Bath | |
---|---|
Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | Somerset |
Population | 88,859 (2011 census) [1] |
Electorate | 59,887 (2018) [2] |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1295 |
Member of Parliament | Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrats) |
Seats | Two (1295–1918) One (1918–present) |
Bath is a constituency [n 1] in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom [n 2] represented by Wera Hobhouse of the Liberal Democrats.
Perhaps its best-known representatives have been the two with international profiles: William Pitt the Elder (Prime Minister 1766–1768) and Chris Patten, the last Governor of Hong Kong (1992-1997). [n 3] It has the joint shortest name of any constituency in the current Parliament, with 4 letters, the same as Hove.
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be subject to moderate boundary changes which involves the gain of the Bathavon North ward from the renamed North East Somerset and Hanham constituency to be contested at the next general election. [3]
The seat is tightly drawn around the historic city including the University of Bath campus. Compared to UK averages residents are wealthier and house prices are higher. [4]
Bath is an ancient constituency which has been constantly represented in Parliament since boroughs were first summoned to send members in the 13th century.
Bath was one of the cities summoned to send members in 1295 and represented ever since, [5] although Parliaments in early years were sporadic. Like almost all English constituencies before the Great Reform Act of 1832, it originally returned two members to each Parliament. [6]
The precise way in which Bath's MPs were chosen in the Middle Ages is unknown. It is recorded that "election was by the Mayor and three citizens being sent from thence to the county court who in the name of the whole community, and by the assent of the community, returned their representatives"; but whether the "assent of the community" was real or what form it took is unrecorded, even assuming it was not a completely dead letter. By the 17th century, elections had become more competitive, as the means of election in Bath had become a franchise restricted to the Mayor, Aldermen, and members of the Common Council (the City Corporation), a total of thirty voters. [6] The freemen of the city challenged this state of affairs in 1661 and again in 1705, claiming the right to vote and petitioning against the election of the candidates chosen by the corporation, but on both occasions the House of Commons, which at the time was still the final arbiter of such disputes, decided against them. The Commons resolution of 27 January 1708, "That the right of election of citizens to serve in Parliament for this city is in the mayor, aldermen and common-council only", [7] settled the matter until 1832.
Bath was the most populous of the English boroughs where the right to vote was restricted to the corporation. [6] At the time of the 1801 census, it was one of the ten largest towns or cities in England by population, and was almost unique in that the voters generally exercised their powers independently. As was the case elsewhere, the Common Council was not popularly elected, all vacancies being filled by co-option by the existing members, so that once a united interest had gained majority control it was easy to retain it. Most corporation boroughs quickly became pocket boroughs in this way, the nomination of their members of parliament being entirely decided by a patron who may have given some large benefaction to the area or simply used bribery to ensure only his supporters or croneys became members of the corporation. But in Bath, the Common Council retained its independence in most periods and took pride in electing two suitable members of parliament who had either strong local connections or else a national reputation. Nor was there any suggestion of bribery or other corruption, prolific in other "independent" constituencies. Pitt the Elder wrote to the corporation in 1761, on the occasion of his re-election as one of Bath's members, to pay tribute to "a city ranked among the most ancient and most considerable in the kingdom, and justly famed for its integrity, independence, and zeal for the public good". [8]
But even in Bath the limited electorate who voted for its members of parliament expected them to work to procure favours for their constituents and enterprises to a degree that would be considered corrupt today. By exercising efforts successfully in this direction, the representatives could in return expect a degree of influence over the voters that differed little from patronage in the pocket boroughs, except that its duration was limited. Thus the lawyer Robert Henley, a Bath MP from 1747 and also Recorder of Bath from 1751, seems to have been assumed to have control over both seats while he held one of them and immediately after; yet when he gained a peerage and thus a seat in the House of Lords, Pitt replaced him on the understanding of being independently chosen. Pitt himself then acquired similar influence: the Council vetoed Viscount Ligonier's suggestion that he should be succeeded by his nephew when he was elevated the Lords in 1763, but instead allowed Pitt to nominate a candidate to be his new colleague, and voted overwhelmingly for him when he was opposed by a local man. But Pitt's influence also waned when he fell out with the Council over the Treaty of Paris later in 1763. [9]
In the final years before the Reform Act, however, local magnates exerted a more controlling influence in Bath. Oldfield, writing early in the 19th century, stated that at that time the Marquess of Bath nominated one member and John Palmer the other; both were former members of parliament for the city (Lord Bath having sat as Viscount Weymouth, before his father's death took him to the Lords), but neither was then in the Commons – each had a relation sitting as one of the members for Bath. Palmer had succeeded Earl Camden [n 4] who held one of the two seats before 1802. At the time of the Reform Act, the Lord Bath was still being listed as influencing one of the seats, although the second was considered independent once more. [10]
The Great Reform Act opened up the franchise to all resident (male) householders whose houses had a value of at least £10 a year and imposed uniform voting provisions for all the boroughs. Bath was one of the boroughs which continued to elect two members. Given the city's medium size and its generally high property values, its electorate increased by a factor of almost 100 [n 5] , from 30 in 1831 to 2,853 in 1832, [11] and created a competitive and generally marginal constituency which swung between Whig and Tory (later Liberal and Conservative) control. The parliamentary borough's boundaries were also slightly extended, but only to take in those areas into which the built-up area of the city had expanded. Bath's most notable member during this period was probably the Conservative social reformer Lord Ashley, better remembered under his eventual title of 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, for the Factory Acts, the first of which came into effect while he was one of the MPs for Bath. [12]
The franchise was further reformed in 1867 and 1885 with only minor boundary changes. Bath was lucky to retain its two-member representation in the 1885 reforms, as its electorate of under 7,000 was near the lower limit, and this situation lasted until the 1918 reforms. [13] The continued Liberal strength was unusual for a prosperous and predominantly middle-class town, and the seats could until 1918 not be considered safe for the Conservatives. [14]
Bath's representation was reduced to a single member in 1918. The Conservatives held the seat continuously until 1992, except in the 1923 Parliament, and until World War II generally won comfortably – the Liberals retained such strength that the non-Conservative vote was split, and Labour could not rise above third place until the landslide of 1945, when the Conservative James Pitman achieved a very marginal majority. From 1945 to 1970, Labour presented the main challenge, and came within 800 votes of taking the seat in 1966.
The Liberal revival in the 1970s saw the two more left-wing parties swap places, helped by the adoption of a nationally known candidate, Christopher Mayhew, who had defected from the Labour Party. [15] The formation of the SDP–Liberal Alliance made Bath a realistic target. The SDP came 1500 votes from winning in 1987 under Malcolm Dean. In 1992, Conservative Chris Patten was ousted by Liberal Democrat Don Foster in a narrow defeat widely blamed on Patten's strategising, campaign leading and communicating as Conservative Party chairman rather than canvassing his own constituents. [16] At each election from 1992 to 2015, a different Conservative candidate contested the constituency.
The boundary changes implemented in 1997 took Bathampton, Batheaston, Bathford, Charlcombe and Freshford from the Wansdyke district, containing about 7,000 voters; these were moved elsewhere in 2010. Nominally, these areas had a slightly higher tendency to prefer a Conservative candidate but, the national government suffering from sleaze, in 1997 Don Foster more than doubled his almost 4,000 vote majority to over 9,000 votes. After winning two intervening elections, in 2010 Foster achieved his highest majority of 11,883 votes. [17]
In the 2015 general election, following the national Liberal Democrat collapse and Foster standing down, the seat was regained by the Conservatives under Ben Howlett with a 3,833-vote majority. [18]
Bath is estimated to have voted to remain in the European Union by 68.3% in the 2016 referendum on the UK's membership of the EU. [19]
In the 2017 general election, the constituency was regained by the Liberal Democrats' Wera Hobhouse, with the second-highest Liberal Democrat vote share increase nationally (after Richmond Park). [20]
In December 2023, the Labour Party included the seat in its published list of 211 non-battleground seats, suggesting they did not see it as winnable. [21]
Bath is one of only two UK Parliament constituencies to be surrounded by another constituency. Bath is entirely surrounded by the North East Somerset constituency. The other constituency, York Central, is entirely surrounded by York Outer.
Following the review of the constituencies in the former county of Avon carried out by the Boundary Commission for England, as of the 2010 general election the constituency covers only the city of Bath, and none of the surrounding rural area. Between 1997 and 2010, it also included some outlying villages such as Southstoke and Freshford now in the North East Somerset constituency. The changes in 2010 also resulted in Bath becoming a borough constituency, instead of a county constituency as it was before.
In 2019, taking effect at that year's local elections, boundary changes to the wards took place, which included the abolition of Abbey ward, the merger of Lyncombe and Widcombe wards, the creation of Moorlands ward, and the replacement of Oldfield with Oldfield Park. [22] These ward changes did not change the parliamentary constituency boundary.
The constituency's electoral wards are: [n 6]
The composition of the constituency from the next general election, due by January 2025, will be expanded in order to bring the electorate within the permitted range by transferring the Bathavon North ward from North East Somerset. [23]
The current Member of Parliament is Wera Hobhouse of the Liberal Democrats.
From 30 July to 4 August 1766, Bath was the constituency of the Prime Minister: William Pitt the Elder represented the constituency until he was raised to the peerage as Earl of Chatham shortly after becoming Prime Minister.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reform UK | Jack McKeivor [44] | ||||
Liberal Democrats | Wera Hobhouse [45] | ||||
Green | Dominic Tristram [46] | ||||
Conservative | James Wright [47] | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Wera Hobhouse | 28,419 | 54.5 | +7.2 | |
Conservative | Annabel Tall | 16,097 | 30.9 | −4.9 | |
Labour | Mike Davies | 6,639 | 12.7 | −2.0 | |
Brexit Party | Jimi Ogunnusi | 642 | 1.2 | New | |
Independent | Bill Blockhead | 341 | 0.7 | New | |
Majority | 12,322 | 23.6 | +12.1 | ||
Turnout | 52,138 | 76.9 | +2.6 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +6.0 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Wera Hobhouse | 23,436 | 47.3 | +17.6 | |
Conservative | Ben Howlett | 17,742 | 35.8 | −2.0 | |
Labour | Joe Rayment | 7,279 | 14.7 | +1.5 | |
Green | Eleanor Field | 1,125 | 2.3 | −9.6 | |
Majority | 5,694 | 11.5 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 49,582 | 74.3 | −1.2 | ||
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +9.8 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ben Howlett [56] | 17,833 | 37.8 | +6.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Steve Bradley [57] | 14,000 | 29.7 | −26.9 | |
Labour | Ollie Middleton [58] [59] | 6,216 | 13.2 | +6.3 | |
Green | Dominic Tristram [60] | 5,634 | 11.9 | +9.5 | |
UKIP | Julian Deverell [61] | 2,922 | 6.2 | +4.3 | |
Independent | Loraine Morgan-Brinkhurst [62] [63] | 499 | 1.1 | New | |
English Democrat | Jenny Knight | 63 | 0.1 | New | |
Majority | 3,833 | 8.1 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 47,167 | 77.5 | +5.7 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +16.7 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Don Foster | 26,651 | 56.6 | +11.2 | |
Conservative | Fabian Richter | 14,768 | 31.4 | −0.5 | |
Labour | Hattie Ajderian | 3,251 | 6.9 | −7.5 | |
Green | Eric Lucas | 1,120 | 2.4 | −3.6 | |
UKIP | Ernie Warrender | 890 | 1.9 | +0.2 | |
Christian | Steve Hewett | 250 | 0.5 | New | |
Independent | A.N.ON | 69 | 0.1 | New | |
Independent | Sean Geddis | 56 | 0.1 | New | |
All The South Party | Robert Craig | 31 | 0.1 | New | |
Majority | 11,883 | 25.2 | +15.1 | ||
Turnout | 47,086 | 71.8 | +2.7 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +5.8 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Don Foster | 20,101 | 43.9 | −6.6 | |
Conservative | Sian Dawson | 15,463 | 33.7 | +4.6 | |
Labour | Hattie Ajderian | 6,773 | 14.8 | −0.9 | |
Green | Eric Lucas | 2,494 | 5.4 | +2.2 | |
UKIP | Richard Crowder | 770 | 1.7 | +0.2 | |
Independent | Patrick Cobbe | 177 | 0.4 | New | |
Independent | Graham Walker | 58 | 0.1 | New | |
Majority | 4,638 | 10.2 | −11.2 | ||
Turnout | 45,836 | 68.6 | +3.7 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | −5.6 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Don Foster | 23,372 | 50.5 | +2.0 | |
Conservative | Ashley Fox | 13,478 | 29.1 | −2.1 | |
Labour | Marilyn Hawkings | 7,269 | 15.7 | −0.7 | |
Green | Michael Boulton | 1,469 | 3.2 | +2.1 | |
UKIP | Andrew Tettenborn | 708 | 1.5 | +0.9 | |
Majority | 9,894 | 21.4 | +4.1 | ||
Turnout | 46,296 | 64.9 | −11.3 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +2.1 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Don Foster | 26,169 | 48.5 | −0.4 | |
Conservative | Alison McNair | 16,850 | 31.2 | −9.4 | |
Labour | Tim Bush | 8,828 | 16.4 | +8.6 | |
Referendum | Tony Cook | 1,192 | 2.2 | New | |
Green | Richard Scrase | 580 | 1.1 | +0.3 | |
UKIP | Peter Sandell | 315 | 0.6 | New | |
Natural Law | Nicholas Pullen | 55 | 0.1 | New | |
Majority | 9,319 | 17.3 | +10.2 | ||
Turnout | 53,989 | 76.2 | −9.2 | ||
Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +4.9 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Don Foster | 25,718 | 48.9 | +6.2 | |
Conservative | Chris Patten | 21,950 | 41.8 | −3.6 | |
Labour | Pamela Richards | 4,102 | 7.8 | −2.8 | |
Green | Duncan McCanlis | 433 | 0.8 | −0.5 | |
Liberal | May Barker | 172 | 0.3 | New | |
Anti-Federalist League | Alan Sked | 117 | 0.2 | New | |
Independent | John Rumming | 79 | 0.2 | New | |
Majority | 3,768 | 7.1 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 52,571 | 82.4 | +3.0 | ||
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.9 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Chris Patten | 23,515 | 45.4 | −1.7 | |
SDP | Malcolm Dean | 22,103 | 42.7 | +6.7 | |
Labour | Jenny Smith | 5,507 | 10.6 | −4.6 | |
Green | Derek Wall | 687 | 1.3 | +0.4 | |
Majority | 1,412 | 2.7 | −8.4 | ||
Turnout | 51,812 | 79.4 | +5.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −4.2 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Chris Patten | 22,544 | 47.1 | +0.7 | |
SDP | Malcolm Dean | 17,240 | 36.0 | +8.0 | |
Labour | Adrian Pott | 7,259 | 15.2 | −7.8 | |
Ecology | Don Grimes | 441 | 0.9 | −1.3 | |
Progressive Liberal | R. S. Wandle | 319 | 0.7 | New | |
World Government | Gilbert Young | 67 | 0.1 | New | |
Majority | 5,304 | 11.1 | -7.3 | ||
Turnout | 47,870 | 74.4 | -3.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -4.4 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Chris Patten | 23,025 | 46.4 | +8.7 | |
Liberal | Christopher Mayhew | 13,913 | 28.0 | −5.4 | |
Labour | M. Baber | 11,407 | 23.0 | −5.6 | |
Ecology | Don Grimes | 1,082 | 2.2 | New | |
National Front | Thomas Mundy | 206 | 0.4 | New | |
Majority | 9,112 | 18.4 | +14.1 | ||
Turnout | 49,633 | 78.1 | -0.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +7.0 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Brown | 18,470 | 37.7 | −3.1 | |
Liberal | Christopher Mayhew | 16,348 | 33.4 | +2.7 | |
Labour | Malcolm Bishop | 14,011 | 28.6 | +0.7 | |
United Democratic | John Vernon Kemp | 150 | 0.3 | New | |
Majority | 2,122 | 4.3 | −5.8 | ||
Turnout | 48,979 | 78.6 | -4.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −2.9 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Brown | 20,920 | 40.8 | −8.2 | |
Liberal | Peter Downey | 15,738 | 30.7 | +17.6 | |
Labour | Malcolm Bishop | 14,396 | 27.9 | −8.2 | |
Ind. Conservative | H. B. de Laterriere | 204 | 0.4 | New | |
World Government | Gilbert Young | 118 | 0.2 | −1.6 | |
Majority | 5,182 | 10.1 | −2.8 | ||
Turnout | 51,376 | 83.0 | +5.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −12.9 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Brown | 22,344 | 49.0 | +6.0 | |
Labour | David Young | 16,493 | 36.1 | −5.1 | |
Liberal | Roger H. Crowther | 5,957 | 13.1 | −2.7 | |
World Government | Gilbert Young | 840 | 1.8 | New | |
Majority | 5,851 | 12.9 | +11.1 | ||
Turnout | 45,634 | 77.1 | -3.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +5.5 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Brown | 19,344 | 43.0 | -3.5 | |
Labour | Frederick S. Moorhouse | 18,544 | 41.2 | +6.8 | |
Liberal | Roger H. Crowther | 7,095 | 15.8 | -2.6 | |
Majority | 800 | 1.8 | -10.3 | ||
Turnout | 44,983 | 80.5 | -3.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edward Brown | 22,255 | 46.5 | -3.8 | |
Labour | Frederick S. Moorhouse | 16,464 | 34.4 | -2.3 | |
Liberal | Brian R. Pamplin | 8,795 | 18.4 | +5.4 | |
World Government | Gilbert Young | 318 | 0.7 | New | |
Majority | 5,791 | 12.1 | -1.6 | ||
Turnout | 45,832 | 84.2 | +0.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Pitman | 24,048 | 50.33 | ||
Labour | George E Mayer | 17,515 | 36.66 | ||
Liberal | George Allen | 6,214 | 13.01 | ||
Majority | 6,533 | 13.67 | |||
Turnout | 47,777 | 83.60 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Pitman | 24,489 | 51.94 | ||
Labour Co-op | Thomas W Richardson | 17,646 | 37.43 | ||
Liberal | Barbara Burwell | 5,011 | 10.63 | New | |
Majority | 6,843 | 14.51 | |||
Turnout | 47,146 | 82.46 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Pitman | 27,826 | 55.26 | ||
Labour | Victor Mishcon | 22,530 | 44.74 | ||
Majority | 5,296 | 10.52 | |||
Turnout | 50,356 | 85.64 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Pitman | 23,070 | 47.16 | ||
Labour | Hugh Bruce Oliphant Cardew | 19,340 | 39.54 | ||
Liberal | Philip William Hopkins | 6,508 | 13.30 | ||
Majority | 3,730 | 7.62 | |||
Turnout | 48,918 | 87.28 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Pitman | 20,196 | 43.6 | -13.0 | |
Labour | Dorothy Archibald | 18,120 | 39.2 | +19.5 | |
Liberal | Philip William Hopkins | 7,952 | 17.2 | -6.5 | |
Majority | 2,076 | 4.4 | -28.5 | ||
Turnout | 46,268 | ||||
Conservative 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 and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Loel Guinness | 20,670 | 56.6 | −7.4 | |
Liberal | Sidney Reginald Daniels | 8,650 | 23.7 | +2.4 | |
Labour | George Gilbert Desmond | 7,185 | 19.7 | +5.0 | |
Majority | 12,020 | 32.9 | −9.8 | ||
Turnout | 36,505 | 74.5 | −6.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −4.7 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Loel Guinness | 24,696 | 64.0 | +17.1 | |
Liberal | Sidney Reginald Daniels | 8,241 | 21.3 | −8.8 | |
Labour | George Gilbert Desmond | 5,680 | 14.7 | −8.3 | |
Majority | 16,455 | 42.7 | +25.9 | ||
Turnout | 38,617 | 80.6 | −0.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +12.9 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Charles Baillie-Hamilton | 17,845 | 46.9 | -8.9 | |
Liberal | Sidney Reginald Daniels | 11,485 | 30.1 | -0.5 | |
Labour | George Gilbert Desmond | 8,769 | 23.0 | +9.4 | |
Majority | 6,360 | 16.8 | -8.4 | ||
Turnout | 38,099 | 81.3 | -3.2 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | +0.5 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Charles Baillie-Hamilton | 11,171 | 45.1 | −10.7 | |
Liberal | Sidney Reginald Daniels | 7,255 | 29.3 | −1.3 | |
Labour | George Gilbert Desmond | 6,359 | 25.7 | +12.1 | |
Majority | 3916 | 15.8 | −9.4 | ||
Turnout | 24,785 | 72.8 | −11.7 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | −4.6 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Charles Foxcroft | 16,067 | 55.8 | +7.4 | |
Liberal | Frank Raffety | 8,800 | 30.6 | −21.0 | |
Labour | Walter Barton Scobell | 3,914 | 13.6 | New | |
Majority | 7,267 | 25.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 23,781 | 84.5 | +5.4 | ||
Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +14.2 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Frank Raffety | 13,694 | 51.6 | +19.6 | |
Unionist | Charles Foxcroft | 12,830 | 48.4 | −1.8 | |
Majority | 864 | 3.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 26,524 | 79.1 | -3.3 | ||
Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | +10.7 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Charles Foxcroft | 13,666 | 50.2 | −24.6 | |
Liberal | Harold Spender | 8,699 | 32.0 | New | |
Labour | Herbert Elvin | 4,849 | 17.8 | −7.4 | |
Majority | 4,967 | 18.2 | -31.4 | ||
Turnout | 27,214 | 82.4 | +16.2 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Unionist | Charles Foxcroft | 15,605 | 74.8 | |
Labour | Alfred James Bethell | 5,244 | 25.2 | New | |
Majority | 10,361 | 49.6 | |||
Turnout | 20,849 | 66.2 | |||
Registered electors | 31,512 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. |
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 July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Lord Alexander Thynne | 3,875 | 26.0 | +0.2 | |
Conservative | Charles Hunter | 3,841 | 25.7 | +0.4 | |
Liberal | George Peabody Gooch | 3,631 | 24.3 | −0.2 | |
Liberal | George Hardy | 3,585 | 24.0 | −0.4 | |
Majority | 210 | 1.4 | +0.6 | ||
Turnout | 14,932 | 92.0 | −2.7 | ||
Registered electors | 8,144 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.2 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.4 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Lord Alexander Thynne | 3,961 | 25.8 | +4.1 | |
Conservative | Charles Hunter | 3,889 | 25.3 | +3.8 | |
Liberal | Donald Maclean | 3,771 | 24.5 | −4.0 | |
Liberal | George Peabody Gooch | 3,757 | 24.4 | −3.9 | |
Majority | 118 | 0.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 15,378 | 94.7 | +3.9 | ||
Registered electors | 8,144 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +2.1 | |||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +3.9 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Donald Maclean | 4,102 | 28.5 | +6.9 | |
Liberal | George Peabody Gooch | 4,069 | 28.3 | +7.2 | |
Conservative | Lord Alexander Thynne | 3,123 | 21.7 | −6.8 | |
Conservative | Wyndham Murray | 3,088 | 21.5 | −7.3 | |
Majority | 946 | 6.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 14,382 | 90.8 | +7.3 | ||
Registered electors | 7,968 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.9 | |||
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | +7.3 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Wyndham Murray | 3,486 | 28.8 | +1.5 | |
Liberal Unionist | Edmond Wodehouse | 3,439 | 28.5 | +1.8 | |
Liberal | Donald Maclean | 2,605 | 21.6 | −1.6 | |
Liberal | Alpheus Morton | 2,549 | 21.1 | −1.7 | |
Turnout | 12,079 | 83.5 | −6.2 | ||
Registered electors | 7,300 | ||||
Majority | 881 | 7.2 | +3.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.6 | |||
Majority | 834 | 6.9 | +3.4 | ||
Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | +1.8 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Wyndham Murray | 3,445 | 27.3 | +1.2 | |
Liberal Unionist | Edmond Wodehouse | 3,358 | 26.7 | +0.9 | |
Liberal | Martin Conway | 2,917 | 23.2 | −1.0 | |
Liberal | John Fuller | 2,865 | 22.8 | −1.1 | |
Turnout | 12,585 | 89.7 | +0.4 | ||
Registered electors | 7,059 | ||||
Majority | 528 | 4.1 | +2.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.1 | |||
Majority | 441 | 3.5 | +1.9 | ||
Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | +1.0 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Wyndham Murray | 3,198 | 26.1 | −1.7 | |
Liberal Unionist | Edmond Wodehouse | 3,177 | 25.8 | −2.5 | |
Liberal | Thomas P Baptie [86] | 2,981 | 24.2 | +2.0 | |
Liberal | John Miller Adye | 2,941 | 23.9 | +2.2 | |
Turnout | 12,297 | 89.3 | +0.9 | ||
Registered electors | 6,922 | ||||
Majority | 217 | 1.9 | −3.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −1.9 | |||
Majority | 196 | 1.6 | −4.5 | ||
Liberal Unionist hold | Swing | −2.3 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Unionist | Edmond Wodehouse | 3,309 | 28.3 | +1.9 | |
Conservative | Robert Peter Laurie | 3,244 | 27.8 | +3.3 | |
Liberal | Arthur Hayter | 2,588 | 22.2 | −2.2 | |
Liberal | Frederick Verney | 2,529 | 21.7 | −2.8 | |
Turnout | 5,870 | 88.4 | −3.5 | ||
Registered electors | 6,637 | ||||
Majority | 721 | 6.1 | N/A | ||
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +2.1 | |||
Majority | 656 | 5.6 | +4.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +3.1 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Stickney Blaine | 3,208 | 26.4 | +2.8 | |
Liberal | Edmond Wodehouse | 2,990 | 24.7 | −2.3 | |
Conservative | Robert Peter Laurie | 2,971 | 24.5 | +2.1 | |
Liberal | Arthur Hayter | 2,953 | 24.4 | −2.7 | |
Turnout | 6,099 | 91.9 | +1.4 (est) | ||
Registered electors | 6,637 | ||||
Majority | 255 | 2.0 | N/A | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +2.8 | |||
Majority | 19 | 0.2 | −3.2 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | −2.2 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Arthur Hayter | Unopposed | |||
Liberal hold | |||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Arthur Hayter | 2,712 | 27.1 | +1.0 | |
Liberal | Edmond Wodehouse | 2,700 | 27.0 | +2.2 | |
Conservative | Reginald Hardy | 2,359 | 23.6 | −1.2 | |
Conservative | Thomas James Smyth | 2,241 | 22.4 | −1.9 | |
Majority | 341 | 3.4 | +2.1 | ||
Turnout | 5,006 (est) | 90.5 (est) | +2.0 | ||
Registered electors | 5,534 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +1.1 | |||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.1 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Arthur Hayter | 2,520 | 26.1 | −10.9 | |
Conservative | Nathaniel Bousfield | 2,397 | 24.8 | +9.6 | |
Liberal | John William Nicholas Hervey [89] | 2,391 | 24.8 | −7.9 | |
Conservative | Arthur Egerton | 2,348 | 24.3 | +9.1 | |
Turnout | 4,828 (est) | 88.5 (est) | +1.8 | ||
Registered electors | 5,454 | ||||
Majority | 123 | 1.3 | −1.1 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | −10.0 | |||
Majority | 6 | 0.0 | N/A | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +8.7 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Arthur Hayter | 2,210 | 50.9 | −18.8 | |
Conservative | William Forsyth [90] | 2,071 | 47.7 | +17.4 | |
Independent Liberal | Charles Thompson [91] | 57 | 1.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 139 | 3.2 | +0.8 | ||
Turnout | 4,338 | 83.7 | −3.0 | ||
Registered electors | 5,182 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | −18.1 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Arthur Egerton | 2,194 | 50.4 | +20.1 | |
Liberal | Arthur Hayter | 2,143 | 49.2 | −20.5 | |
Independent Liberal | John Charles Cox [92] [93] | 15 | 0.3 | New | |
Majority | 51 | 1.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 4,352 | 84.0 | −2.7 | ||
Registered electors | 5,182 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +20.3 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Viscount Chelsea | 2,251 | 53.1 | +22.8 | |
Liberal | Jerom Murch [94] | 1,991 | 46.9 | −22.8 | |
Majority | 260 | 6.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 4,242 | 81.9 | −4.8 | ||
Registered electors | 5,182 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +22.8 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | William Tite | 2,478 | 37.0 | N/A | |
Liberal | Donald Dalrymple | 2,187 | 32.7 | N/A | |
Conservative | James Hogg | 2,024 | 30.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 163 | 2.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 4,357 (est) | 86.7 (est) | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 5,024 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | William Tite | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | James Hogg | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 2,960 | ||||
Liberal hold | |||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | William Tite | 1,349 | 34.7 | +1.7 | |
Conservative | Arthur Edwin Way | 1,339 | 34.5 | +1.6 | |
Liberal | Thomas Phinn | 1,198 | 30.8 | −3.3 | |
Turnout | 2,613 (est) | 82.0 (est) | +5.1 | ||
Registered electors | 3,185 | ||||
Majority | 10 | 0.2 | +0.1 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | +0.5 | |||
Majority | 141 | 3.7 | N/A | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.2 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Arthur Elton | 1,243 | 34.1 | −0.3 | |
Whig | William Tite | 1,200 | 33.0 | −0.3 | |
Conservative | Arthur Edwin Way | 1,197 | 32.9 | +0.6 | |
Majority | 3 | 0.1 | −0.9 | ||
Turnout | 2,419 (est) | 76.9 (est) | −1.3 | ||
Registered electors | 3,144 | ||||
Whig hold | Swing | −0.3 | |||
Whig hold | Swing | −0.3 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | William Tite | 1,176 | 51.0 | −16.7 | |
Peelite | William Whateley [95] | 1,129 | 49.0 | +16.7 | |
Majority | 47 | 0.2 | −0.8 | ||
Turnout | 2,305 | 73.1 | −5.1 | ||
Registered electors | 3,155 | ||||
Whig hold | Swing | −16.7 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | George Treweeke Scobell | 1,332 | 34.4 | +17.3 | |
Whig | Thomas Phinn | 1,290 | 33.3 | +16.2 | |
Peelite | William Whateley [96] [97] | 1,253 | 32.3 | −3.2 | |
Majority | 37 | 1.0 | −2.7 | ||
Turnout | 2,564 (est) | 78.2 (est) | −8.1 | ||
Registered electors | 3,278 | ||||
Whig hold | Swing | +9.5 | |||
Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +8.9 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | George Treweeke Scobell | 1,110 | 51.6 | +17.5 | |
Conservative | William Sutcliffe [98] | 1,041 | 48.4 | +12.9 | |
Majority | 69 | 3.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 2,151 | 68.7 | −17.6 | ||
Registered electors | 3,310 | ||||
Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.3 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Anthony Ashley-Cooper | 1,278 | 35.5 | −8.4 | |
Whig | Adam Haldane-Duncan | 1,228 | 34.1 | +5.2 | |
Radical | John Arthur Roebuck | 1,093 | 30.4 | +3.1 | |
Turnout | 2,439 (est) | 86.3 (est) | +13.0 | ||
Registered electors | 2,825 | ||||
Majority | 50 | 1.4 | N/A | ||
Conservative gain from Radical | Swing | −6.8 | |||
Majority | 135 | 3.7 | +2.1 | ||
Whig hold | Swing | +4.7 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Adam Haldane-Duncan | 1,223 | 28.9 | +4.7 | |
Radical | John Arthur Roebuck | 1,157 | 27.3 | +4.5 | |
Conservative | William Heald Ludlow Bruges | 930 | 22.0 | −3.7 | |
Conservative | Richard Wingfield | 926 | 21.9 | −5.4 | |
Turnout | 2,189 | 73.3 | +4.3 | ||
Registered electors | 2,985 | ||||
Majority | 66 | 1.6 | N/A | ||
Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.6 | |||
Majority | 227 | 5.3 | N/A | ||
Radical gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.5 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Wingfield | 1,087 | 27.3 | +14.9 | |
Conservative | William Heald Ludlow Bruges | 1,024 | 25.7 | +13.3 | |
Whig | Charles Palmer | 962 | 24.2 | −14.4 | |
Radical | John Arthur Roebuck | 910 | 22.8 | −13.8 | |
Majority | 62 | 1.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 2,051 | 69.0 | +4.7 | ||
Registered electors | 2,973 | ||||
Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +14.7 | |||
Conservative gain from Radical | Swing | +13.6 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Charles Palmer | 1,097 | 38.6 | −2.1 | |
Radical | John Arthur Roebuck | 1,042 | 36.6 | +5.6 | |
Conservative | Henry Daubeney [99] | 706 | 24.8 | New | |
Turnout | 1,776 | 64.3 | −17.3 | ||
Registered electors | 2,764 | ||||
Majority | 55 | 2.0 | −7.7 | ||
Whig hold | Swing | −3.9 | |||
Majority | 336 | 11.8 | +9.1 | ||
Radical hold | Swing | +3.9 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Charles Palmer | 1,492 | 40.7 | N/A | |
Radical | John Arthur Roebuck | 1,138 | 31.0 | N/A | |
Whig | Henry William Hobhouse | 1,040 | 28.3 | N/A | |
Turnout | 2,329 | 81.6 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 2,853 | ||||
Majority | 354 | 9.7 | N/A | ||
Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Majority | 98 | 2.7 | N/A | ||
Radical gain from Tory | Swing | N/A | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Charles Palmer | Unopposed | |||
Tory | John Thynne | Unopposed | |||
Whig hold | |||||
Tory hold | |||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Charles Palmer | Unopposed | |||
Tory | John Thynne | Unopposed | |||
Whig gain from Tory | |||||
Tory hold | |||||
Bridgwater was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, until 2010 when it was replaced by the Bridgwater and West Somerset constituency. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
Burnley is a constituency centred on the town of Burnley in Lancashire which has been represented since 2019 by Antony Higginbotham, a Conservative.
Preston is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2000 by Sir Mark Hendrick, a member of the Labour Party and Co-operative Party.
Tynemouth is a constituency in Tyne and Wear represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Sir Alan Campbell, a member of the Labour Party.
Guildford is a constituency in Surrey represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Angela Richardson, a Conservative.
Wells is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by James Heappey of the Conservative Party.
Totnes is a parliamentary constituency in Devon represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since December 2019 by Anthony Mangnall, a Conservative. Mangnall defeated incumbent Sarah Wollaston who had originally been elected as a Conservative but defected to the Liberal Democrats earlier that year.
Darlington is the parliamentary constituency for the eponymous market town in County Durham in the North East of England. It is currently represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Peter Gibson of the Conservative Party, who was first elected in 2019.
Great Grimsby is a constituency in North East Lincolnshire represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since December 2019 by Lia Nici of the Conservative Party. Between 1918 and 1983 it was known simply as Grimsby; following the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be subject to boundary changes which will incorporate the neighbouring town of Cleethorpes. As a consequence, it will be renamed Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, to be first contested at the next general election.
Ludlow is a constituency in Shropshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2005 by Philip Dunne, a member of the Conservative Party.
Newcastle-under-Lyme is a constituency in northern Staffordshire created in 1354 and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Aaron Bell of the Conservative Party. It was the last to be co-represented by a member of the Conservative Party when it was dual-member, before the 1885 general election which followed the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 coupled with the Reform Act 1884. In 1919 the local MP, Josiah Wedgwood, shifted his allegiance from the Liberal Party — the Lloyd George Coalition Liberals allying with the Conservatives — to the Labour Party and the seat elected the Labour candidate who has stood at each election for the next hundred years, a total of 29 elections in succession. Labour came close to losing the seat in 1969, 1986, 2015 and 2017, and eventually lost the seat in 2019.
Stafford is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Theodora Clarke, a Conservative.
Colchester is a constituency in Essex represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Will Quince, a Conservative. In June 2023 Quince announced that he would not be standing for re-election.
Winchester is a constituency in Hampshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Steve Brine, a Conservative.
Windsor (/ˈwɪnzə/) is a constituency in Berkshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2005 by Adam Afriyie of the Conservative Party. It was re-created for the 1997 general election after it was abolished following the 1970 general election and replaced by the Windsor and Maidenhead constituency.
Christchurch is a constituency in Dorset represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Sir Christopher Chope of the Conservative Party.
Dover is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Natalie Elphicke, a Conservative.
Reigate is a constituency in Surrey represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Crispin Blunt, originally of the Conservative Party, but as of October 2023, sitting as an Independent, after having the whip suspended.
Chippenham is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 2015 by Michelle Donelan, a Conservative, who also currently serves as Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology. The 2010 constituency includes the Wiltshire towns of Bradford on Avon, Chippenham, Corsham and Melksham.
Frome was a constituency centred on the town of Frome in Somerset. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832, until it was abolished for the 1950 general election. Between 1832 and 1885, it was a parliamentary borough; after 1885 it was a county constituency, a division of Somerset.
Return of Members of Parliament.