West Bromwich West (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

West Bromwich West
Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
WestBromwichWest2007Constituency.svg
Boundary of West Bromwich West in West Midlands
EnglandWestMidlandsCounty.svg
Location of West Midlands within England
County West Midlands
Electorate 65,249 (December 2010) [1]
Major settlements Tipton and Wednesbury
1974 (1974)–2024
SeatsOne
Created from West Bromwich
Replaced by Tipton and Wednesbury

West Bromwich West was a constituency [n 1] in the West Midlands in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was represented from 1974 until 2019 by members of the Labour Party, [n 2] and by the Conservatives from 2019 until 2024. [n 3]

Contents

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished at the 2024 general election, with most of the seat becoming part of the new Tipton and Wednesbury constituency, with the Oldbury and Tividale wards being transferred to the revived West Bromwich constituency, which is largely the successor to the abolished West Bromwich East.

In exchange the Friar Park and Hateley Heath wards from West Bromwich East, and the Coseley East ward from Wolverhampton South East, were transferred to the new Tipton and Wednesbury. [2]

Constituency profile

Wednesbury and Tipton are economic centres and historic towns with considerable suburbs, although overshadowed in the service sector by nearby Birmingham. Since the early recessions of the 1970s and early 1980s, West Bromwich West has suffered from an acute, persistently high levels of unemployment. During the Great Recession of 2008, unemployment peaked at 14.3%—only the nearby constituency of Birmingham Ladywood had higher unemployment rates in all of Britain. [3]

As of November 2012, unemployed social security claimants who were registered jobseekers were higher than the national average of 3.8%, standing at 8.1% of the local population. Based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian , this also exceeded the regional average of 4.7% of those of working age in receipt of this benefit, which is seen as the lower gauge of the breadth of unemployment. [4]

Boundaries

West Bromwich West (UK Parliament constituency)
Map of boundaries 1997-2024

West Bromwich West was one of four constituencies covering the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, covering its west and north-west. Its main settlements were the towns of Tipton and Wednesbury, alongside the villages or suburbs of Great Bridge, Princes End and Tividale.

1974–1983: The County Borough of West Bromwich wards of Greets Green, Hill Top, Horseley Heath, Lyng, Market, Tibbington, Tipton Green, and Wood Green.

1983–1997: The Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell wards of Great Bridge, Greets Green and Lyng, Princes End, Tipton Green, Wednesbury North, and Wednesbury South.

1997–2024: The Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell wards of Great Bridge, Oldbury, Princes End, Tipton Green, Tividale, Wednesbury North, and Wednesbury South.

Political history

The seat was held by either the Labour Party or one of its members as the Speaker of the House of Commons from its creation until December 2019.

From 1974 until 2000, this was the constituency of Betty Boothroyd, who was first elected for the former West Bromwich in its by-election in 1973 and became the first woman to be Speaker of the House of Commons in 1992. She retired as Speaker in 2000. [n 4] The ensuing by-election was won by the Labour Co-operative candidate Adrian Bailey, who held the seat until 2019. Shaun Bailey, the Conservative Party candidate in the 2019 general election, took the seat from Labour with a 50.5% vote share on an 11.7% swing. He became the first-ever Conservative member for the constituency.

At local level, Labour held most of the wards of the constituency. From 2008 until 2012, it was followed by the controversial British National Party, which had four councillors, ahead of the Conservatives with three. This came after a fairly strong BNP showing in the 2005 general election, when it received nearly 10% of the vote.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember [5] Party
Feb 1974 Betty Boothroyd Labour
1992 Speaker
2000 by-election Adrian Bailey Labour Co-op
2019 Shaun Bailey Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: West Bromwich West [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Shaun Bailey 17,419 50.5 +10.8
Labour James Cunningham13,62039.5–12.6
Brexit Party Franco D'Aulerio1,8415.3New
Liberal Democrats Flo Clucas9152.7+1.8
Green Keir Williams6641.9+1.0
Majority 3,79911.0N/A
Turnout 34,45953.4–1.3
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +11.7
General election 2017: West Bromwich West [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Co-op Adrian Bailey 18,789 52.1 +4.8
Conservative Andrew Hardie14,32939.7+15.8
UKIP Star Anderton2,3206.4–18.8
Liberal Democrats Flo Clucas3330.9–0.7
Green Robert Buckman3230.9–1.1
Majority 4,46012.4–9.7
Turnout 36,09454.7
Labour hold Swing –5.6
General election 2015: West Bromwich West [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Co-op Adrian Bailey 16,578 47.3 +2.3
UKIP Graham Eardley8,83625.2+20.9
Conservative Paul Ratner8,36523.9–5.4
Green Mark Redding6972.0New
Liberal Democrats Karen Trench5501.6–10.4
Majority 7,74222.1+5.4
Turnout 35,026
Labour hold Swing –9.3
General election 2010: West Bromwich West [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Co-op Adrian Bailey 16,263 45.0 –8.7
Conservative Andrew Hardie10,61229.3+6.6
Liberal Democrats Sadie Smith4,33612.0+1.8
BNP Russ Green3,3949.4–0.5
UKIP Malcolm Ford1,5664.3+1.8
Majority 5,65115.7–15.9
Turnout 36,17155.6+4.0
Labour hold Swing –7.6

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: West Bromwich West [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Co-op Adrian Bailey 18,951 54.3 –6.5
Conservative Mimi Harker8,05723.1–2.0
Liberal Democrats Martyn Smith3,58310.3+3.5
BNP James Lloyd3,4569.9+5.4
UKIP Kevin Walker8702.5+0.9
Majority 10,89431.2–4.5
Turnout 34,91752.3+4.6
Labour hold Swing –2.3
General election 2001: West Bromwich West [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Co-op Adrian Bailey 19,352 60.8 N/A
Conservative Karen Bissell7,99725.1N/A
Liberal Democrats Sadie Smith2,1686.8N/A
BNP John Salvage1,4284.5N/A
UKIP Kevin Walker4991.6N/A
Socialist Labour Baghwant Singh3961.2New
Majority 11,35535.7N/A
Turnout 31,84047.7–6.7
Labour gain from Speaker Swing
2000 West Bromwich West by-election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Co-op Adrian Bailey 9,460 50.6 N/A
Conservative Karen Bissell6,40834.3New
Liberal Democrats Sadie Smith1,7919.6New
BNP Nick Griffin 7944.2New
UKIP Jonathan Oakton2461.3New
Majority 3,05216.3N/A
Turnout 18,59927.3−27.1
Labour gain from Speaker Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: West Bromwich West [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Speaker Betty Boothroyd 123,969 65.3 +10.5
Independent Labour Richard Silvester8,54623.3New
National Democrats Steven Edwards4,18111.4New
Majority 15,42342.0+22.7
Turnout 36,69654.4−16.0
Speaker hold Swing

1Boothroyd stood as "The Speaker seeking re-election."

General election 1992: West Bromwich West [13] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Betty Boothroyd 22,251 54.8 +4.3
Conservative Desmond Swayne 14,42135.5–1.7
Liberal Democrats Sarah Broadbent3,9259.7–2.7
Majority 7,83019.3+6.0
Turnout 40,59770.4+3.4
Labour hold Swing +3.0

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: West Bromwich West [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Betty Boothroyd 19,925 50.5 −0.2
Conservative Francis Betteridge14,67237.2+4.3
SDP Anthony Collingbourne4,87712.4−4.0
Majority 5,25313.3−4.5
Turnout 39,47467.0+3.2
Labour hold Swing -2.2
General election 1983: West Bromwich West [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Betty Boothroyd 18,896 50.7 −9.6
Conservative David Harman12,25732.9−3.4
SDP Anthony Collingbourne6,09416.4New
Majority 6,63917.8−6.2
Turnout 37,24763.8−3.3
Labour hold Swing -3.1

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: West Bromwich West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Betty Boothroyd 23,791 60.3 −1.9
Conservative D Harrison14,32336.3+13.5
National Front R Churms1,3513.4−2.0
Majority 9,46824.0−15.4
Turnout 39,46567.1+4.3
Labour hold Swing -7.7
General election October 1974: West Bromwich West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Betty Boothroyd 23,336 62.2 −0.7
Conservative N Bridges-Adams8,53722.8−6.5
Liberal DJ Corney3,6199.7New
National Front R Churms2,0225.4−2.4
Majority 14,79939.4+5.8
Turnout 37,51462.8−4.7
Labour hold Swing +2.9
General election February 1974: West Bromwich West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Betty Boothroyd 25,112 62.9
Conservative PM Smith11,68129.3
National Front G Bowen3,1077.8
Majority 13,43133.6
Turnout 39,90067.5
Labour win (new seat)

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ↑ Including Betty Boothroyd, who held the seat as Speaker from 1992 to 2000 with no party affiliation in the Commons, but who remained a member of the Labour Party throughout that period.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ She was elevated to the House of Lords as Baroness Boothroyd of Sandwell.

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. ↑ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – West Midlands | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  3. ↑ "Virgin Media - Official Site". Virgin Media.
  4. ↑ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  5. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 2)
  6. ↑ "West Bromwich West Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  7. ↑ "BBC Constituency Results 2017". BBC. Archived from the original on 9 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  8. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  9. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  12. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. ↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ↑ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  15. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Constituency represented by the speaker
1992–2000		Succeeded by

52°32′N2°03′W / 52.53°N 2.05°W / 52.53; -2.05

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