Accrington (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Accrington
Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Accrington1974Constituency.svg
Accrington in Lancashire, showing boundaries used from 1974-1983
County Lancashire
Borough Accrington
19181983
Seats1
Replaced by Hyndburn
18851918
Seats1
Type of constituency County constituency
Created from North East Lancashire

Accrington was a parliamentary constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post system of election.

Contents

History

The constituency was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election. The original county constituency of North East Lancashire was replaced by a borough constituency for the 1918 general election. The constituency was based on the town of Accrington.

From the 1983 general election, the constituency was abolished. The successor seat was Hyndburn, named after the local government area including the town of Accrington. 85.5% of the new seat came from the former Accrington constituency.

Boundaries

This constituency was part of the historic county of Lancashire in North West England.

1885–1918

The constituency, officially named North East Lancashire, Accrington Division consisted of the Municipal Borough of Accrington, and the parishes of Altham, Church, Clayton-le-Moors, Hapton, Huncoat, Oswaldtwistle, and Rishton. [1]

Neighbouring constituencies were Blackburn to the south west and Burnley to the north east and Darwen to the north. Accrington also had short boundaries with Clitheroe at both its north and east borders and Rossendale to the south and south east.[ citation needed ]

1918–1950

The Representation of the People Act 1918 reorganised constituencies throughout Great Britain and Ireland. Constituencies were defined in terms of the districts created by the Local Government Act 1894.

The Parliamentary Borough of Accrington consisted of the Municipal Borough of Accrington and the Urban Districts of Church, Clayton-le-Moors, Oswaldtwistle, and Rishton. The three parishes of Altham, Hapton and Huncoat passed to the Clitheroe constituency. [2]

1950–1983

The Representation of the People Act 1948 replaced the term "parliamentary borough" with "borough constituency". The Accrington Borough Constituency was defined in the same terms as in the 1918 legislation. However, there were boundary changes reflecting local government changes in the 1930s: the Huncoat area rejoined the constituency as the parish had been absorbed by the Borough of Accrington, while an enlargement of the county borough of Blackburn took away part of Rishton. [3] These boundaries were first used in the 1950 general election.

Abolition

In 1974 local government in England and Wales was reorganised. However, parliamentary boundaries were not altered until 1983. The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983 created new constituencies based on the new districts. A new Hyndburn Borough Constituency was formed. The new seat included the whole of the Accrington constituency with the addition of Altham and Great Harwood. [4]

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberParty
1885 Frederick William Grafton Liberal
1886 Robert Hodge Conservative
1892 Sir Joseph Leese Liberal
1910 Harold Baker Liberal
1918 Ernest Gray Conservative
1922 Charles Buxton Labour
1923 Hugh Edwards Liberal
1929 Tom Snowden Labour
1931 Henry Procter Conservative
1945 Walter Scott-Elliot Labour
1950 Henry Hynd Labour
1966 Arthur Davidson Labour
1983 constituency abolished – see Hyndburn

Elections

Elections in the 1880s

1885 general election: Accrington [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Frederick William Grafton 5,320 52.4
Conservative Robert Hermon-Hodge 4,84247.6
Majority4784.8
Turnout 10,16294.1'
Registered electors 10,797
Liberal win (new seat)
1886 general election: Accrington [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Robert Hermon-Hodge 4,971 51.1 +3.5
Liberal Joseph Leese 4,75148.93.5
Majority2202.2N/A
Turnout 9,72290.04.1
Registered electors 10,797
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +3.5

Elections in the 1890s

Joseph Leese Joseph Leese.jpg
Joseph Leese
1892 general election: Accrington [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Joseph Leese 6,019 52.4 +3.5
Conservative Robert Hermon-Hodge 5,47247.63.5
Majority5474.8N/A
Turnout 11,49193.4+3.4
Registered electors 12,309
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +3.5
1893 Accrington by-election [6] [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Joseph Leese 5,822 51.1 1.3
Conservative Robert Hermon-Hodge 5,56448.9+1.3
Majority2582.22.6
Turnout 11,38692.11.3
Registered electors 12,361
Liberal hold Swing 1.3
1895 general election: Accrington [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Joseph Leese 6,168 51.4 1.0
Conservative William Mitchell 5,82848.6+1.0
Majority3402.82.0
Turnout 11,99693.5+0.1
Registered electors 12,832
Liberal hold Swing 1.0

Elections in the 1900s

1900 general election: Accrington [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Joseph Leese 6,585 50.6 0.8
Conservative Edward E Nicholls5,99346.12.5
Independent Labour John Hempsall [n 1] 4333.3New
Majority5924.5+1.7
Turnout 13,01191.52.0
Registered electors 14,221
Liberal hold Swing +0.9
1906 general election: Accrington [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Joseph Leese 7,209 56.8 +6.2
Social Democratic Federation Dan Irving 4,85238.3New
Independent Labour S. M. Holden 6194.9New
Majority2,35718.5+14.0
Turnout 12,68082.98.6
Registered electors 15,301
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s

Harold Baker 1910 Harold Baker MP.jpg
Harold Baker
January 1910 general election: Accrington [5] [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Harold Baker 8,968 58.1 +1.3
Conservative Albert Henry Jessel6,45541.9New
Majority2,51316.22.3
Turnout 15,42394.6+11.7
Registered electors 16,297
Liberal hold Swing N/A
December 1910 general election: Accrington [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Harold Baker 8,129 55.7 2.4
Conservative Ernest Gray 6,46144.3+2.4
Majority1,66811.44.8
Turnout 14,59089.55.1
Registered electors 16,297
Liberal hold Swing 2.4

General Election 1914–15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

1918 general election: Accrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
C Unionist Ernest Gray 13,80847.2+2.9
Liberal Harold Baker 8,37828.627.1
Labour Charles Buxton 6,36921.7New
National Democratic William Hammond7382.5New
Majority5,43018.6N/A
Turnout 28,55569.520.0
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +15.0
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

Charles Buxton Charles Roden Buxton.jpg
Charles Buxton
1922 general election: Accrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Charles Buxton 16,462 44.3 +22.6
Unionist Ernest Gray 11,40830.616.6
Liberal Harold Baker 9,39525.13.5
Majority5,05413.7N/A
Turnout 37,26588.7+19.2
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +19.6
1923 general election: Accrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Hugh Edwards 19,981 54.3 +29.2
Labour Charles Buxton 16,79345.7+1.4
Majority3,1888.6N/A
Turnout 36,77486.52.2
Liberal gain from Labour Swing +13.9
1924 general election: Accrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Constitutionalist Hugh Edwards 20,391 52.9 N/A
Labour Charles Buxton 18,14847.1+1.4
Majority2,2435.8-2.8
Turnout 38,53990.1+3.6
Constitutionalist hold Swing
1929 general election: Accrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Tom Snowden 25,336 52.3 +5.2
Liberal Hugh Edwards 23,11047.75.2
Majority2,2264.6N/A
Turnout 48,44688.71.4
Labour gain from Liberal Swing +5.2

Elections in the 1930s

1931 general election: Accrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Henry Procter 30,79962.89
Labour Tom Snowden 18,17737.11
Majority12,62225.78N/A
Turnout 48,976
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
1935 general election: Accrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Henry Procter 25,273 54.4 -8.5
Labour Frederick George Burgess 21,20345.6+8.5
Majority4,0708.8-17.0
Turnout 32,69667.7
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

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 and by the July 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

1945 general election: Accrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Walter Scott-Elliot 21,10248.65
Conservative Henry Procter 16,02536.95
Liberal Gerald Vernon Mortimer6,24714.40
Majority5,07711.70N/A
Turnout 43,37483.27
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1950s

1950 general election: Accrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Henry Hynd 23,29548.82
Conservative Henry Procter 19,02239.86
Liberal Arthur Kenneth Blakeman5,40311.32
Majority4,2738.96
Turnout 47,72091.01
Labour hold Swing
1951 general election: Accrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Henry Hynd 24,80252.31
Conservative Francis Henry Gerard Heron Goodhart22,61147.69
Majority2,1914.62
Turnout 47,41389.96
Labour hold Swing
1955 general election: Accrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Henry Hynd 22,502 51.5 -0.8
Conservative Dennis C. Walls21,15748.5+0.8
Majority1,3453.0-1.6
Turnout 43,65985.7-4.3
Labour hold Swing
1959 general election: Accrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Harry Hynd 22,242 50.7 −0.8
Conservative Martin Henry21,64249.3+0.8
Majority6001.4-1.6
Turnout 43,88487.9+2.2
Labour hold Swing −0.8

Elections in the 1960s

1964 general election: Accrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Harry Hynd 20,561 49.7 −1.0
Conservative Victor Montagu 15,14336.6−12.7
Liberal Terence Anthony Maher5,65313.7New
Majority5,41813.1+11.7
Turnout 41,35784.5-3.4
Labour hold Swing
1966 general election: Accrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Arthur Davidson 21,330 53.0 +3.3
Conservative David L. Maxwell14,50836.1−0.5
Liberal Julian H.S. Gould4,37510.9−2.8
Majority6,82216.9+3.8
Turnout 40,21383.1−1.4
Labour hold Swing +1.9

Elections in the 1970s

1970 general election: Accrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Arthur Davidson 20,828 50.7 −2.3
Conservative Reginald C. Webster20,23449.3+13.2
Majority5941.4−15.5
Turnout 41,06280.2-2.9
Labour hold Swing −7.8
February 1974 general election: Accrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Arthur Davidson 20,050 47.5 −3.2
Conservative Alan d'Arcy Fearn [8] 15,01835.5−13.2
Liberal W.I. Cooper7,19117.0New
Majority5,03212.0+10.6
Turnout 42,25983.9+3.7
Labour hold Swing +5.2
October 1974 general election: Accrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Arthur Davidson 19,838 49.2 +1.7
Conservative J. McLaughlin13,61833.8−1.7
Liberal W I Cooper5,70414.1−2.9
National Front David Riley1,1762.9New
Majority6,22015.4+3.4
Turnout 40,33679.37−4.5
Labour hold Swing +1.8
1979 general election: Accrington
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Arthur Davidson 19,576 48.9 −0.3
Conservative A. Cheetham16,28240.7+6.9
Liberal R. Holden3,6469.11−5.0
National Front David Riley5081.3−1.6
Majority3,2948.23−7.2
Turnout 40,01278.7−0.7
Labour hold Swing

References and Notes

Notes

  1. Nominee of the local branches of the Independent Labour Party and Social Democratic Federation but repudiated by both national headquarters

References

  1. Seventh Schedule: Counties at Large, Part I: England, Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885 (C.23)
  2. Ninth Schedule, Part 1(2): Parliamentary Boroughs, England excluding London and Monmouthshire, Representation of the People Act, 1918 (C.64)
  3. F A Youngs Jr., Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol II: Northern England, London, 1991
  4. The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983 (S.I. 1983 No. 417)
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN   9781349022984.
  7. The Constitutional Year Book, 1904, published by Conservative Central Office, page 147 (171 in web page), Lancashire North East
  8. "Alan Fearn". The Daily Telegraph . 2 April 2009. Retrieved 6 April 2013.

Sources

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