The Wrekin (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

The Wrekin
County constituency
for the House of Commons
The Wrekin (UK Parliament constituency)
Boundaries since 2024
West Midlands - The Wrekin constituency.svg
Boundary of The Wrekin in West Midlands region
County Shropshire
Electorate 66,111 (December 2010) [1]
Major settlements Albrighton, Cosford, Newport, Shifnal, Wellington
Current constituency
Created 1918
Member of Parliament Mark Pritchard (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created from Wellington, Newport and Ludlow

The Wrekin is a constituency [n 1] in the House of Commons of the British Parliament, located in the county of Shropshire in the West Midlands of England. It has existed continuously since its creation by the Representation of the People Act 1918, and is named after a prominent landmark hill in the area, The Wrekin. It has been represented by the Labour and Conservative parties since the 1920s, a post held since 2005 by Conservative MP Mark Pritchard. [n 2]

Contents

Boundaries and boundary changes

1918–1950: The Borough of Wenlock, the Urban Districts of Dawley, Newport, Oakengates, and Wellington, and the Rural Districts of Newport, Shifnal, and Wellington.

When originally constituted, the constituency, with a population of 71,352, was the largest division of Shropshire created in the 1918 boundary changes. [2]

1950–1983: The Urban Districts of Dawley, Newport, Oakengates, and Wellington, and the Rural Districts of Shifnal and Wellington.

1983–1997: The District of The Wrekin wards of Arleston, Brookside, College, Cuckoo Oak, Dawley Magna, Donnington, Donnington Wood, Dothill, Ercall, Hadley, Haygate, Hollinswood/Randlay, Ironbridge (The Gorge), Ketley, Ketley Bank, Langley, Lawley, Leegomery, Lilleshall, Madeley, Malinslee, Park, Priorslee, Stirchley, Wombridge, Woodside, Wrockwardine, and Wrockwardine Wood.

In the Third Periodical Review of the Boundary Commission, which took effect for the 1983 general election, the constituency was redefined after major local government changes. This redefinition resulted in approximately one quarter of the electorate being removed to North Shropshire (Newport) and Ludlow (Shifnal). [3]

1997–2010: The District of The Wrekin wards of Arleston, Church Aston, College, Donnington, Donnington Wood, Dothill and Park, Edgmond, Ercall, Ercall Magna, Hadley, Haygate, Ketley, Leegomery, Lilleshall, Newport East, Newport North, Newport West, and Wrockwardine, and the District of Bridgnorth wards of Albrighton, Idsall, Manor, and Sheriffhales.

Parliament approved major boundary changes which took effect at the 1997 general election, which created a new constituency containing and named after the town of Telford, before which Telford had been one of the largest elements of The Wrekin. The new Telford constituency took 62.9% of the electorate of The Wrekin leaving the remaining 37.1% to constitute a revised constituency of The Wrekin that incorporated areas previously within North Shropshire and Ludlow (mainly comprising areas which had previously been in the constituency prior to 1983). [4]

2010–2024: The Borough of Telford and Wrekin wards of Apley Castle, Arleston, Church Aston and Lilleshall, College, Donnington, Dothill, Edgmond, Ercall, Ercall Magna, Hadley and Leegomery, Haygate, Muxton, Newport East, Newport North, Newport South, Newport West, Park, Shawbirch, and Wrockwardine, and the District of Bridgnorth wards of Albrighton South, Donington and Albrighton North, Shifnal Idsall, Shifnal Manor, and Shifnal Rural.

Boundary changes to realign the constituency boundaries to fit with the borough's most recent ward revisions resulted in the removal of Ketley to the constituency of Telford for the 2010 general election. [5]

2024–present: Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies (based on local authority wards in place on 1 December 2020) and taking into account a further local government boundary review in the Borough of Telford and Wrekin which came into effect in May 2023, [6] [7] the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:

The electoral divisions of Hodnet and Cheswardine were added from the North Shropshire constituency and there was a small adjustment in the Telford and Wrekin Borough.

In its initial proposals, the boundary commission put forward the new name for the constituency of "Wellington and Newport"; this met with opposition locally and was dropped in the revised proposals. [9]

The area almost encircles Telford, a 'New Town', encompassing much of the rural parts of the Telford and Wrekin borough, in which most of the constituency is. Its major settlements include: Wellington, Newport and Shifnal, as well as the suburban northern reaches of Telford (including Donnington). A small but significant area relates to the former Bridgnorth local government district (now part of the unitary Shropshire) and contains RAF Cosford and a number of commuter villages along the M54 motorway: the civil parishes of Sheriffhales, Shifnal, Tong, Boscobel, Albrighton, Donington and Boningale make up the non-Telford and The Wrekin-administered portion.

Constituency Profile

The constituency is in the east of Shropshire, specifically around The Wrekin hill, therefore in undulating country within fast road (and some rail) commuters' reach of the West Midlands, Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent.

Unemployment claimants were in November 2012 lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 3.1% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian . [10]

History

Political history

The seat saw a first winning candidate from the Labour Party relatively early in its history, in 1923. The seat alternated between the two largest modern parties eight times between 1923 and 1979.

In more recent history, reflecting the growing population of Telford and the rich iron smelting, railway and mining industries as major historic employers in the area, the seat was more Labour-leaning than the national average but still marginal, being represented by a Conservative for the first eight years of the Thatcher ministry and then (from 1987) returning a Labour member, who was moved to a new Telford seat in 1997, and another Labour member until 2005, followed by the present Conservative who was elected that year. The Conservative majority at the 2024 election was 883 votes.

Most prominent members in Parliament

Gerald Fowler (Labour) reached the frontbenches of government as the Minister for Education and Science from 1969 to 1970, again in 1974 and 1976 and as Minister for the Privy Council Office from 1974 to 1976.

Anthony Trafford (Conservative) went on after serving as MP to serve as a health minister, from the House of Lords in 1989.

Bruce Grocott (Labour) went on, after serving as MP for the newly created neighbouring seat from 1997 to 2001, to serve as the Government's Chief Whip in the House of Lords for six years.

Members of Parliament

YearMember [11] WhipNotes
1918 Sir Charles Henry Coalition Liberal MP for Wellington to 1918
Feb 1920 Charles Palmer Independent Unionist
1920 Independent Parliamentary Group
Nov 1920 Sir Charles Townshend Independent Parliamentary Group
1922 Howard Stransom Button Unionist
1923 Henry Nixon Labour
1924 Thomas Oakley Unionist
1929 Edith Picton-Turbervill Labour
1931 James Baldwin-Webb Conservative
1941 Arthur Colegate Conservative MP for Burton 1950–55
1945 Ivor Owen Thomas Labour
1955 William Yates Conservative MP for Holt in the Australian House of Representatives 1975–80
1966 Gerald Fowler Labour
1970 Anthony Trafford Conservative
1974 Gerald Fowler Labour
1979 Warren Hawksley Conservative MP for Halesowen and Stourbridge 1992–97
1987 Bruce Grocott Labour MP for Telford 1997–2001
1997 Peter Bradley Labour
2005 Mark Pritchard Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: The Wrekin [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mark Pritchard 16,320 32.6 −32.1
Labour Roh Yakobi15,43730.9+6.6
Reform UK Richard Leppington9,92019.8New
Liberal Democrats Anthony Lowe4,7579.5+1.5
Green Patrick McCarthy3,0286.1+3.2
Independent Chris Shipley5581.1New
Majority 8831.8−36.5
Turnout 50,02063.4−5.5
Registered electors 78,942
Conservative hold Swing −19.4

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: The Wrekin [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mark Pritchard 31,029 63.5 +8.1
Labour Dylan Harrison12,30325.2−10.9
Liberal Democrats Thomas Janke4,0678.3+5.6
Green Tim Dawes1,4913.0+1.4
Majority 18,72638.3+19.0
Turnout 48,89069.2−3.0
Conservative hold Swing +9.5
General election 2017: The Wrekin [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mark Pritchard 27,451 55.4 +5.7
Labour Dylan Harrison17,88736.1+10.1
UKIP Denis Allen1,6563.3−13.5
Liberal Democrats Rod Keyes1,3452.7−1.6
Green Pat McCarthy8041.6− 1.6
Independent Fay Easton3800.8New
Majority 9,56419.3−4.4
Turnout 49,52372.2+3.3
Conservative hold Swing −2.2
General election 2015: The Wrekin [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mark Pritchard 22,579 49.7 +2.0
Labour Katrina Gilman11,83626.0−1.1
UKIP Jill Seymour 7,62016.8+12.3
Liberal Democrats Rod Keyes1,9594.3−13.1
Green Cath Edwards [16] 1,4433.2New
Majority 10,74323.7+3.1
Turnout 45,43768.9−1.2
Conservative hold Swing +1.55
General election 2010: The Wrekin [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mark Pritchard 21,922 47.7 +5.6
Labour Co-op Paul Kalinauckas12,47227.1−12.4
Liberal Democrats Alyson Cameron-Daw8,01917.4+2.4
UKIP Malcolm Hurst2,0504.5+0.9
BNP Susan Harwood1,5053.3New
Majority 9,45020.6+18.6
Turnout 45,96870.1+3.1
Conservative hold Swing +8.9

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: The Wrekin [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Mark Pritchard 18,899 41.9 +3.5
Labour Peter Bradley 17,95739.9−7.2
Liberal Democrats Bill Tomlinson6,60814.7+3.3
UKIP Bruce Lawson1,5903.5+0.4
Majority 9422.0N/A
Turnout 45,05467.0+3.9
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +5.4
General election 2001: The Wrekin [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Peter Bradley 19,532 47.1 +0.2
Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg 15,94538.4−1.8
Liberal Democrats Ian Jenkins4,73811.4−1.4
UKIP Denis Brookes1,2753.1New
Majority 3,5878.7+2.0
Turnout 41,49063.1−13.5
Labour hold Swing +0.95

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: The Wrekin [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Peter Bradley 21,243 46.9
Conservative Peter Bruinvels 18,21840.2
Liberal Democrats Ian Jenkins5,80712.8
Majority 3,0256.7N/A
Turnout 45,26876.6
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Note: although The Wrekin was a Labour-held seat in the previous Parliament, boundary changes removed many Labour-leaning areas that now fall in the neighbouring seat of Telford, which Bruce Grocott decided to contest in 1997 instead of the new Wrekin seat. These changes made it notionally a Conservative seat, hence this is a gain rather than a hold.

General election 1992: The Wrekin [21]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Bruce Grocott 33,865 48.3 +5.5
Conservative Elizabeth Holt27,21738.8−1.8
Liberal Democrats Anthony West8,03211.5−5.1
Green Robert Saunders1,0081.4New
Majority 6,6489.5+7.3
Turnout 70,12277.1−1.2
Labour hold Swing +3.6

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: The Wrekin [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Bruce Grocott 27,681 42.8 +6.1
Conservative Warren Hawksley 26,22540.6+1.6
SDP George Cook10,73716.6−7.8
Majority 1,4562.2N/A
Turnout 64,64378.3+2.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +2.3
General election 1983: The Wrekin [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Warren Hawksley 22,710 39.0 −6.6
Labour Bruce Grocott 21,37936.7−7.5
SDP Mark Biltcliffe14,20824.4New
Majority 1,3312.3+0.9
Turnout 58,29775.5−2.9
Conservative hold Swing +0.45

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: The Wrekin
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Warren Hawksley 32,672 45.6 +7.8
Labour Gerald Fowler 31,70744.2−4.5
Liberal R. Yarnell7,33110.2−3.3
Majority 9651.4N/A
Turnout 71,71078.4+3.9
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election October 1974: The Wrekin
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Gerald Fowler 30,385 48.7 +2.4
Conservative Philip Banks23,54737.8+1.4
Liberal Wally Dewsnip8,44213.5−3.8
Majority 6,83810.9+1.0
Turnout 62,37474.5−6.3
Labour hold Swing
General election February 1974: The Wrekin
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Gerald Fowler 30,642 46.3 −3.2
Conservative Anthony Trafford 24,12136.4−14.1
Liberal Ian George Powney11,48717.3New
Majority 6,5219.9N/A
Turnout 66,25080.8+2.0
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General election 1970: The Wrekin
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Anthony Trafford 26,282 50.5 +1.4
Labour Gerald Fowler 25,76449.5−1.4
Majority 5181.0N/A
Turnout 52,04678.8−2.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: The Wrekin
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Gerald Fowler 23,692 50.9 +8.2
Conservative William Yates 22,84649.1+0.4
Majority 8461.8N/A
Turnout 46,53881.3−0.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General election 1964: The Wrekin
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative William Yates 21,765 48.7 −4.9
Labour Donald Bruce 19,07842.7−3.7
Liberal John Nicholas Davies3,8398.6New
Majority 2,6876.0−1.2
Turnout 44,68282.0−2.2
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: The Wrekin
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative William Yates 22,030 53.6 +3.0
Labour Donald Bruce 19,05246.4−3.0
Majority 2,9787.2+6.0
Turnout 41,08284.20+4.1
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: The Wrekin
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative William Yates 19,019 50.6 +3.9
Labour Ivor Owen Thomas 18,54149.4−3.0
Majority 4781.2N/A
Turnout 37,56080.1−3.0
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election 1951: The Wrekin
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Ivor Owen Thomas 20,109 52.4 −1.3
Conservative John Cordle 18,30546.7+0.4
Majority 1,8044.7−2.7
Turnout 38,41483.1+1.8
Labour hold Swing
General election 1950: The Wrekin
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Ivor Owen Thomas 19,730 53.7 −2.6
Conservative F.G. Bibbings17,03946.3+2.6
Majority 2,6917.4−5.2
Turnout 36,76981.3+9.0
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: The Wrekin
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Ivor Owen Thomas 22,453 56.3 +14.2
Conservative Arthur Colegate 17,42243.7−14.2
Majority 5,03112.6N/A
Turnout 39,87572.3−6.2
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
1941 The Wrekin by-election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Arthur Colegate 9,946 53.2 −4.7
Ind. Conservative Noel Pemberton Billing 7,12138.1New
Independent Arthur Patrick Kennedy1,6388.8New
Majority 2,82515.1−0.7
Turnout 18,705
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

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 from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1935: The Wrekin
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative James Baldwin-Webb 20,665 57.9 −3.2
Labour Geoffrey Garratt 15,04042.1+3.2
Majority 5,62515.8−6.4
Turnout 35,70578.5−4.7
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1931: The Wrekin
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative James Baldwin-Webb 22,258 61.1 +25.5
Labour Edith Picton-Turbervill 14,16238.9−4.5
Majority 8,09622.2N/A
Turnout 36,42083.2+6.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: The Wrekin [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Edith Picton-Turbervill 14,569 44.4 Steady2.svg0.0
Unionist Thomas Oakley 11,70735.6Decrease2.svg 20.1
Liberal W. E. Boyes6,57520.0New
Majority 2,8628.8N/A
Turnout 32,85176.7Increase2.svg 2.5
Registered electors 42,823
Labour gain from Unionist Swing Increase2.svg 10.1
General election 1924: The Wrekin [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Thomas Oakley 14,003 55.7 Increase2.svg 8.9
Labour Henry Nixon 11,13244.4Decrease2.svg 8.8
Majority 2,87111.3N/A
Turnout 25,13574.2Increase2.svg 8.2
Registered electors 33,866
Unionist gain from Labour Swing Increase2.svg 2.5
General election 1923: The Wrekin [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Henry Nixon 11,657 53.2 Increase2.svg 5.6
Unionist Arthur Nicholas Fielden10,27446.8Decrease2.svg 5.6
Majority 1,3836.4N/A
Turnout 21,93166.0Decrease2.svg 1.8
Registered electors 33,253
Labour gain from Unionist Swing Increase2.svg 5.6
General election 1922: The Wrekin [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Unionist Howard Button 11,652 52.4 New
Labour Richard Edward Jones10,60347.6N/A
Majority 1,0494.8N/A
Turnout 22,25567.8N/A
Registered electors 32,844
Unionist gain from Ind. Parliamentary Group Swing N/A
Townshend Mesopotamian campaign General Townshend.png
Townshend
The Wrekin by-election, November 1920 [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Ind. Parliamentary Group Charles Townshend 14,565 57.9 Increase2.svg 17.2
Labour Charles Duncan 10,60042.1Increase2.svg 3.7
Majority 3,96515.8Increase2.svg 13.5
Turnout 25,16578.3Increase2.svg 7.3
Registered electors 32,053
Ind. Parliamentary Group hold Swing Steady2.svg
The Wrekin by-election, February 1920 [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Ind. Parliamentary Group Charles Palmer 9,267 40.7 New
Labour Charles Duncan 8,72938.4New
C Liberal John Bayley4,75020.9N/A
Majority 5382.3N/A
Turnout 22,74671.0N/A
Ind. Parliamentary Group gain from Liberal Swing N/A
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1910s

Henry Charles Henry.jpg
Henry
General election 1918: The Wrekin [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
C Liberal Charles Henry Unopposed
Liberal win (new seat)
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ↑ As with all British constituencies, it 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. ↑ "31. County of Salop" in "Report of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission (England and Wales)" Cd. 8756.
  3. ↑ "BBC/ITN Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies", 1983, p. 143, 230.
  4. ↑ "Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies", BBC/ITN/PA News/Sky, 1995, p. 181, 267.
  5. ↑ "2010 post-revision map non-metropolitan areas and unitary authorities of England" (PDF).
  6. ↑ LGBCE. "Telford and Wrekin | LGBCE". lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  7. ↑ "The Telford & Wrekin (Electoral Changes) Order 2022".
  8. ↑ "New Seat Details – Wrekin, The". electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  9. ↑ "MP in campaign to save landmark boundary name". Shropshire Star. 16 June 2021. p. 2. Report by Lisa O'Brien. Mark Pritchard being the MP indicated by the headline.
  10. ↑ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  11. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 5)
  12. ↑ "The Wrekin". BBC News. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  13. ↑ "Wrekin, The Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  14. ↑ "Shrewsbury & Atcham Parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
  15. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "Telford & Wrekin Green Party – People". greenparty.org.uk.
  17. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  18. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  22. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  23. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  24. 1 2 3 British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  25. 1 2 The Constitutional Year Book, 1929
  26. ↑ The Constitutional Year Book, 1925
  27. ↑ Debretts House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1922

52°45′18″N2°27′54″W / 52.755°N 2.465°W / 52.755; -2.465

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