Stafford (UK Parliament constituency)

Not to be confused with Electoral district of Stafford.

Stafford
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Stafford in Staffordshire
Location of Staffordshire within England
County	Staffordshire
Electorate	69,832 (December 2010) [1]
Major settlements	Stafford
Current constituency
Created	1983
Member of Parliament	Theodora Clarke (Conservative)
Seats	One
Created from	Stafford & Stone and Newcastle-under-Lyme [2]
1918–1950
Seats	One
Type of constituency	County constituency
Replaced by	Stafford & Stone
1295–1918
Seats	1290–1885: Two 1885–1918: One
Type of constituency	Borough constituency

Stafford is a constituency ^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Theodora Clarke, a Conservative. ^{[n 2]}

The seat since its resurrection in 1983 has proven to be somewhat of a bellwether being held always by the incumbent government although it currently has a significantly higher vote share for the Conservatives than the average constituency.

History

Stafford, as a parliamentary borough, first existed between the Model Parliament in 1295 and 1950.

The current constituency was created for the 1983 general election.

Prominent members

The town was represented in Parliament by leading playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan at the end of the 18th century.

Political history

Taken together with the Stafford and Stone seat which existed during the 33-year gap mentioned above, since 1910 when the last Liberal served the seat, the Conservative party has had five members and the Labour party two (this total includes the present member). In summary:

• Labour saw a bellwether result in their 1945 landslide victory, but Conservative Hugh Fraser regained the seat at the next election in 1950 in the successor seat which he held until his death in 1984.
• Effects from the creation of the Stone constituency in 1997 made Stafford somewhat more marginal: sitting Stafford MP Bill Cash followed some of his electors into the Stone constituency, which he won, and after a 47-year lack of a member, Labour's David Kidney gained the constituency in his party's landslide victory in 1997. The defeated Conservative candidate in 1997 was David Cameron, who in the next election was elected as the MP for the safe seat of Witney, and became the Conservative Party leader in 2005, and Prime Minister in 2010.

Boundaries

Map of current boundaries

1928-1885: The parliamentary borough.

1885-1918: The existing parliamentary borough, and so much of the municipal borough of Stafford as was not already included in the parliamentary borough. ^[3]

1918–1950: The Municipal Borough of Stafford, the Rural District of Gnosall, the Rural District consisting of the civil parishes of Blymhill and Weston-under-Lizard, the Rural District of Stafford except the detached part of the civil parish of Colwich, and part of the Rural District of Cannock.

1983–1997: The Borough of Stafford wards of Baswich, Beaconside, Castletown, Church Eaton, Common, Coton, Doxey, Eccleshall, Forebridge, Gnosall, Highfields, Holmcroft, Littleworth, Manor, Milford, Parkside, Rowley, Seighford, Swynnerton, Tillington, Weeping Cross, and Woodseaves, and the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme wards of Loggerheads, Madeley, and Whitmore.

1997–2010: The Borough of Stafford wards of Baswich, Beaconside, Castletown, Common, Coton, Doxey, Forebridge, Haywood, Highfields, Holmcroft, Littleworth, Manor, Milford, Parkside, Rowley, Seighford, Tillington, and Weeping Cross, and the District of South Staffordshire wards of Acton Trussell, Bishopswood and Lapley, Penkridge North East, Penkridge South East, and Penkridge West.

2010–present: The Borough of Stafford wards of Baswich, Castletown, Common, Coton, Doxey, Haywood and Hixon, Highfields and Western Downs, Holmcroft, Littleworth, Manor, Milford, Parkside, Rowley, Seighford, Tillington, and Weeping Cross, and the District of South Staffordshire wards of Penkridge North East and Acton Trussell, Penkridge South East, Penkridge West, and Wheaton Aston, Bishopswood and Lapley.

The constituency forms the southerly part of the borough of Stafford, including the eponymous town itself plus the Penkridge area.

Proposed

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the next general election, due by January 2025, the constituency will be composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

• The Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme wards of: Loggerheads; Maer & Whitmore.
• The Borough of Stafford wards of: Baswich; Common; Coton; Doxey & Castletown; Eccleshall; Forebridge; Gnosall & Woodseaves; Highfields & Western Downs; Holmcroft; Littleworth; Manor; Penkside; Rowley; Seighford & Church Eaton; Weeping Cross & Wildwood. ^[4]

The constituency will undergo significant changes due to the re-organisation of seats within Staffordshire. The parts in the South Staffordshire District, including Penkridge, together with areas to the east of Stafford, will be included in the newly created constituency of Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge. To compensate, the boundaries will be extended to the north and west, to include Eccleshall, Gnosall and the two Newcastle-under-Lyme wards, currently part of the constituency of Stone (to be abolished).

Constituency profile

The town has historical significance, featuring the Elizabethan Ancient High House, a museum with changing exhibitions and Stafford Castle. In terms of industry and commerce, the physics and engineering niche of large power station transformers are produced in the seat whereas the area to the north is famous for fine china, the Staffordshire Potteries from the companies Aynsley, Burleigh, Doulton, Dudson, Heron Cross, Minton, Moorcroft, Twyford, and Wedgwood. The area is also well known for the Staffordshire Hoard, Alton Towers and has a Building Society based in the town.

Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 2.7% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian . ^[5]

Members of Parliament

Stafford parliamentary borough

MPs 1295–1640

• Constituency created (1295) ^[6]

Parliament	First member	Second member
1295	William Reynor	John Beyton
1337	Hugh Snel [7]
1353	Hugh Snel [7]
1360	Hugh Snel [7]
1362	Hugh Snel [7]
1363	Hugh Snel [7]
1365	Hugh Snel [7]
1366	Hugh Snel [7]
1368	Hugh Snel [7]
1369	Hugh Snel [7]
1371	Hugh Snel [7]
1373	Hugh Snel [7]
1376	Hugh Snel [7]
1377	Hugh Snel (murdered 1380) [7]
1386	Thomas Jockery	Richard Stanford [8]
1388 (Feb)	John Newton	Nicholas Snell [8]
1388 (Sep)	John Newton	Richard Stanford [8]
1390 (Jan)	John Newton	John Snell [8]
1390 (Nov)
1391	John Newton	Richard Stanford [8]
1393	Henry Warrilewe	John Baxter [8]
1394
1395	John Wylaston	John Baxter [8]
1397 (Jan)	John Wylaston	John Clifton [8]
1397 (Sep)
1399	John Wylaston	Richard Stanford [8]
1401
1402	Richard Stanford	Thomas Barber [8]
1404 (Jan)	Roger Coton	Adam Hewster [8]
1404 (Oct)
1406	Thomas Jockery	John Huntingdon [8]
1407	Thomas Jockery	John Huntingdon [8]
1410
1411	Thomas Barber	Robert Whitgreve [8]
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May)	Thomas Barber	Adam Edgeley [8]
1414 (Apr)
1414 (Nov)	Sampson Erdeswyk	Robert Whitgreve [8]
1415
1416 (Mar)	Henry Fenton	Robert Whitgreve [8]
1416 (Oct)
1417
1419	John Harper	John Parker [8]
1420	John Harper	Robert Whitgreve [8]
1421 (May)	John Harper	Robert Whitgreve [8]
1421 (Dec)	Adam Edgeley	Robert Whitgreve [8]
1495	Humphrey Barber [9]
1510–1523	No names known [10]
1529	Thomas Stanford, died and replaced by 1553 by Sampson Erdeswick	John Bickley [10]
1536	?
1539	?
1542	Walter Blount	William Stamford [10]
1545	Henry Stafford [11]	William Stamford [10]
1547	Henry Stafford	Richard Forsett [10]
1553 (Mar)	Edward Colbarne	Francis Smith [10]
1553 (Oct)	Henry Stafford	?Sir Anthony Browne/Simon Lowe alias Fyfield [10]
1554 (Apr)	John Giffard	Humphrey Swynnerton [10]
1554 (Nov)	James Fowler	Matthew Cradock [10]
1555	Henry Stafford	Thomas Harcourt [10]
1558	Edward Stafford	James Fowler [10]
1559 (Jan)	Edward Stafford	William Bowyer [12]
1562–3	William Twyneho	Henry Goodere [12]
1571	Walter Stafford	William Knollys [12]
1572 (Apr)	Richard Broughton	Thomas Purslow [12]
1584 (Nov)	John Stafford	Francis Cradock [12]
1586	John Stafford	Francis Cradock [12]
1588 (Oct)	Francis Cradock	Henry Bourchier [12]
1593	Henry Bourchier	Francis Cradock [12]
1597 (Oct)	Sir Edward Stafford	Henry Bourchier [12]
1601 (Oct)	Sir Edward Stafford	William Essex [12]
1604–1611	Hugh Beeston replaced 1609 by Arthur Ingram [13]	George Cradock [13]
1614	Sir Walter Devereux [14]	Thomas Gibbs [14]
1621	Matthew Cradock [13]	Richard Dyott [13]
1624	Matthew Cradock	Richard Dyott
1625	Matthew Cradock	Sir Robert Hatton Sat for Sandwich replaced by Sir John Offley
1626	Sir John Offley	Bulstrode Whitlock
1628	Matthew Cradock	William Wingfield
1629–1640	No Parliaments convened

MPs 1640–1885

Election		First member [15]	First party		Second member [15]	Second party
April 1640		Ralph Sneyd			Richard Weston
November 1640		Ralph Sneyd	Royalist		Richard Weston	Royalist
October 1642				Weston disabled from sitting – seat vacant
May 1643	Sneyd disabled from sitting – seat vacant
1645		John Swinfen			Edward Leigh
December 1648	Swinfen and Leigh excluded in Pride's Purge – both seats vacant
1653	Stafford was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament
1654		John Bradshaw		Stafford had only one seat in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
1656		Martin Noel
January 1659					William Jessop
May 1659	Not represented in the restored Rump
April 1660		John Swinfen			Sir Charles Wolseley
1661		Robert Milward			William Chetwynd
1674		Walter Chetwynd
February 1679					Sir Thomas Armstrong
August 1679		Sir Thomas Wilbraham
1681		Edwin Skrymsher
1685		Walter Chetwynd			Rowland Okeover
1689		Philip Foley			John Chetwynd
1690		Jonathan Cope
1694		Thomas Foley
1695					Philip Foley
January 1701					John Chetwynd
November 1701					John Pershall
July 1702					John Chetwynd
December 1702					Walter Chetwynd [16]
1711					Henry Vernon
1712		1st Viscount Chetwynd
1715					William Chetwynd
1722		Thomas Foley			John Dolphin
1724 by-election					Francis Elde [17]
1725 [17]					1st Viscount Chetwynd
1727		Joseph Gascoigne Nightingale
1734		Hon. William Chetwynd 3rd Viscount Chetwynd from 1767			Thomas Foley
1738 by-election					2nd Viscount Chetwynd
1747					John Robins
1754					William Richard Chetwynd
1765 by-election					John Crewe	Whig
1768					Richard Whitworth
1770 by-election		William Neville Hart
1774		Hugo Meynell
1780		Edward Monckton	Tory [18]		Richard Brinsley Sheridan	Whig [18]
1806					Richard Mansel-Philipps	Tory [18]
1812		Ralph Benson	Tory		Thomas Wilson
1818		Benjamin Benyon	Whig [18]		Samuel Homfray
1820					Sir George Chetwynd	Whig [18]
June 1826		Richard Ironmonger			Ralph Benson	Tory
December 1826 by-election		Thomas Beaumont	Whig [18]
1830		John Campbell	Whig [18]		Thomas Gisborne	Whig [18]
1832		William Fawkener Chetwynd	Whig [18] [19] [20]		Rees Howell Gronow	Whig [18]
January 1835					Sir Francis Holyoake Goodricke	Conservative [18]
May 1835				Writ suspended – seat left vacant [21]
1837 by-election					Robert Farrand	Conservative [18]
1841		Hon. Swynfen Carnegie	Conservative [18]		Edward Manningham-Buller	Whig [18] [19] [20]
1847		David Urquhart	Conservative		Thomas Sidney	Conservative
1852		John Ayshford Wise	Whig [22]		Arthur Otway	Whig [23] [24]
1857					Viscount Ingestre	Conservative
1859			Liberal		Thomas Salt	Conservative
1860 by-election		Thomas Sidney	Liberal
1865		Michael Bass	Liberal		Walter Meller	Conservative
1868 [25]		Henry Pochin	Liberal
1869 by-election		Thomas Salt	Conservative		Hon. Reginald Talbot	Conservative
1874					Alexander Macdonald	Liberal-Labour
1880		Charles McLaren	Liberal
1881 by-election					Thomas Salt	Conservative
1885	Representation reduced to one member

MPs 1885–1918

Election		Member [15]	Party
	1885	Charles McLaren	Liberal
	1886	Thomas Salt	Conservative
	1892	Charles Shaw	Liberal
	1910	Sir Walter Essex	Liberal
	1918	Parliamentary borough abolished. Name transferred to a county division

Stafford division of Staffordshire

MPs 1918–1950

Year		Member [15]	Party
	1918	Hon. William Ormsby-Gore	Unionist
	1938	Peter Thorneycroft	Conservative
	1945	Stephen Swingler	Labour

Stafford county constituency

MPs since 1983

Election		Member [15]	Party
	1983	Sir Hugh Fraser	Conservative
	1984 by-election	Bill Cash	Conservative
	1997	David Kidney	Labour
	2010	Jeremy Lefroy	Conservative
	2019	Theodora Clarke	Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Stafford ^[26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Theodora Clarke	29,992	58.6	+3.9
	Labour	Joyce Still	15,615	30.5	–9.4
	Liberal Democrats	Alex Wagner	3,175	6.2	+3.2
	Green	Emma Carter	2,367	4.6	+2.2
Majority			14,377	28.1	+13.3
Turnout			51,149	70.5	–5.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	+6.6

General election 2017: Stafford

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Jeremy Lefroy	28,424	54.7	+6.3
	Labour	David Williams	20,695	39.9	+10.3
	Liberal Democrats	Christine Tinker	1,540	3.0	+0.2
	Green	Tony Pearce	1,265	2.4	–0.5
Majority			7,729	14.8	–4.0
Turnout			51,924	75.9	+4.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	–2.0

General election 2015: Stafford ^[27]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Jeremy Lefroy	23,606	48.4	+4.5
	Labour	Kate Godfrey	14,429	29.6	–3.4
	UKIP	Edward Whitfield	6,293	12.9	+9.5
	NHA	Karen Howell	1,701	3.5	New
	Green	Mike Shone	1,390	2.9	+1.8
	Liberal Democrats	Keith Miller	1,348	2.8	–13.5
Majority			9,177	18.8	+8.9
Turnout			48,767	71.0	–0.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	+3.9

General election 2010: Stafford ^{[28] [29]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Jeremy Lefroy	22,047	43.9	+4.7
	Labour	David Kidney	16,587	33.0	–10.2
	Liberal Democrats	Barry Stamp	8,211	16.3	+2.0
	UKIP	Roy Goode	1,727	3.4	+0.1
	BNP	Roland Hynd	1,103	2.2	New
	Green	Mike Shone	564	1.1	New
Majority			5,460	10.9	N/A
Turnout			50,239	71.2	+4.2
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	7.4

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Stafford ^{[30] [31]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David Kidney	19,889	43.7	–4.3
	Conservative	David Chambers	17,768	39.0	+2.4
	Liberal Democrats	Barry Stamp	6,390	14.0	+4.5
	UKIP	Frederick Goode	1,507	3.3	–1.9
Majority			2,121	4.7	–6.7
Turnout			45,554	64.7	–0.6
	Labour hold		Swing	–3.3

General election 2001: Stafford ^{[32] [33]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David Kidney	21,285	48.0	+0.5
	Conservative	Philip A. Cochrane	16,253	36.6	–2.6
	Liberal Democrats	Jeanne Pinkerton	4,205	9.5	–1.1
	UKIP	Richard Bridgeman	2,315	5.2	New
	Rock 'n' Roll Loony	Michael D. Hames	308	0.7	New
Majority			5,032	11.4	+3.1
Turnout			44,366	65.3	–12.3
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Stafford ^{[34] [35]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David Kidney	24,606	47.5	+12.6
	Conservative	David Cameron	20,292	39.2	–8.9
	Liberal Democrats	Pam A. Hornby	5,480	10.6	–5.9
	Referendum	Stephen R. Culley	1,146	2.2	New
	Monster Raving Loony	Ashton A.N. May	248	0.5	New
Majority			4,314	8.3	N/A
Turnout			51,772	76.6	–6.3
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+10.7

General election 1992: Stafford ^{[36] [37]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Bill Cash	30,876	49.9	–1.4
	Labour	David Kidney	19,976	32.3	+11.1
	Liberal Democrats	Jamie G. Calder	10,702	17.3	–10.2
	Independent	Christopher Peat	178	0.3	New
	Natural Law	Philip Lines	176	0.3	New
Majority			10,900	17.6	–6.2
Turnout			61,908	82.9	+3.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	–6.3

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Stafford ^[38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Bill Cash	29,541	51.3	+0.1
	SDP	Colin Phipps	15,834	27.5	+2.7
	Labour	Najma Hafeez	12,177	21.2	–2.5
Majority			13,707	23.8	–2.6
Turnout			57,552	79.5	+3.0
	Conservative hold		Swing

By-election 1984: Stafford

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Bill Cash	18,713	40.4	–10.8
	SDP	David Dunn	14,733	31.8	+7.0
	Labour	Michael JD Poulter	12,677	27.4	+3.7
	Independent	Christopher Teasdale	210	0.4	New
Majority			3,980	8.6	–17.8
Turnout			46,333	65.6	–10.9
	Conservative hold		Swing
Registered electors			70,635

• Death of Sir Hugh Fraser 6 March 1984

General election 1983: Stafford ^[39]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Hugh Fraser	27,639	51.2
	SDP	David Dunn	13,362	24.8
	Labour	Michael JD Poulter	12,789	23.7
	Gizza Job	J Caruso	212	0.4
Majority			14,277	26.4
Turnout			54,002	76.5
	Conservative win (new seat)

Election in the 1940s

General election 1945: Stafford

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Stephen Swingler	17,923	52.1	+8.5
	Conservative	Peter Thorneycroft	16,500	47.9	-8.5
Majority			1423	4.2	N/A
Turnout			33,793	78.0	-1.0
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Elections in the 1930s

1938 Stafford by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Peter Thorneycroft	16,754	57.6	+1.2
	Labour	Frank G Lloyd	12,346	42.4	–1.2
Majority			4,408	15.2	+2.4
Turnout			29,100	77.2	–1.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.2

General election 1935: Stafford

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Ormsby-Gore	16,175	56.4	-11.7
	Labour	Frank G Lloyd	12,514	43.6	+11.7
Majority			3,661	12.8	-23.4
Turnout			28,689	79.0	+0.5
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1931: Stafford

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	William Ormsby-Gore	18,467	68.1	+23.0
	Labour	Len Smith	8,640	31.9	-4.7
Majority			9,827	36.2	+27.7
Turnout			27,107	78.5	-3.3
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Stafford ^[40]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	William Ormsby-Gore	12,324	45.1	–17.0
	Labour	Leonard Smith	10,011	36.6	–1.3
	Liberal	Arthur Stanley Leyland	5,000	18.3	New
Majority			2,313	8.5	–15.7
Turnout			27,335	81.8	+2.7
Registered electors			33,420
	Unionist hold		Swing	–7.9

General election 1924: Stafford ^[40]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	William Ormsby-Gore	12,404	62.1	+8.2
	Labour	William Thomas Scott	7,571	37.9	–8.2
Majority			4,833	24.2	+16.4
Turnout			19,975	79.1	+6.2
Registered electors			25,260
	Unionist hold		Swing	+8.2

General election 1923: Stafford ^[40]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	William Ormsby-Gore	9,823	53.9	–5.0
	Labour	William Thomas Scott	8,412	46.1	+5.0
Majority			1,411	7.8	–10.0
Turnout			18,235	72.9	–3.8
Registered electors			25,024
	Unionist hold		Swing	–5.0

General election 1922: Stafford ^[40]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	William Ormsby-Gore	10,990	58.9	–7.5
	Labour	Bill Holmes	7,672	41.1	New
Majority			3,318	17.8	–15.0
Turnout			18,662	76.7	+22.7
Registered electors			24,317
	Unionist hold		Swing	–7.5

Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Stafford ^[40]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
C	Unionist	William Ormsby-Gore	8,304	66.4	+18.4
	Liberal	Walter Meakin	4,203	33.6	–18.4
Majority			4,101	32.8	N/A
Turnout			12,507	54.0	–38.6
Registered electors			23,140
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+18.4
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

General election December 1910: Stafford ^[41]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Walter Essex	1,992	52.0	+0.9
	Conservative	John Nicholson	1,837	48.0	–0.9
Majority			155	4.0	+1.8
Turnout			3,829	92.6	–4.1
	Liberal hold		Swing	+0.9

General election January 1910: Stafford ^[41]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles Shaw	2,042	51.1	–3.2
	Conservative	Reginald Higgs Jones Mortimer	1,957	48.9	+3.2
Majority			85	2.2	–6.4
Turnout			3,999	96.7	+4.5
	Liberal hold		Swing	–3.2

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1906: Stafford ^[41]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles Shaw	1,947	54.3	+2.6
	Conservative	Ronald Courthope Bosanquet [42]	1,636	45.7	–2.6
Majority			311	8.6	+5.2
Turnout			3,583	92.2	+2.8
Registered electors			3,885
	Liberal hold		Swing	+2.6

Charles Shaw

General election 1900: Stafford ^[41]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles Shaw	1,633	51.7	+1.5
	Conservative	George Cawston	1,528	48.3	–1.5
Majority			105	3.4	+3.0
Turnout			3,161	89.4	–3.5
Registered electors			3,534
	Liberal hold		Swing	+1.5

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1895: Stafford ^[41]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles Shaw	1,568	50.2	–5.8
	Conservative	Thomas Salt	1,556	49.8	+5.8
Majority			12	0.4	–11.6
Turnout			3,124	92.9	+4.7
Registered electors			3,361
	Liberal hold		Swing	–5.8

General election 1892: Stafford ^[41]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles Shaw	1,684	56.0	+7.6
	Conservative	Douglas Straight [43]	1,322	44.0	–7.6
Majority			362	12.0	N/A
Turnout			3,006	88.2	–2.6
Registered electors			3,409
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+7.6

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1886: Stafford ^[41]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Thomas Salt	1,528	51.6	+2.4
	Liberal	Charles McLaren	1,435	48.4	–2.4
Majority			93	3.2	N/A
Turnout			2,963	90.8	–1.6
Registered electors			3,264
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+2.4

General election 1885: Stafford ^[41]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles McLaren	1,532	50.8	–3.7
	Conservative	Thomas Salt	1,485	49.2	+3.6
Majority			47	1.6	–0.6
Turnout			3,017	92.4	+21.8 (est)
Registered electors			3,264
	Liberal hold		Swing	–3.7

By-election, 21 Nov 1881: Stafford (1 seat) ^[44]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Thomas Salt	1,482	55.6	+10.0
	Lib-Lab	George Howell	1,185	44.4	–10.1
Majority			297	11.2	N/A
Turnout			2,667	79.8	+9.2 (est)
Registered electors			3,344
	Conservative gain from Lib-Lab		Swing	+10.1

• Caused by Macdonald's death.

General election 1880: Stafford (2 seats) ^[44]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles McLaren	1,498	28.7	+7.6
	Lib-Lab	Alexander Macdonald	1,345	25.8	–1.9
	Conservative	Thomas Salt	1,230	23.6	–5.4
	Conservative	Gerald Francis Talbot [45]	1,149	22.0	–0.2
Majority			115	2.2	–3.3
Turnout			2,611 (est)	70.6 (est)	+8.5
Registered electors			3,699
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+6.5
	Lib-Lab hold		Swing	–0.9

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Stafford (2 seats) ^[44]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Thomas Salt	1,238	29.0	+12.5
	Lib-Lab	Alexander Macdonald	1,183	27.7	–4.7
	Conservative	Francis Bridgeman	947	22.2	+5.7
	Liberal	Henry Pochin	903	21.1	–13.7
Turnout			2,136 (est)	62.1 (est)	–10.0
Registered electors			3,699
Majority			55	1.3	+0.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	+10.9
Majority			236	5.5	+3.6
	Lib-Lab hold		Swing	–6.9

Elections in the 1860s

By-election, 7 June 1869: Stafford (2 seats) ^[44]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Thomas Salt	1,206	28.5	+12.0
	Conservative	Reginald Talbot	1,130	26.7	+10.2
	Liberal	William Evans [46]	954	22.5	–12.3
	Liberal	Benjamin Whitworth [47]	943	22.3	–10.1
Majority			176	4.2	+3.7
Turnout			2,117 (est)	67.1 (est)	–5.0
Registered electors			3,152
	Conservative hold		Swing	+11.6
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+10.7

• The 1868 election was declared void on petition "on account of corrupt practices", ^[48] causing a by-election.

General election 1868: Stafford (2 seats) ^[44]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Pochin	1,189	34.8	+9.3
	Conservative	Walter Meller	1,124	32.9	+4.9
	Liberal	Richard Croft Chawner [49]	1,107	32.4	–14.1
Turnout			2,272 (est)	72.1 (est)	–4.1
Registered electors			3,152
Majority			65	1.9	–16.6
	Liberal hold		Swing	+3.2
Majority			17	0.5	–2.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	+3.7

General election 1865: Stafford (2 seats) ^[44]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Michael Bass	1,091	46.5	+2.7
	Conservative	Walter Meller	658	28.0	–2.0
	Liberal	Henry Pochin	598	25.5	–0.8
Turnout			1,174 (est)	76.2 (est)	–0.1
Registered electors			1,540
Majority			433	18.5	+4.7
	Liberal hold		Swing	+1.9
Majority			60	2.5	–9.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	–2.0

By-election, 3 August 1860: Stafford (2 seats) ^[44]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Sidney	716	68.7	–1.4
	Conservative	Dudley Ryder	326	31.3	+1.3
Majority			390	37.4	+23.6
Turnout			1,042	75.0	–1.3
Registered electors			1,390
	Liberal hold		Swing	–1.4

• Caused by Wise's resignation.

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1859: Stafford (2 seats) ^[44]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Ayshford Wise	911	43.8	–5.3
	Conservative	Thomas Salt	624	30.0	–6.8
	Liberal	Thomas Sidney	366	17.6	N/A
	Liberal	Henry Robert Addison [50]	181	8.7	N/A
Turnout			1,041 (est)	76.3 (est)	–4.5
Registered electors			1,364
Majority			287	13.8	+1.5
	Liberal hold		Swing	+0.8
Majority			258	12.4	–10.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	–0.8

General election 1857: Stafford (2 seats) ^[44]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Ayshford Wise	993	49.1	+4.6
	Conservative	Charles Chetwynd-Talbot	745	36.8	+11.3
	Whig	Frederick William Cadogan	286	14.1	–15.9
Turnout			1,012 (est)	80.8 (est)	+8.5
Registered electors			1,252
Majority			248	12.3	+9.9
	Whig hold		Swing	+5.1
Majority			459	22.7	N/A
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	+11.3

General election 1852: Stafford (2 seats) ^{[44] [51]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Ayshford Wise	801	44.5	+44.1
	Whig	Arthur Otway	501	27.8	+27.7
	Conservative	John Bourne [52]	458	25.4	–23.3
	Whig	James Cook Evans	39	2.2	N/A
	Conservative	Edmund Hopkinson	1	0.1	–33.2
Majority			43	2.4	N/A
Turnout			901 (est)	72.3 (est)	+11.5
Registered electors			1,246
	Whig gain from		Swing	+36.2
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	+28.0

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1847: Stafford (2 seats) ^[44]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Urquhart	754	48.7	N/A
	Conservative	Thomas Sidney	516	33.3	N/A
	Conservative	Swynfen Carnegie	271	17.5	–26.9
	Whig	John Lea [53]	6	0.4	–17.9
	Whig	James Adam Gordon [54]	1	0.1	–18.2
Majority			510	32.9	+27.0
Turnout			774 (est)	60.8 (est)	–8.8
Registered electors			1,272
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	N/A

By-election, 13 March 1846: Stafford ^[44]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Swynfen Carnegie	733	96.7	+33.2
	Whig	William Willcocks Sleigh [55]	25	3.3	–33.2
Majority			708	93.4	+87.5
Turnout			758	60.3	–9.3
Registered electors			1,257
	Conservative hold		Swing	+33.2

• Caused by Carnegie's appointment as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury

General election 1841: Stafford (2 seats) ^{[44] [18]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Swynfen Carnegie	681	42.4	+15.6
	Whig	Edward Buller-Yarde-Buller	587	36.5	–12.0
	Conservative	William Holmes	339	21.1	–3.6
Turnout			804 (est)	69.6 (est)	–9.1
Registered electors			1,154
Majority			94	5.9	+3.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	+10.8
Majority			248	15.4	+12.2
	Whig hold		Swing	–12.0

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1837: Stafford (2 seats) ^{[44] [18]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	William Fawkener Chetwynd	565	30.0	+2.3
	Conservative	Robert Farrand	504	26.8	+7.9
	Conservative	Bingham Baring	464	24.7	–12.0
	Whig	William Blount	348	18.5	+3.6
Turnout			980	78.7	–5.5
Registered electors			1,246
Majority			61	3.2	–5.6
	Whig hold		Swing	+2.2
Majority			40	2.1	–19.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.5

By-election, 21 February 1837: Stafford ^{[44] [18]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Farrand	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

• Caused by Goodricke's resignation, in 1835, to contest a by-election at Staffordshire. A writ for a by-election was denied for nearly two years.

General election 1835: Stafford (2 seats) ^{[44] [18]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Francis Holyoake Goodricke	605	36.7	+36.7
	Whig	William Fawkener Chetwynd	456	27.7	–14.7
	Conservative	Robert Farrand	312	18.9	+18.9
	Whig	Rees Howell Gronow	246	14.9	–15.3
	Radical	Charles Wolseley	29	1.8	N/A
Turnout			941	84.2	–5.0
Registered electors			1,117
Majority			359	21.8	N/A
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	+25.9
Majority			144	8.8	+5.9
	Whig hold		Swing	–21.3

General election 1832: Stafford (2 seats) ^{[44] [18]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	William Fawkener Chetwynd	739	42.4	N/A
	Whig	Rees Howell Gronow	526	30.2	N/A
	Whig	William Blount	476	27.3	N/A
	Tory	Robert Farrand	0	0.0	–27.8
Majority			50	2.9	–4.2
Turnout			1,049	89.2	+4.3
Registered electors			1,176
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A

• Farrand retired before the poll. The election was later declared void and no writ was issued before the 1835 general election.

General election 1831: Stafford (2 seats) ^{[18] [56]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	John Campbell	556	37.2	–4.9
	Whig	Thomas Gisborne	522	34.9	–3.7
	Tory	Thomas Hawkes	416	27.8	+8.5
Majority			106	7.1	–12.2
Turnout			849	c. 84.9	–1.5
Registered electors			c. 1,000
	Whig hold		Swing	–4.6
	Whig hold		Swing	–4.0

General election 1830: Stafford (2 seats) ^{[18] [56]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Thomas Gisborne	666	42.1
	Whig	John Campbell	610	38.6
	Tory	Thomas Hawkes	305	19.3
Majority			305	19.3
Turnout			864	c. 86.4
Registered electors			c. 1,000
	Whig gain from Nonpartisan
	Whig gain from Nonpartisan

See also

• 1984 Stafford by-election
• List of parliamentary constituencies in Staffordshire

Notes

1. A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

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. "'Stafford', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
3. "Chap. 23. Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885". The Public General Acts of the United Kingdom passed in the forty-eighth and forty-ninth years of the reign of Queen Victoria. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode. 1885. pp. 111–198.
4. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 8 West Midlands region.
5. Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
6. "Tamworth Parliamentary Borough 1275–1832". The Staffordshire Encyclopaedia. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
7. Wedgwood, Josiah C. (1917). Parliamentary History of Staffordshire, Volume I. William Salt Archaeological Society. p. 74.
8. "History of Parliament" . Retrieved 3 October 2011.
9. Cavill. The English Parliaments of Henry VII 1485-1504.
10. "History of Parliament" . Retrieved 3 October 2011.
11. STAFFORD, Henry (by 1520-55 or later), of Pickering, Yorks, The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558, ed. S.T. Bindoff, 1982
12. "History of Parliament" . Retrieved 3 October 2011.
13. Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London|| Thomas Hansard, 1808)
14. 1 2 Maija Jansson (ed.), Proceedings in Parliament, 1614 (House of Commons) (Philadelphia|| American Philosophical Society, 1988)
15. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 4)
16. Chetwynd was initially declared re-elected in 1710, but on petition (in a dispute over the franchise), he was adjudged not have been duly elected and his opponent, Vernon, was seated in his place. (Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (1807), Volume 1, p 177)
17. Elde's opponent, Chetwynd, petitioned against the 1724 result. Elde was "unanimously expelled the House for having offered to compromise the petition against his return", and Chetwynd was seated in his place. (Henry Stooks Smith, The Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847, Volume 2 (London: Simpkin, Marshall & Co, 1845), p 45)
18. Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. pp. 45–47.
19. Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. pp. 42, 54.
20. Mosse, Richard Bartholomew (1838). The Parliamentary Guide: a concise history of the Members of both Houses, etc. pp. 141, 147.
21. After Goodricke resigned to contest another constituency in May 1835, the House of Commons refused to issue a writ for a new election until February 1837, when the motion to issue a writ was passed by a single vote. (F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885, 2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989, p 283)
22. "Staffordshire Advertiser" . 24 July 1852. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
23. "Preparations for the General Election". The Spectator . 3 July 1852. p. 8. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
24. "Evening Mail" . 2 July 1852. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
25. The 1868 election was declared void on petition and a new election was held – F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885. (F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885, 2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989, p 283)
26. "Stafford Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
27. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
28. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
29. "BBC News | Election 2010 | Constituency | Stafford". news.bbc.co.uk.
30. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
31. "BBC NEWS | Election 2005 | Results | Stafford". news.bbc.co.uk.
32. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
33. "BBC NEWS | VOTE 2001 | RESULTS & CONSTITUENCIES | Stafford". news.bbc.co.uk.
34. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
35. "BBC 1997 general election Site".
36. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
37. "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
38. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
39. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
40. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
41. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
42. BOSANQUET, His Honour Sir Samuel Ronald Courthope', Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014 ; online edn, April 2014 accessed 20 Sept 2017
43. "The General Election". London Evening Standard . 4 July 1892. p. 3.
44. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN   978-1-349-02349-3.
45. "The Representation of Stafford" . Staffordshire Sentinel and Commercial & General Advertiser. 3 April 1880. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.
46. "Election News" . Dundee Courier . 17 May 1869. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
47. "The Representation of Stafford" . Staffordshire Advertiser. 22 May 1869. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
48. "Stafford Election Petition" . Manchester Times . 15 May 1869. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
49. "East Staffordshire Election" . Birmingham Journal . 14 November 1868. p. 2 – via British Newspaper Archive.
50. "Stafford" . Wolverhampton Chronicle and Staffordshire Advertiser. 27 April 1859. p. 11 – via British Newspaper Archive.
51. "Borough of Stafford" . Staffordshire Advertiser. 3 July 1852. pp. 1, 6–7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
52. "Public Dinner to John Bourne, Esq., One of the Candidates at the Late Election for the Borough of Stafford" . Staffordshire Advertiser. 17 July 1852. p. 1 – via British Newspaper Archive.
53. "To the Worthy and Independent Electors of the Borough of Stafford" . Staffordshire Advertiser. 7 August 1847. p. 1 – via British Newspaper Archive.
54. "Wolverhampton Chronicle and Staffordshire Advertiser" . 4 August 1847. p. 2 – via British Newspaper Archive.
55. "Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette" . 14 March 1846. p. 2 – via British Newspaper Archive.
56. Salmon, Philip. "Stafford". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 26 April 2020.

Sources

• Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN   0-900178-06-X.
• Britain Votes/Europe Votes By-Election Supplement 1983–, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Research Services 1985)
• Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807)
• D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
• Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808)
• Henry Stooks Smith, The Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847, Volume 2 (London: Simpkin, Marshall & Co, 1845) The Parliaments of England: From 1st George I., to the Present Time
• The History of Parliament: the House of Commons - Stafford, Borough, 1386 to 1832