Bradford Central (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Bradford Central
Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
County West Riding of Yorkshire
Major settlements Bradford
1885–1955
SeatsOne
Created from Bradford
Replaced by Bradford North, Bradford East, Bradford South and Bradford West

Bradford Central was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Elections were held under the first-past-the-post voting system.

Contents

The constituency was created for the 1885 general election, when the Redistribution of Seats Act split the two-member Bradford constituency into three single-seat divisions. It was abolished for the 1955 general election.

Political history

For most of its existence, Bradford Central was a marginal seat, initially between the Liberal Party and the Conservatives or their Liberal Unionist allies. The Liberals held it for all but eleven of the years from 1885 to 1918, after which it became a Labour-Conservative marginal. Control alternated between Labour and the Conservatives through the 1920s and 1930s, and in 1945 it became a safe seat for Labour.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Bradford wards of Exchange, Lister Hills, Little Horton, North, and West.

1918–1950: The County Borough of Bradford wards of East, Exchange, Manningham, North, South, and West.

1950–1955: The County Borough of Bradford wards of Bradford Moor, Exchange, Manningham, North East, and South.

Members of Parliament

YearMember [1] Party [2] [3]
1885 William Forster Liberal
1886 George Shaw-Lefevre Liberal
1895 James Wanklyn Liberal Unionist
1906 Sir George Robertson Liberal
1916 Sir James Hill Liberal
1918 Henry Ratcliffe Unionist
1922 William Leach Labour
1924 Anthony Gadie Unionist
1929 William Leach Labour
1931 George Eady Conservative
1935 William Leach Labour
1945 Maurice Webb Labour
1955 constituency abolished

Elections

Bradford Central election results Bradford West election results.png
Bradford Central election results

Elections in the 1880s

1885 general election: Bradford Central [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal William Edward Forster 5,275 58.6
Conservative George Motley Waud3,73241.4
Majority1,54317.2
Turnout 9,00779.7
Registered electors 11,297
Liberal win (new seat)
By-election 21 April 1886: Bradford Central [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal George Shaw-Lefevre 4,407 54.9 −3.7
Conservative Edward Hoare 3,62745.1+3.7
Majority7809.8−4.4
Turnout 8,03271.1−8.6
Registered electors 11,297
Liberal hold
1886 general election: Bradford Central [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal George Shaw-Lefevre 4,410 52.7 −2.2
Liberal Unionist Charles Norwood 3,95147.3+2.2
Majority4595.4−4.4
Turnout 8,36174.0+2.9
Registered electors 11,297
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1890s

1892 general election: Bradford Central [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal George Shaw-Lefevre 4,710 52.6 −0.1
Liberal Unionist Marquess of Lorne 4,24547.4+0.1
Majority4655.2−0.2
Turnout 8,95578.3+4.3
Registered electors 11,434
Liberal hold
By-election, 23 August 1892: Bradford Central [2] [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal George Shaw-Lefevre Unopposed
Liberal hold
1895 general election: Bradford Central [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Unionist James Wanklyn 4,024 50.3 +2.9
Liberal George Shaw-Lefevre 3,98349.7−2.9
Majority410.6N/A
Turnout 7,91777.6−0.7
Registered electors 10,316
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +2.9

Elections in the 1900s

1900 general election: Bradford Central [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Unionist James Wanklyn 4,634 53.6 +3.3
Liberal A. Anderton4,00746.4−3.3
Majority6277.2+6.6
Turnout 8,64182.8+5.2
Registered electors 10,442
Liberal Unionist hold
1906 general election: Bradford Central [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Sir George Scott Robertson 4,954 57.8 +4.2
Conservative Vicary Gibbs [5] 3,61442.2−4.2
Majority1,34015.6N/A
Turnout 8,56885.9+3.1
Registered electors 9,978
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing 4.2

Elections in the 1910s

January 1910 general election: Bradford Central [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Sir George Scott Robertson 5,249 59.3 +1.5
Liberal Unionist Viscount Howick3,60840.7−1.5
Majority1,64118.6+3.0
Turnout 8,85789.9+4.0
Registered electors 9,848
Liberal hold
December 1910 general election: Bradford Central [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Sir George Scott Robertson 4,677 58.0 −1.3
Conservative G. H. R. Pauling3,38142.0+1.3
Majority1,29616.0−2.6
Turnout 8,05881.8−8.1
Registered electors 9,848
Liberal hold
1916 by-election: Bradford Central [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Sir James Hill, Bt Unopposed
Liberal hold
1918 general election: Bradford Central [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
C Unionist Henry Butler Ratcliffe 12,43451.0+9.0
Labour William Leach 7,63631.3New
Liberal Sir James Hill, Bt 4,30417.7−40.3
Majority4,79819.7N/A
Turnout 24,37454.7−27.1
Registered electors 44,549
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +27.7
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

1922 general election: Bradford Central [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour William Leach 14,296 42.4 +11.1
Unionist Fred Denby Moore12,17136.1−14.9
Liberal Rev. William Paxton7,25021.5+3.8
Majority2,1256.3N/A
Turnout 33,71775.4+20.7
Registered electors 44,689
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +13.0
1923 general election: Bradford Central [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour William Leach 14,241 44.6 +1.8
Unionist Jonas Pearson9,72530.4−5.7
Liberal Rev. William Paxton7,97325.0+3.5
Majority4,51614.2+7.9
Turnout 31,93971.0−4.4
Registered electors 44,991
Labour hold
1924 general election: Bradford Central [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Anthony Gadie 17,854 51.7 +21.3
Labour William Leach 16,65248.3+3.7
Majority1,2023.4N/A
Turnout 34,50676.5+5.5
Registered electors 45,127
Unionist gain from Labour Swing +8.8
1929 general election: Bradford Central [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour William Leach 24,876 59.0 +10.7
Unionist Anthony Gadie 17,26541.0−10.7
Majority7,61118.9N/A
Turnout 42,14180.0+3.5
Registered electors 52,674
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +10.7

Elections in the 1930s

1931 general election: Bradford Central [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative George Eady 24,986 61.4 +20.4
Labour William Leach 15,69738.6−20.4
Majority9,28922.8N/A
Turnout 40,67378.2−1.8
Registered electors 51,996
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +20.4
1935 general election: Bradford Central [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour William Leach 16,397 51.8 +13.2
Conservative George Eady 15,24148.2−13.2
Majority1,1563.6N/A
Turnout 31,63866.0−12.2
Registered electors 47,906
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +13.2

Elections in the 1940s

1945 general election: Bradford Central [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Maurice Webb 16,764 57.5 +6.7
Conservative T. L. Dallas7,77626.6−21.6
Liberal Peter Edward Trench 4,65515.9New
Majority8,98830.9+27.3
Turnout 29,20576.2+10.2
Registered electors 38,331
Labour hold

Elections in the 1950s

1950 general election: Bradford Central [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Maurice Webb 24,822 58.7 +1.2
Conservative T. Boyce13,37531.7+5.1
Liberal Charles Frederick Sarsby4,0639.6−6.3
Majority11,44727.1−3.8
Turnout 42,26084.6+8.4
Registered electors 49,935
Labour hold
1951 general election: Bradford Central [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Maurice Webb 25,215 60.7 +2.0
Conservative Arthur Tiley 16,34339.3+7.6
Majority8,87221.4−5.7
Turnout 41,55883.7−0.9
Registered electors 49,625
Labour hold

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References

  1. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 4)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 79. ISBN   0-900178-27-2.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 99. ISBN   0-900178-06-X.
  4. ↑ The by-election in 1892 was caused by the appointment of George Shaw-Lefevre to the ministerial post of First Commissioner of Works. Until the 1920s, appointment as a minister required an MP to seek re-election.
  5. ↑ Vicary Gibbs had been the MP for St Albans from 1892 to 1904
  6. ↑ "UK General Election results February 1950, part 4". Richard Kimber's political science resources. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  7. ↑ "UK General Election results October 1951, part 4". Richard Kimber's political science resources. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
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