The Wrekin (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 52°42′58″N 2°27′14″W / 52.716°N 2.454°W / 52.716; -2.454

The Wrekin
County constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Boundary of The Wrekin in Shropshire.

Outline map

Location of Shropshire within England.
County Shropshire
Electorate 66,111 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created 1918
Member of parliament Mark Pritchard (Conservative)
Number of members One
Created from Mid Shropshire/Wellington
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency West Midlands

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.

1950-1974: The Urban Districts of Dawley, Newport, Oakengates, and Wellington, and the Rural Districts of Shifnal and Wellington.

1974-1983: The Urban Districts of Dawley, Newport, Oakengates, and Wellington, and the Rural Districts of Shifnal and Wellington. Although the official description of the constituency did not change,[2] local government boundary changes in the interim made this version of the constituency only 88% identical with the previous one.[3]

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.[4]

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.[5]

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.[6]

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.[7]

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.[8]

Members of Parliament

C.S.Henry
ElectionMember[9]PartyNotes
1918 Sir Charles Solomon Henry Coalition Liberal Incumbent until 1918 for Mid Shropshire/Wellington
Feb. 1920 by-election Charles Frederick Palmer Independent
Nov. 1920 by-election Sir Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend Independent Conservative
1922 Howard Stransom Button Conservative
1923 Henry Nixon Labour
1924 Thomas Oakley Unionist
1929 Edith Picton-Turbervill Labour
1931 James Baldwin-Webb Conservative
1941 by-election William Arthur Colegate Conservative
1945 Ivor Owen Thomas Labour
1955 William Yates Conservative
1966 Gerald Fowler Labour
1970 Anthony Trafford Conservative
Feb. 1974 Gerald Fowler Labour
1979 Warren Hawksley Conservative
1987 Bruce Grocott Labour MP for Telford 1997–2001
1997 Peter Bradley Labour
2005 Mark Pritchard Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: The Wrekin[10]
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 Democrat Rod Keyes 1,959 4.3 -13.1
Green Cath Edwards[11] 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
General Election 2010: The Wrekin[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Pritchard 21,922 47.7 +5.6
Labour Co-op Paul Kalinauckas 12,472 27.1 -12.1
Liberal Democrat 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

General Election 2005: The Wrekin[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Pritchard 18,899 41.9 +3.5
Labour Peter Bradley 17,957 39.9 −7.2
Liberal Democrat 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
General Election 2001: The Wrekin[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Bradley 19,532 47.1 +0.1
Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg 15,945 38.4 -1.8
Liberal Democrat 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

General Election 1997: The Wrekin[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Bradley 21,243 46.9 N/A
Conservative Peter Bruinvels 18,218 40.2 N/A
Liberal Democrat Ian Jenkins 5,807 12.8 N/A
Majority 3,025 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.

General Election 1992: The Wrekin[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bruce Grocott 33,865 48.3 +5.5
Conservative Mrs Elizabeth J. Holt 27,217 38.8 −1.8
Liberal Democrat Anthony C. West 8,032 11.5 −5.2
Green R.T.C. 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

General Election 1987: The Wrekin[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bruce Grocott 27,681 42.82
Conservative Warren Hawksley 26,225 40.57
Social Democratic G. Cook 10,737 16.61
Majority 1,456
Turnout 78.34
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 1983: The Wrekin[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Warren Hawksley 22,710 38.96
Labour Bruce Grocott 21,379 36.67
Social Democratic Mark Biltcliffe 14,208 24.37
Majority 1,331 2.28
Turnout 75.49
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Warren Hawksley 32,672 45.56
Labour Gerald Fowler 31,707 44.22
Liberal R. Yarnell 7,331 10.22
Majority 965 1.35
Turnout 78.44
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General Election October 1974: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gerald 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
General Election February 1974: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gerald Fowler 30,642 46.3
Conservative Anthony 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
General Election 1970: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Anthony Trafford 26,282 50.50
Labour Gerald Fowler 25,764 49.50
Majority 518 1.00
Turnout 78.75
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gerald Fowler 23,692 50.91
Conservative William Yates 22,846 49.09
Majority 846 1.82
Turnout 81.27
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 1964: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Yates 21,765 48.71
Labour D.W.T. Bruce 19,078 42.70
Liberal J.N. Davies 3,839 8.59
Majority 2,687 6.01
Turnout 81.96
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Yates 22,030 53.62
Labour D.W.T. Bruce 19,052 46.38
Majority 2,978 7.25
Turnout 84.20
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1955: The Wrekin
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
General Election 1951: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ivor Owen Thomas 20,109 52.35
Conservative J.H. Cordle 18,305 46.65
Majority 1,804 4.70
Turnout 83.05
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1950: The Wrekin
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

General Election 1945: The Wrekin
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
The Wrekin by-election, 1941
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Arthur Colegate 9,946
Independent Conservative Noel Pemberton Billing 7,121
Independent Mr. Kennedy 1,638
Majority 2,825
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Col. 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
General Election 1931: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Col. 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

General Election 1929: The Wrekin [19]
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
General Election 1923: The Wrekin [20]
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
  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. ↑ F. A. Youngs, "Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England" vol II (Northern England) p. 837.
  3. ↑ David Butler, Dennis Kavanagh, "The British General Election of February 1974", Macmillan, 1974, p. 297.
  4. ↑ "31. County of Salop" in "Report of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission (England and Wales)" Cd. 8756.
  5. ↑ "BBC/ITN Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies", 1983, p. 143, 230.
  6. ↑ "Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies", BBC/ITN/PA News/Sky, 1995, p. 181, 267.
  7. ↑ 2010 post-revision map non-metropolitan areas and unitary authorities of England
  8. ↑ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  9. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 5)
  10. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "Telford & Wrekin Green Party - People". greenparty.org.uk.
  12. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "Election Data 1997". 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 6 December 2010.
  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.
  19. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  20. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, April 27, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.