Melton (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Melton
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
County Leicestershire
Major settlements Melton Mowbray
18851983
SeatsOne
Created from North Leicestershire
Replaced by Rutland & Melton, Loughborough and Bosworth [1]

Melton was a county constituency centred on the town of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Contents

The constituency was created for the 1885 general election, when the former two-seat Northern Division of Leicestershire was replaced by two new single-seat county divisions: Melton and Loughborough. It was abolished for the 1983 general election, when it was succeeded by the Rutland and Melton constituency.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Belvoir and Melton Mowbray, and parts of the Sessional Divisions of Leicester and Loughborough.

1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Melton Mowbray, Quorndon, and Thurmaston, and the Rural Districts of Barrow-upon-Soar, Belvoir, Billesdon, and Melton Mowbray.

1950–1974: The Urban District of Melton Mowbray, and the Rural Districts of Barrow-upon-Soar, Billesdon, and Melton and Belvoir.

1974–1983: The Urban District of Melton Mowbray, and the Rural Districts of Barrow-upon-Soar, and Melton and Belvoir.

As its name suggested, the main settlement in the constituency was Melton Mowbray.

Members of Parliament

YearMemberParty
1885 Lord John Manners Conservative
1888 Marquess of Granby Conservative
1895 Lord Edward Manners Conservative
1900 Lord Cecil Manners Conservative
1906 Henry Walker Liberal
1910 Sir Charles Yate Conservative
1924 Sir Lindsay Everard Unionist
1945 Sir Anthony Nutting Conservative
1956 Mervyn Pike Conservative
1974 Michael Latham Conservative
1983 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1880s

Lord John Lord John Manners.jpg
Lord John
General election 1885: Melton [2] [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Manners 5,150 57.1
Liberal Daniel Rowlinson Ratcliff3,86842.9
Majority 1,28214.2
Turnout 9,01888.5
Registered electors 10,190
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1886: Melton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Manners Unopposed
Conservative hold

Manners was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 13 Aug 1886: Melton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Manners Unopposed
Conservative hold

Manners succeeded to the peerage, becoming Duke of Rutland, causing a by-election.

Granby Manners - Henry John Brinsley Manners.jpg
Granby
By-election, 21 Mar 1888: Melton [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Henry Manners Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Melton [2] [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Henry Manners Unopposed
Conservative hold
Lord Edward Lord Edward Manners.jpg
Lord Edward
General election 1895: Melton [2] [4] [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Edward Manners 5,636 56.8 N/A
Liberal Arthur Wakerley 4,28343.2New
Majority 1,35313.6N/A
Turnout 9,91983.4N/A
Registered electors 11,894
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Melton [2] [4] [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Cecil Manners 5,585 51.8 −5.0
Liberal Arthur Wakerley 5,19348.2+5.0
Majority 3923.6−10.0
Turnout 10,77880.0−3.4
Registered electors 11,894
Conservative hold Swing −5.0
General election 1906: Melton [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Henry de Rosenbach Walker 7,800 56.4 +8.2
Conservative Arthur Hazlerigg 6,03343.6−8.2
Majority 1,76712.8N/A
Turnout 13,83387.5+7.5
Registered electors 15,815
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +8.2

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Melton [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Henry de Rosenbach Walker 7,748 50.4 −6.0
Conservative Charles Yate 7,62549.6+6.0
Majority 1230.8−12.0
Turnout 15,37391.1+3.6
Liberal hold Swing −6.0
General election December 1910: Melton [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Charles Yate 7,599 51.3 +1.7
Liberal Edward Dunne 7,22748.7−1.7
Majority 3722.6N/A
Turnout 14,82687.9−3.2
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +1.7

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;

General election 1918: Melton [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
C Unionist Charles Yate Unopposed
Unionist hold
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Melton [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Charles Yate 13,341 53.6 N/A
Liberal Arthur Richardson 11,55046.4New
Majority 1,7917.2N/A
Turnout 24,89179.9N/A
Unionist hold Swing N/A
General election 1923: Melton [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Charles Yate 13,239 50.1 −3.5
Liberal Arthur Richardson 13,19549.9+3.5
Majority 440.2−7.0
Turnout 26,43480.9+1.0
Unionist hold Swing −3.5
General election 1924: Melton [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Lindsay Everard 17,090 58.9 +8.8
Liberal Arthur Richardson 11,93441.1−8.8
Majority 5,15617.8+17.6
Turnout 29,02484.3+3.4
Unionist hold Swing +8.8
General election 1929: Melton [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Lindsay Everard 18,707 47.4 −11.5
Liberal Guy Halford Dixon14,14435.9−5.2
Labour A. E. Stubbs 6,56916.7New
Majority 4,56311.5−6.3
Turnout 32,85183.2−1.1
Unionist hold Swing −3.2

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Melton [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Lindsay Everard 30,355 78.9 +31.5
Labour A. E. Stubbs 8,10021.1+4.4
Majority 22,25557.8+46.3
Turnout 38,45576.4−6.8
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1935: Melton [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Lindsay Everard 26,325 67.4 −11.5
Labour A. E. Stubbs 12,72432.6+11.5
Majority 13,60134.9−22.9
Turnout 39,02971.9−4.5
Conservative hold Swing −11.5

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;

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Melton [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Anthony Nutting 23,772 46.0 −21.4
Labour Archibald Crawford 18,37935.6+3.0
Liberal Brian Melton Butcher9,51018.4New
Majority 5,39310.4−24.5
Turnout 51,66176.7+4.8
Conservative hold Swing −12.2

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Melton [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Anthony Nutting 26,177 51.01
Labour Archibald Crawford 19,62138.24
Liberal Wilfrid Horace Kirby5,51810.75New
Majority 6,55612.77
Turnout 51,31687.46
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1951: Melton [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Anthony Nutting 28,689 56.26
Labour Kenneth Frank Urwin22,30843.74
Majority 6,38112.52
Turnout 50,99785.46
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Melton [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Anthony Nutting 30,074 60.92
Labour Kenneth Frank Urwin19,29439.08
Majority 10,78021.84
Turnout 49,36880.95
Conservative hold Swing
1956 Melton by-election [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mervyn Pike 19,133 53.29 −7.63
Labour Edward John Masters16,77146.71+7.63
Majority 2,3626.58−15.26
Turnout 35,904
Conservative hold Swing −7.63
General election 1959: Melton [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mervyn Pike 34,997 61.21
Labour Charles W Shepherd22,17638.79
Majority 12,82122.42
Turnout 57,17381.40
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Melton [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mervyn Pike 32,842 51.47
Labour D. J. Williams19,57830.68
Liberal Garth V. J. Pratt11,39217.85New
Majority 13,26420.79
Turnout 65,68482.57
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1966: Melton [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mervyn Pike 30,776 48.04
Labour John R. Frears23,18136.18
Liberal Garth V. J. Pratt10,10815.78
Majority 7,59511.86
Turnout 64,06580.47
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Melton [9] [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mervyn Pike 38,782 56.08
Labour Kevin Wood20,90730.23
Liberal John B. Pick9,46513.69
Majority 17,78525.85
Turnout 69,15475.94
Conservative hold Swing
General election February 1974: Melton [1] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Michael Latham 32,239 47.44 −8.64
Liberal John Barclay Pick19,49028.68+14.99
Labour Royston William Samuel Mayhew16,22823.88−6.35
Majority 12,74918.76−7.09
Turnout 67,95783.49+7.55
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Melton [1] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Michael Latham 30,943 48.92 +1.48
Labour David John Knaggs16,74726.47+2.59
Liberal John Barclay Pick15,56724.61−4.07
Majority 14,19622.45+3.69
Turnout 63,25777.03−6.46
Conservative hold Swing −0.56
General election 1979: Melton [1] [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Michael Latham 40,242 58.56 +9.64
Labour Mel Read 15,88223.11−3.36
Liberal David John Farrer12,59618.33−6.28
Majority 24,36035.45+13.00
Turnout 68,72078.70+1.67
Conservative hold Swing +6.50

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "'Melton', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  4. 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  5. Grantham Journal, 18 Apr 1914
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  7. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
  8. The Liberal Magazine, 1939
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
  10. "1956 By Elections". 10 October 2012. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012.
  11. 1 2 F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
  12. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1970". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 16 June 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  13. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results February 1974". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 27 January 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  14. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results October 1974". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  15. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1979". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2016.