Solihull (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Solihull
Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Solihull2007Constituency.svg
2010–2024 boundary of Solihull in West Midlands
EnglandWestMidlandsCounty.svg
Location of West Midlands within England
County West Midlands
Electorate 77,354 (December 2010) [1]
Major settlements Solihull
1945–2024
SeatsOne
Created from Tamworth
Replaced by Solihull West and Shirley

Solihull was a constituency in West Midlands represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.

Contents

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished and its area was split three ways. The bulk of the constituency was reformed as Solihull West and Shirley , first contested at the 2024 general election. [2] Other parts of the constituency moved into the new seats of Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North and Meriden and Solihull East. [3]

Constituency profile

The Solihull area is home to some of the West Midlands's more affluent residents and includes a high proportion of Birmingham workers and the managerial classes in manufacturing, retail, industry and the public sector. There are smaller villages and undeveloped green belt areas in its peripheral countryside, though the seat was primarily suburban and middle-class, with low levels of deprivation throughout. Workless claimants stood at only 2% of the population in November 2012, below every regional average in the UK. In the study of that date, only three of the 59 West Midlands seats had a lower proportion of registered jobseekers. [4]

Following boundary changes, the northernmost tip of the seat contained the point in England furthest from the coast in any direction.[ citation needed ]

Boundaries

Solihull (UK Parliament constituency)
Map of boundaries 1983-2024

The constituency was one of two covering the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull. It covered the town of Solihull itself, as well as Shirley and Olton. It is a largely well-off, residential area, in the south-east of the West Midlands conurbation.

1945–1950: The part of the County Borough of Birmingham in the present Tamworth constituency, and the urban district of Solihull. [5]

1950–1974: The Urban District of Solihull. [6]

1974–1983: The County Borough of Solihull.

1983–2024: The Metropolitan Borough of Solihull wards of Elmdon, Lyndon, Olton, St Alphege, Shirley East, Shirley South, Shirley West, and Silhill.

History

Conservative candidates won the seat from its outset in 1945 until a loss in 2005, the seat meanwhile seeing boundary changes covered above. In the 2005 general election Solihull was won by the Liberal Democrats, with Lorely Burt beating the incumbent John Taylor by a majority of 279 votes. Burt won the seat again at the 2010 general election, this time by just 175 votes following two recounts.

The seat was represented by Julian Knight since 2015, who won the seat from Burt with a majority of 12,902. At the 2017 election, Knight increased his majority to just over 20,000, with a similar result in 2019, making Solihull a safe Conservative seat.

However, following allegations of serious sexual assault made to the Metropolitan Police against Knight in December 2022, Knight sat as an independent MP, having had the Conservative whip suspended. [7]

Members of Parliament

Tamworth prior to 1945

ElectionMember [8] Party
1945 Sir Martin Lindsay Conservative
1964 Percy Grieve Conservative
1983 John Taylor Conservative
2005 Lorely Burt Liberal Democrats
2015 Julian Knight Conservative
2022 Independent [7]
2024 Constituency abolished

Election results 1945-2024

Results of UK House of Commons seat Solihull, created in 1945, since 2005. Solihull 2005 to date.svg
Results of UK House of Commons seat Solihull, created in 1945, since 2005.

Election in the 1940s

General election 1945: Solihull
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Sir Martin Lindsay 26,696 55.22
Labour Roy Jenkins 21,64744.78
Majority5,04910.44
Turnout 48,34371.79
Conservative win (new seat)

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Solihull
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Martin Lindsay 25,758 63.28
Labour W.N. Camp11,74128.84
Liberal Ada M Hayes3,2067.88New
Majority14,01734.44
Turnout 40,70586.92
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1951: Solihull
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Martin Lindsay 27,871 70.35
Labour John Johnson11,74729.65
Majority16,12440.70
Turnout 39,61883.18
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Solihull
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Martin Lindsay 29,323 72.18
Labour Marion Large11,30027.82
Majority18,02344.36
Turnout 40,62378.28
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1959: Solihull
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Martin Lindsay 35,862 73.88
Labour Eric J Bowen12,68226.12
Majority23,18047.76
Turnout 48,54480.60
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Solihull
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Percy Grieve 32,355 59.45
Labour Thomas WK Scott11,96921.99
Liberal Lionel Farell10,09718.55New
Majority20,38637.46
Turnout 54,42180.46
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1966: Solihull
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Percy Grieve 34,008 65.69
Labour D.A. Forwood17,76034.31
Majority16,24831.38
Turnout 51,76874.80
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Solihull
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Percy Grieve 37,756 64.29
Labour Douglas Gray13,18122.44
Liberal R. A. Davis7,79513.27New
Majority24,57541.85
Turnout 58,73272.14
Conservative hold Swing
General election February 1974: Solihull
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Percy Grieve 35,049 54.47
Liberal J.A. Windmill17,68627.49
Labour D.A. Norman11,60818.04
Majority17,36326.98
Turnout 64,34381.30
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Solihull
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Percy Grieve 31,707 52.67
Liberal J.A. Windmill15,84826.33
Labour Denis MacShane 12,64021.00
Majority15,85926.34
Turnout 60,19575.25
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1979: Solihull
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Percy Grieve 43,027 66.16
Labour David Hallam 10,82016.64
Liberal Ian Gillett10,21415.70
National Front D. Stevenson9781.50New
Majority32,20749.52
Turnout 65,03977.18
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Solihull [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Taylor 31,947 60.8 Decrease2.svg 5.4
Liberal Ian Gillett14,55327.7Increase2.svg 12.0
Labour I. Jamieson6,07511.6Decrease2.svg 5.0
Majority17,39433.1Decrease2.svg 16.4
Turnout 52,57571.4Decrease2.svg 5.8
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1987: Solihull [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Taylor 35,844 61.1 Increase2.svg 0.3
Liberal Geoff E. Gadie14,05824.0Decrease2.svg 3.7
Labour Sue E. Knowles8,79115.0Increase2.svg 3.4
Majority21,78637.1Increase2.svg 4.0
Turnout 58,69375.1Increase2.svg 3.7
Conservative hold Swing Increase2.svg 2.0

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Solihull [11] [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Taylor 38,385 60.8 Decrease2.svg 0.3
Liberal Democrats Michael J. Southcombe13,23921.0Decrease2.svg 2.9
Labour Nicola Kutapan10,54416.7Increase2.svg 1.7
Green Clifford G. Hards9251.5New
Majority25,14639.8Increase2.svg 2.7
Turnout 63,09381.6Increase2.svg 6.5
Conservative hold Swing Increase2.svg 1.4
General election 1997: Solihull
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Taylor 26,299 44.6 Decrease2.svg 16.2
Liberal Democrats Michael J. Southcombe14,90225.3Increase2.svg 4.3
Labour Rachel N. Harris14,33424.3Increase2.svg 7.6
Referendum Mike Nattrass 2,7484.7New
ProLife Alliance Jim Caffery6231.1New
Majority11,39719.3Decrease2.svg 20.5
Turnout 58,90674.6Decrease2.svg 7.0
Conservative hold Swing Decrease2.svg 10.3

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2001: Solihull [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Taylor 21,935 45.4 Increase2.svg 0.8
Liberal Democrats Jo Byron12,52826.0Increase2.svg 0.7
Labour Brendan O’Brien12,37325.6Increase2.svg 1.3
UKIP Andy Moore1,0612.2New
ProLife Alliance Mary Pyne3740.8Decrease2.svg 0.3
Majority9,40719.4Increase2.svg 0.1
Turnout 48,27163.3Decrease2.svg 11.3
Conservative hold Swing
General election 2005: Solihull [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Lorely Burt 20,896 39.9 Increase2.svg 13.9
Conservative John Taylor 20,61739.4Decrease2.svg 6.0
Labour Rory Vaughan8,05815.4Decrease2.svg 10.2
BNP Diane Carr1,7523.3New
UKIP Andrew Moore9901.9Decrease2.svg 0.3
Majority2790.5N/A
Turnout 52,31363.1Decrease2.svg 0.2
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing Increase2.svg 10.0

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2010: Solihull [15] [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Lorely Burt 23,635 42.9 Increase2.svg 3.5
Conservative Maggie Throup 23,46042.6Increase2.svg 2.9
Labour Sarah Merrill4,8918.9Decrease2.svg 6.7
BNP Andrew Terry1,6242.9Decrease2.svg 0.5
UKIP John Ison1,2002.2Increase2.svg 0.3
Solihull and Meriden Residents' AssociationNeill Watts3190.6New
Majority1750.3Decrease2.svg0.2
Turnout 55,12971.9Increase2.svg 4.5
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing Increase2.svg 0.3

Although its predecessor seat was won by the Liberal Democrats in 2005, intervening boundary changes made the constituency notionally Conservative prior to the 2010 general election, and it is therefore listed as a gain rather than a hold. [17] [18]

General election 2015: Solihull [19] [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Julian Knight 26,956 49.2 Increase2.svg 6.6
Liberal Democrats Lorely Burt 14,05425.7Decrease2.svg 17.2
UKIP Phil Henrick [21] 6,36111.6Increase2.svg 9.4
Labour Nigel Knowles5,69310.4Increase2.svg 1.5
Green Howard Allen1,6323.0New
An Independence from Europe Mike Nattrass 500.1New
DemocraticMatthew Ward330.1New
Majority12,90223.5N/A
Turnout 54,77970.9Decrease2.svg 1.0
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing Increase2.svg 11.9
General election 2017: Solihull [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Julian Knight 32,985 58.1 Increase2.svg 8.9
Labour Nigel Knowles12,41421.9Increase2.svg 11.5
Liberal Democrats Ade Adeyemo [23] 8,90115.7Decrease2.svg 10.0
UKIP Andrew Garcarz1,2912.3Decrease2.svg 9.3
Green Max McLoughlin1,1572.0Decrease2.svg 1.0
Majority20,57136.2Increase2.svg 12.7
Turnout 56,74873.4Increase2.svg 2.5
Conservative hold Swing Decrease2.svg 1.3
General election 2019: Solihull [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Julian Knight 32,309 58.4 Increase2.svg 0.3
Labour Co-op Nick Stephens11,03619.9Decrease2.svg 2.0
Liberal Democrats Ade Adeyemo [25] 9,97718.0Increase2.svg 2.3
Green Rosi Sexton 2,0223.7Increase2.svg 1.7
Majority21,27338.5Increase2.svg 2.3
Turnout 55,34470.3Decrease2.svg 3.1
Conservative hold Swing Increase2.svg 1.2

See also

Notes

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    References

    1. ↑ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
    2. ↑ "West Midlands | Boundary Commission for England". Boundary Commission for England . Retrieved 20 June 2023.
    3. ↑ "Solihull to get three MP seats according to final map". Solihull Observer. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
    4. ↑ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
    5. ↑ "The House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Order 1945. SI 1945/701". Statutory Rules and Orders 1945. Vol. I. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. 1946. pp. 682–698.
    6. ↑ "Representation of the People Act 1948: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1948 c. 65 (sch.1), retrieved 23 July 2023
    7. 1 2 "Tory MP Julian Knight suspended after sex assault allegation made to police". BBC News. 8 December 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
    8. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 3)
    9. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
    10. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
    11. ↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
    12. ↑ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
    13. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
    14. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
    15. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
    16. ↑ "BBC Election 2010, Solihull".
    17. ↑ "The new Westminster constituencies - full list and how they've changed". The Guardian . 6 April 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
    18. ↑ "BBC News Election 2010: results by constituency". BBC News . 7 May 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
    19. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
    20. ↑ "Solihull Results". bbc.co.uk.
    21. ↑ "UK Polling Report".
    22. ↑ "Statement of persons nominated and notice of poll" (PDF). Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
    23. ↑ "Ade Adeyemo". Archived from the original on 15 February 2015.
    24. ↑ "Solihull Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
    25. ↑ "Ade Adeyemo". Archived from the original on 15 February 2015.
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