Weaver Vale (UK Parliament constituency)

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Weaver Vale
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
WeaverVale2007Constituency.svg
Boundary of Weaver Vale in Cheshire
EnglandCheshire.svg
Location of Cheshire within England
County Cheshire
Electorate 70,129 (2018) [1]
Major settlements Northwich, Runcorn and Frodsham
19972024
SeatsOne
Created from Eddisbury, Tatton, Halton, and Warrington South
Replaced by Runcorn and Helsby, Mid Cheshire, Chester South and Eddisbury, and Tatton

Weaver Vale was a constituency [n 1] in Cheshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. [n 2]

Contents

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished at the 2024 general election. Just over half the seat became part of the new Runcorn and Helsby seat, with other areas moved to the new constituencies of Mid Cheshire and Chester South and Eddisbury, and a very small part joined the existing constituency of Tatton. [2]

Constituency profile

The constituency took its name from the River Weaver, which flows through the area, and much of the area was part of the former district of Vale Royal. The constituency covered the northern part of the Cheshire West and Chester unitary authority in Cheshire, including the towns of Northwich and Frodsham and the villages of Helsby and Weaverham. It also included part of the Borough of Halton, covering the eastern half of Runcorn.

The area has economic sectors as diverse as plastics and chemicals to construction. Other areas include telecommunications/bank communication centres, with in addition, a large national bakery and a supermarket distribution centre. Salt used to comprise a major mining industry of the area, much more of which is extracted today from large reserves in Northern Ireland. Workless claimants who were registered jobseekers were in November 2012 slightly higher than the national average of 3.8%, at 4.1% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian . This was, however, lower than the regional average of 4.4%. [3] Northwich and the wards from Halton are inclined to vote Labour, whereas Frodsham, Helsby and the smaller rural villages are more Conservative.

Creation

Weaver Vale was created for the 1997 general election from parts of Eddisbury, Tatton, Halton, and Warrington South, when the number of constituencies in Cheshire was increased from 10 to 11.

Boundaries

Weaver Vale (UK Parliament constituency)
Map of boundaries 2019-2024

1997–2010: The District of Vale Royal wards of Castle, Church, Forest, Frodsham East, Frodsham North West, Frodsham South, Gorst Wood, Hartford, Helsby Central, Helsby North, Helsby South and Alvanley Ward, Kingsley, Milton, Northwich, Weaver, Winnington, Witton North, and Witton South, and the Borough of Halton wards of Brookfields, Castlefields, Clough, Daresbury, Murdishaw, and Norton. [4]

Norton and Daresbury were transferred from Warrington South, with other parts of Halton coming from the constituency thereof. Frodsham, Helsby and Weaverham were transferred from Eddisbury and Northwich had previously been part of Tatton.

2010–2019: The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007 defined the boundaries as:

The Borough of Halton wards of Beechwood, Daresbury, Halton Lea, Norton North, Norton South, and Windmill Hill, and the Borough of Vale Royal wards of Forest, Frodsham North, Frodsham South, Hartford & Whitegate, Helsby, Kingsley, Leftwich & Kingsmead, Milton Weaver, Northwich Castle, Northwich Winnington, Northwich Witton, and Weaverham. [5]

Halton Borough ward of Castlefields transferred to Halton constituency. Other minor changes due to revision of ward boundaries.

However, before the new boundaries came into force for the 2010 election, the districts making up the county of Cheshire were abolished on 1 April 2009, being replaced by four unitary authorities. Consequently, the constituency's boundaries became:

The Cheshire West and Chester wards of Davenham & Moulton (part), Frodsham, Gowy (part), Hartford & Greenbank, Helsby, Kingsley, Weaver & Cuddington (part), Winsford Over & Verdin (part), Winnington & Castle, and Witton & Rudheath (part), and the Borough of Halton wards of Beechwood, Daresbury, Halton Lea, Norton North, Norton South, and Windmill Hill.

2019–2024: Following a further local government ward boundary review in 2019, the boundaries were:

The Cheshire West and Chester wards of Davenham, Moulton & Kingsmead (part), Frodsham, Hartford & Greenbank, Helsby, Marbury (part), Northwich Leftwich, Northwich Winnington & Castle, Northwich Witton, Rudheath (part), Sandstone (part), Weaver & Cuddington (part), and Winsford Over & Verdin (part), and the Borough of Halton wards of Beechwood, Daresbury, Halton Lea, Norton North, Norton South, and Windmill Hill. [6]

Abolition

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished prior to the 2024 general election, with its contents distributed to three new constituencies and one existing one: [2]

Political history

From the 1997 general election, the new seat was held by the Labour Party's Mike Hall, who had first entered Parliament in 1992 for Warrington South. Labour held the seat relatively easily in the succeeding two general elections. In February 2010 Hall announced that he was standing down at the 2010 election for health reasons. [7] Graham Evans (Conservative) gained the seat at the 2010 election on a swing of 8.15% with minor boundary changes mentioned likely affecting this swing.

Mike Amesbury, regained the seat for Labour at the 2017 general election and was returned with a reduced majority in 2019.

Weaver Vale was one of seven seats won (held or gained) by a Labour candidate in 2017 from a total of 11 covering its county. Amesbury's 2017 win was one of 30 net gains of the Labour Party, three of which came from the county Cheshire.

The seat was considered a marginal seat from 2010 onwards, as its winner's majority did not exceeded 7.8% of the vote in any of the four elections held from then onwards, and it changed hands twice in that time.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember [8] Party
1997 Mike Hall Labour
2010 Graham Evans Conservative
2017 Mike Amesbury Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Weaver Vale [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Mike Amesbury 22,772 44.9 ―6.6
Conservative Adam Wordsworth22,21043.8+0.1
Liberal Democrats Daniela Parker3,3006.5+3.3
Brexit Party Nicholas Goulding1,3802.7New
Green Paul Bowers1,0512.1+0.5
Majority5621.1―6.7
Turnout 50,71371.9―1.4
Labour hold Swing
General election 2017: Weaver Vale [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Mike Amesbury 26,066 51.5 +10.1
Conservative Graham Evans 22,13843.7+0.5
Liberal Democrats Paul Roberts1,6233.2+0.2
Green Chris Copeman7861.6―0.9
Majority3,9287.8N/A
Turnout 50,61373.3+4.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +4.25
General election 2015: Weaver Vale [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Graham Evans 20,227 43.2 +4.7
Labour Julia Tickridge19,42141.4+5.1
UKIP Amos Wright4,5479.7+7.4
Liberal Democrats Mary Di Mauro1,3953.0―15.6
Green Chris Copeman1,1832.5+1.7
TUSC Joseph Whyte940.2New
Majority8061.8―0.4
Turnout 46,86768.5+2.4
Conservative hold Swing
General election 2010: Weaver Vale [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Graham Evans 16,953 38.5 +6.9
Labour John Stockton15,96236.3―9.4
Liberal Democrats Peter Hampson8,19618.6―1.1
BNP Colin Marsh1,0632.4New
UKIP Paul Remfry1,0182.3―0.5
Green Howard Thorp3380.8New
Independent Mike Cooksley2700.6New
Independent Tom Reynolds1330.3New
Independent Will Charlton570.1New
Majority9912.2N/A
Turnout 43,99066.1+10.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +8.15

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Weaver Vale [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Mike Hall 18,759 47.6 ―4.9
Conservative Jonathan Mackie11,90430.2+2.3
Liberal Democrats Trevor Griffiths7,72319.6+5.2
UKIP Brenda Swinscoe1,0342.6+1.2
Majority6,85517.4―7.2
Turnout 39,42057.1―0.5
Labour hold Swing
General election 2001: Weaver Vale [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Mike Hall 20,611 52.5 ―3.9
Conservative Carl Cross10,97427.9―0.7
Liberal Democrats Trevor Griffiths5,64314.4+2.1
Independent Mike Cooksley1,4843.8New
UKIP Jim Bradshaw5591.4New
Majority9,63724.6―3.2
Turnout 39,27157.6―15.4
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Weaver Vale [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Mike Hall 27,244 56.4
Conservative James Byrne13,79628.6
Liberal Democrats Trevor Griffiths5,94912.3
Referendum Roger Cockfield1,3122.7
Majority13,44827.8
Turnout 48,30173.0
Labour win (new seat)

See also

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.

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References

  1. "England Parliamentary electorates 2010-2018". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  2. 1 2 "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – North West | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  3. Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  4. "Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995".
  5. "Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007".
  6. "Ellesmere Port and Neston: Seat, Ward and Prediction Details". Electoral Calculus. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  7. "BBC News – Weaver Vale MP Mike Hall steps down for health reasons". bbc.co.uk. 2 February 2010.
  8. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 2)
  9. "Statement of Persons Nominated 2019" (PDF).
  10. "Weaver Vale parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
  11. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

53°15′36″N2°31′52″W / 53.260°N 2.531°W / 53.260; -2.531