2.8 N/A
Liberal Democrat Christina Jebb [14] 816 1.8 -13.6
TUSC Paul Reilly 194 0.4 N/A
English Democrats Steve Paxton 104 0.2 N/A
Majority 4,882 10.7 +6.1
Turnout 45,749 67.2 +1.4
Conservative hold Swing +3.0
General Election 2010: Nuneaton[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Marcus Jones 18,536 41.5 +4.6
Labour Jayne Innes [17] 16,467 36.9 -9.8
Liberal Democrat Christina Jebb 6,846 15.3 +2.8
BNP Martyn Findley 2,797 6.3 N/A
Majority 2,069 4.6 N/A
Turnout 44,646 65.8 +6.9
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +7.2

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Nuneaton[18][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill Olner 19,945 44.0 -8.1
Conservative Mark Pawsey 17,665 39.0 +4.3
Liberal Democrat Ali Asghar 5,884 13.0 +1.9
UKIP Keith Tyson 1,786 3.9 +1.9
Majority 2,280 5.0 -12.4
Turnout 45,279 61.7 +1.6
Labour hold Swing -6.2
General Election 2001: Nuneaton [20][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill Olner 22,577 52.1 -4.1
Conservative Mark Lancaster 15,042 34.7 +3.8
Liberal Democrat Tony Ferguson 4,820 11.1 +2.3
UKIP Brian James 873 2.0 +1.5
Majority 7,535 17.4 -7.9
Turnout 43,312 60.1 -14.3
Labour hold Swing -3.95

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Nuneaton [22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill Olner 30,080 56.2 +10.5
Conservative Richard Blunt 16,540 30.9 -12.1
Liberal Democrat Ron Cockings 4,732 8.8 -2.4
Referendum Roy English 1,533 2.9 N/A
Independent David Bray 390 0.7 N/A
UKIP Peter Everitt 238 0.5 N/A
Majority 13,540 25.3 +22.5
Turnout 53,513 74.4 -8.6
Labour hold Swing +11.3
General Election 1992: Nuneaton [23][24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill Olner 27,157 45.8 +11.2
Conservative Lewis Stevens 25,526 43.0 -1.9
Liberal Democrat Ruth Merritt 6,671 11.2 -8.0
Majority 1,631 2.8 N/A
Turnout 59,354 83.0 +2.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +6.55

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Nuneaton [25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lewis Stevens 24,630 44.9 +4.4
Labour Valerie Veness 18,975 34.6 +4.0
Liberal Andrew Trembath 10,550 19.2 N/A
Green John Morrissey 719 1.3 N/A
Majority 5,655 10.3 +0.4
Turnout 54,874 80.3 +3.0
Conservative hold Swing +0.2
General Election 1983: Nuneaton [26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lewis Stevens 20,666 40.5 +2.8
Labour John Haynes 15,605 30.6 -19.3
Social Democratic Ruth Levitt 14,264 28.0 N/A
Independent GE Davies 504 1.0 +0.0
Majority 5,061 9.9 N/A
Turnout 51,039 77.3 -1.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +11.05

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Leslie John Huckfield 31,403 49.9 -6.2
Conservative Lewis Stevens 23,715 37.7 +12.5
Liberal CEG Williams 6,184 9.8 -8.8
National Front RP Matthews 6,184 9.8 -8.8
Independent GE Davies 504 1.0 N/A
Majority 7,688 12.2 -18.6
Turnout 62,959 78.5 +4.6
Labour hold Swing -9.35
General Election, October 1974: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Leslie John Huckfield 32,308 56.1 +2.25
Conservative R Freeman 14,547 25.3 -1.05
Liberal N Hawkins 10,729 18.6 -1.19
Majority 17,761 30.8 +2.58
Turnout 57,584 73.9 -8.51
Labour hold Swing +1.65
General Election, February 1974: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Leslie John Huckfield 34,258 53.85 -3.58
Conservative D Samuel 16,765 26.35 -6.34
Liberal D Inman 12,491 19.79 +10.00
Majority 17,493 27.50 +2.86
Turnout 63,614 82.41 +6.21
Labour hold Swing +1.38
General Election 1970: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Leslie John Huckfield 32,877 57.43 +15.35
Conservative Susan M Lewis-Smith 18,769 32.79 +0.06
Liberal Alex DN Harrison 5,602 9.79 -7.85
Majority 14,108 24.64 +2.22
Turnout 57,248 76.20 -3.48
Labour hold Swing +7.65

Elections in the 1960s

By Election 1967: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Leslie John Huckfield 18,239 42.08 -11.9
Conservative David Laidlaw Knox 14,185 32.73 +1.17
Liberal Alan Meredith 7,644 17.64 +3.18
All Party Alliance John Creasey 2,755 6.36 N/A
Independent Donald Clifford Tyndall Bennett 517 1.19 N/A
Majority 4,054 9.35 -13.07
Turnout 43,340 67.90 -11.78
Labour hold Swing -5.37
General Election 1966: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frank Cousins 27,452 53.98 +5.06
Conservative David S Marland 16,049 31.56 -3.37
Liberal Alan Meredith 7,356 14.46 -1.68
Majority 11,403 22.42 -1.28
Turnout 50,857 79.68 -0.43
Labour hold Swing +4.22
By Election 1965: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frank Cousins 18,325 48.92 -3.86
Conservative David S Marland 13,084 34.93 +5.85
Liberal John Campbell 6,047 16.14 -1.99
Majority 5,241 13.99 -9.71
Turnout 37,456 60.80 -19.91
Labour hold Swing -4.86
General Election 1964: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Francis George Bowles 26,059 52.78 +0.34
Conservative David S Marland 14,357 29.08 -3.26
Liberal John Campbell 8,953 18.13 +2.91
Majority 11,702 23.70 +3.61
Turnout 49,369 80.11 -1.69
Labour hold Swing +1.80

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Francis George Bowles 24,894 52.44 -3.39
Conservative Charles G Miller 15,354 32.34 -0.62
Liberal John Campbell 7,227 15.22 +4.00
Majority 9,540 20.09 -2.77
Turnout 47,475 81.80 -2.11
Labour hold Swing -1.39
General Election 1955: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Francis George Bowles 25,112 55.83 -5.8
Conservative Robert Dermott D Griffith 14,828 32.96 +3.74
Liberal John Beeching Frankenburg 5,048 11.22 +0.47
Majority 10,284 22.86 -7.94
Turnout 44,988 79.69 -5.33
Labour hold Swing -2.06
General Election 1951: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Francis George Bowles 35,651 60.03 +1.33
Conservative JE Tippett 17,356 29.22 +1.62
Liberal GC Middleton 6,386 10.75 -2.95
Majority 18,295 30.80 -0.40
Turnout 59,393 85.02 -2.28
Labour hold Swing -0.15
General Election 1950: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Francis George Bowles 35,129 58.7
Conservative Mrs. Phylis G Spencer 16,488 27.6
Liberal Jack A Harris 8,177 13.7
Majority 18,641 31.2
Turnout 87.3
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Francis George Bowles 30,587 58.5
Conservative Com. John Maurice Fitzroy-Newdegate 12,267 23.4
Liberal Wing-Com. Peter John Ambrose Calvocoressi 8,986 17.2
Independent Leonard Melling 468 0.9
Majority 18,320 35.0
Turnout 78.7
Labour hold Swing
Nuneaton by-election, 1942
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Francis George Bowles unopposed
Labour hold Swing

General Election 1939/40: Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Reginald Thomas Herbert Fletcher 33,237 48.4
Conservative John Moores 28,000 40.8
Liberal William Thomas Stanton 7,384 10.8
Majority 5,237 7.6
Turnout 68,621 75.9
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 1931: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Tempest Tunstall North 25,839 41.7
Labour Francis Samuel Smith 23,375 37.7
Liberal National Herbert Willison 12,811 20.6
Majority 2,464 4.0
Turnout 62,025 78.0
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Francis Samuel Smith 27,102 44.4 +13.1
Liberal Herbert Willison 19,104 31.3 +0.3
Unionist Arthur Oswald James Hope 14,189 24.3 -13.4
Majority 7,998 13.1 19.5
Turnout 84.1 +5.4
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +13.2
General Election 1924: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Arthur Oswald James Hope 15,242 37.7 +7.2
Labour Francis Samuel Smith 12,679 31.3 +2.2
Liberal Herbert Willison 12,550 31.0 -9.4
Majority 2,563 6.4
Turnout 78.7
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing n/a
General Election 1923: Nuneaton [27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Herbert Willison 14,518 40.4 +11.2
Unionist Sir Henry Maddocks 10,940 30.5 -7.8
Labour Thomas Barron 10,437 29.1 -3.4
Majority 3,578 9.9 15.7
Turnout 72.6 +2.8
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +9.5
General Election 1922: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Henry Maddocks 12,765 38.3 -7.9
Labour J Stevenson 10,842 32.5 +6.7
Liberal T Slack 9,730 29.2 +5.7
Majority 1,923 5.8 -14.6
Turnout 69.8 +13.9
Unionist hold Swing -7.3

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1918: Nuneaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist 11,198 46.2
Labour Ivor Gregory 6,269 25.8
Liberal William Henry Grant 5,707 23.5
National Democratic William Henry Dyson 1,101 4.5
Majority 4,929 20.4
Turnout 55.9
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing

See also

References

Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.

Notes and references

Notes
  1. A county 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.
References
  1. "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. 1 2 http://lordashcroftpolls.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NuneatonCX3-March-2015-Full-tables.pdf
  3. Alamanac of British Politics, 3rd edition, Robert Waller
  4. "The glittering prize", The Telegraph, 16 July 2000 accessed 24 April 2010
  5. Coventry Telegraph 27 March 2007 Accessed 26 November 2007
  6. http://labourlist.org/2013/01/labours-106-battleground-target-seats-for-2015/
  7. Holehouse, Matthew (17 March 2015). "Labour ahead in key marginals". The Daily Telegraph (London).
  8. "Why Nuneaton was the Basildon of 2015". BBC News. 13 May 2015.
  9. http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jun/14/nuneaton-labour-party-voters-rejected
  10. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "N" (part 3)
  11. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/wife-expelled-tory-stand-ukip-8309064
  13. http://www.nuneaton-news.co.uk/Green-councillor-joins-MP-battle/story-24521088-detail/story.html
  14. http://www.libdems.org.uk/list_of_selected_candidates
  15. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. "UK > England > West Midlands > Nuneaton". Election 2010 (BBC). 7 May 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  17. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/d42.stm
  18. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. "Results for Nuneaton".
  20. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. "Nuneaton". BBC News.
  22. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  23. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  24. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
  25. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  26. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  27. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig

External links

Coordinates: 52°30′N 1°27′W / 52.50°N 1.45°W / 52.50; -1.45

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