West Worcestershire | |
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County constituency for the House of Commons | |
![]() Boundaries since 2010 | |
![]() Boundary of West Worcestershire in West Midlands region | |
County | Worcestershire |
Electorate | 73,001 (December 2010) [1] |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1997 |
Member of Parliament | Harriett Baldwin (Conservative) |
Seats | One |
Created from | South Worcestershire, Leominster |
1832–1885 | |
Seats | Two |
Type of constituency | County constituency |
Created from | Worcestershire |
Replaced by | Bewdley, Droitwich, Evesham, East Worcestershire and North Worcestershire |
West Worcestershire is a constituency [n 1] in Worcestershire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Harriett Baldwin, a Conservative. [n 2] The constituency is considered a safe seat for the Conservatives, having been a marginal with the Liberal Democrats from 1997 to 2010. The constituency boundaries roughly correspond with the Malvern Hills District.
West Worcestershire stretches from the Gloucestershire border in the south almost to Shropshire in the north, taking in Pershore and Bredon Hill in its eastern side. Its other major towns are Malvern in the west and Upton-upon-Severn in the centre.
Boundary changes for 2010, the fifth modern review nationwide, added an area including Tenbury Wells to the seat (formerly in the Leominster constituency) and lost the small shared part of the Fladbury ward to the Mid Worcestershire seat. [2]
1832–1885: The Petty Sessional Divisions of Upton, Worcester, Hundred House and Kidderminster, and the City and County of the City of Worcester. [3]
1997–2010: The District of Malvern Hills wards of Baldwin, Broadheath, Chase, Hallow, Kempsey, Langland, Laugherne Hill, Leigh and Bransford, Link, Longdon, Martley, Morton, Powick, Priory, Ripple, Temeside, The Hanleys, Trinity, Upton-on-Severn, Wells, West, and Woodbury, and the District of Wychavon wards of Bredon, Eckington, Elmley Castle, Pershore Holy Cross, Pershore St Andrew's, Somerville, and South Bredon Hill.
2010–present: The District of Malvern Hills, and the District of Wychavon wards of: Bredon; Bredon Hill; Broadway, Sedgeberrow & Childswickham (small part); Eckington; Pershore; [4] (before 2023 local government boundary review in the District of Wychavon: The District of Malvern Hills, and the District of Wychavon wards of Bredon, Eckington, Elmley Castle and Somerville, Pershore, and South Bredon Hill.).
Despite change of wards boundaries constituency retained 2010 boundaries.
The constituency boundaries roughly correspond with the Malvern Hills District. The seat is known for its hilly landscape: with products such as regional speciality cheeses, drinks and mineral water, a major economic sector is tourism and leisure. However, the principal industries are in agriculture; food; chemicals; distribution; waste and mineral processing; printing and publishing; and transport and retail.
Workless claimants who were registered jobseekers were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 2.1% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian . [5]
West Worcestershire formally, the Western division of Worcestershire, was created the first time for the 1832 general election, by the Reform Act 1832 which radically changed the boundaries of many British parliamentary constituencies. It was created by the division of the old Worcestershire constituency (which had existed since 1290) into two new two-member constituencies: West Worcestershire and East Worcestershire.
During this first creation, three members of the Lygon family, the Earls Beauchamp (pronounced Beecham) represented the constituency - their large country estate in the county had its seat at Madresfield Court near the heart of Madresfield village.
The constituency then existed, basically unchanged, until its abolition by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election, when the constituency's territory was variously incorporated into the seats of Bewdley, Droitwich, Evesham, East Worcestershire and North Worcestershire.
The seat was created on Parliament's approval for the 1997 general election of the Boundary Commission's fourth periodic review (following the first such review in 1945, which in turn followed that of the Representation of the People Act 1918.
In the four elections to date the seat has alternated between Conservative majorities that were quite marginal (7.8% and 5.3%) and those that were greater than 10%, at 12% and 12.7%, close to average in terms of security for any of the three largest parties. As never having had a majority that exceeded 15% of the vote (in this modern creation) and having had the two marginal majorities to date, the seat cannot be classified as safe. After the 2015 UK general election, this marginal profile between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats drastically changed after the Liberal Democrats' share of the vote fell markedly, leaving West Worcestershire as a safe Conservative seat since, with the Conservatives easily achieving 50% of the vote share each election. The seat was broadly in line with the UK average in the 2016 referendum on the UK's status with the EU, with an estimated 52 to 53% voting to Leave. [6]
Election | 1st Member [7] | 1st Party | 2nd Member [7] | 2nd Party | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1832 | Hon. Henry Lygon [n 3] | Tory [8] | Hon. Thomas Foley | Whig [8] | ||
1833 by-election | Henry Winnington | Whig [8] [9] | ||||
1834 | Conservative [8] | |||||
1841 | Frederick Knight | Conservative [8] | ||||
1853 by-election | The Viscount Elmley [n 4] | Conservative | ||||
1863 by-election | Hon. Frederick Lygon | Conservative | ||||
1866 by-election | William Dowdeswell | Conservative | ||||
1876 by-election | Sir Edmund Lechmere, Bt | Conservative | ||||
1885 | constituency abolished |
South Worcestershire prior to 1997
Election | Member [7] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | Sir Michael Spicer | Conservative | |
2010 | Harriett Baldwin | Conservative |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Harriett Baldwin | 19,783 | 36.2 | –24.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | Dan Boatright | 13,236 | 24.2 | +6.1 | |
Labour | Kash Haroon | 8,335 | 15.2 | –1.3 | |
Reform UK | Christopher Edmondson | 7,902 | 14.4 | +14.4 | |
Green | Natalie McVey | 5,068 | 9.3 | +4.5 | |
Party of Women | Seonaid Barber | 363 | 0.7 | +0.7 | |
Majority | 6,547 | 12.0 | –30.6 | ||
Turnout | 54,687 | 69.0 | –6.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -15.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Harriett Baldwin | 34,909 | 60.7 | –0.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Beverley Nielsen | 10,410 | 18.1 | +8.7 | |
Labour | Samantha Charles | 9,496 | 16.5 | –7.2 | |
Green | Martin Allen | 2,715 | 4.7 | +1.9 | |
Majority | 24,499 | 42.6 | +4.8 | ||
Turnout | 57,530 | 75.4 | –0.5 | ||
Registered electors | 76,267 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Harriett Baldwin | 34,703 | 61.5 | +5.4 | |
Labour | Samantha Charles | 13,375 | 23.7 | +10.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Edward McMillan-Scott | 5,307 | 9.4 | –0.3 | |
Green | Natalie McVey | 1,605 | 2.8 | –3.7 | |
UKIP | Mike Savage | 1,481 | 2.6 | –11.8 | |
Majority | 21,328 | 37.8 | –3.9 | ||
Turnout | 56,471 | 75.9 | +2.2 | ||
Registered electors | |||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Harriett Baldwin | 30,342 | 56.1 | +5.7 | |
UKIP | Richard Chamings [16] | 7,764 | 14.4 | +10.5 | |
Labour | Daniel Walton | 7,244 | 13.4 | +6.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Dennis Wharton | 5,245 | 9.7 | –28.0 | |
Green | Julian Roskams | 3,505 | 6.5 | +5.3 | |
Majority | 22,578 | 41.7 | +29.0 | ||
Turnout | 54,100 | 73.7 | 0.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Harriett Baldwin | 27,213 | 50.4 | +5.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Richard Burt | 20,459 | 37.7 | –1.2 | |
Labour | Penelope Barber | 3,661 | 6.8 | –3.7 | |
UKIP | Caroline Bovey | 2,119 | 3.9 | +0.7 | |
Green | Malcolm Victory | 641 | 1.2 | –1.2 | |
Majority | 6,754 | 12.7 | +6.7 | ||
Turnout | 53,993 | 73.7 | +3.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +3.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Michael Spicer | 20,959 | 44.5 | –1.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | Tom Wells | 18,484 | 39.3 | +5.3 | |
Labour | Qamar Bhatti | 4,945 | 10.5 | –3.5 | |
UKIP | Caroline Bovey | 1,590 | 3.4 | –0.1 | |
Green | Malcolm Victory | 1,099 | 2.3 | –0.2 | |
Majority | 2,475 | 5.2 | –6.8 | ||
Turnout | 47,077 | 70.3 | +3.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | –3.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Michael Spicer | 20,597 | 46.0 | +1.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Michael Hadley | 15,223 | 34.0 | –3.2 | |
Labour | Waquar Azmi | 6,275 | 14.0 | –1.7 | |
UKIP | Ian Morris | 1,574 | 3.5 | New | |
Green | Malcolm Victory | 1,138 | 2.5 | +0.5 | |
Majority | 5,374 | 12.0 | +4.2 | ||
Turnout | 44,807 | 67.1 | –9.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Michael Spicer | 22,223 | 45.0 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Michael Hadley | 18,377 | 37.2 | ||
Labour | Neil Stone | 7,738 | 15.7 | ||
Green | Sue Cameron | 1,006 | 2.0 | ||
Majority | 3,846 | 7.8 | |||
Turnout | 49,344 | 76.3 | |||
Conservative win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edmund Lechmere | 2,975 | 41.8 | +0.3 | |
Conservative | Frederick Knight | 2,913 | 40.9 | +4.4 | |
Independent Liberal | Henry Richard Willis [23] [24] | 1,231 | 17.3 | New | |
Majority | 1,682 | 23.6 | +9.1 | ||
Turnout | 4,175 (est) | 60.0 (est) | −9.2 | ||
Registered electors | 6,962 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Edmund Lechmere | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | William Dowdeswell | 2,910 | 41.5 | N/A | |
Conservative | Frederick Knight | 2,554 | 36.5 | N/A | |
Liberal | George Hastings | 1,540 | 22.0 | New | |
Majority | 1,014 | 14.5 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 4,272 (est) | 69.2 (est) | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 6,177 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | William Dowdeswell | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Frederick Knight | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 6,311 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | William Dowdeswell | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Frederick Lygon | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Frederick Knight | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 5,221 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Frederick Lygon | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Henry Lygon | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Frederick Knight | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 3,910 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Henry Lygon | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Frederick Knight | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 4,015 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Henry Lygon | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Henry Lygon | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Frederick Knight | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 4,135 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Henry Lygon | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Frederick Knight | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 4,357 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Henry Lygon | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Frederick Knight | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 4,577 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative gain from Whig |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Henry Lygon | Unopposed | |||
Whig | Henry Winnington | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 4,654 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Whig hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Henry Lygon | 1,945 | 34.4 | ||
Whig | Henry Winnington | 1,938 | 34.3 | ||
Conservative | John Pakington | 1,773 | 31.3 | ||
Turnout | 3,617 | 87.6 | |||
Registered electors | 4,127 | ||||
Majority | 7 | 0.1 | |||
Conservative hold | |||||
Majority | 165 | 3.0 | |||
Whig hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Henry Winnington | 1,369 | 51.7 | ||
Tory | John Pakington | 1,278 | 48.3 | ||
Majority | 91 | 3.4 | |||
Turnout | 2,647 | 84.8 | |||
Registered electors | 3,122 | ||||
Whig hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tory | Henry Lygon | Unopposed | |||
Whig | Thomas Foley | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 3,122 | ||||
Tory win (new seat) | |||||
Whig win (new seat) |
Wychavon is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. The largest towns are Evesham and Droitwich Spa; the council is based in the town of Pershore. The district also includes numerous villages and surrounding rural areas, and includes part of the Cotswolds, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The district's name references the Saxon Kingdom of Hwicce and the River Avon. The population in 2022 was 134,536.
Earl Beauchamp was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.
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Worcester is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since 1885 it has elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election; from 1295 to 1885 it elected two MPs.
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Tewkesbury is a constituency in Gloucestershire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Cameron Thomas, a Liberal Democrat.
Elmley Castle is a village and civil parish in Worcestershire, in England, United Kingdom. It is located on the north side of Bredon Hill 3 miles south-east of Pershore in the local government district of Wychavon.
South Worcestershire was a parliamentary constituency which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.
Evesham was a parliamentary constituency in Worcestershire which was represented in the English and later British House of Commons. Originally a parliamentary borough consisting of the town of Evesham, it was first represented in 1295. After this its franchise lapsed for several centuries, but it then returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) from 1604 until 1868, when its representation was reduced to one member under the Representation of the People Act 1867.
William Lygon, 8th Earl Beauchamp, JP, DL, styled as Viscount Elmley until 1938, was a politician in the United Kingdom. The eldest son of the controversial William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp, sometime leader of the Liberals in the House of Lords, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) for East Norfolk before in 1938 inheriting his father's seat in the House of Lords. He remained a member there until his death.
William Beauchamp Lygon, 2nd Earl Beauchamp FRS, styled The Honourable William Lygon between 1806 and 1815 and Viscount Elmley between 1815 and 1816, was a British politician.
The 2003 Wychavon District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Wychavon District Council in Worcestershire, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 1999 reducing the number of seats by four. The Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.
The 2011 Wychavon District Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of Wychavon District Council in Worcestershire, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.
The 2015 Wychavon District Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of Wychavon District Council in Worcestershire, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.
The 2019 Wychavon District Council election took place on 2 May 2019 to elect members of Wychavon District Council. This was on the same day as other local elections. The entire council was up for election. The Conservatives lost 5 seats, and gained 2 seats, bringing their total on the council to 36. 7 wards did not hold a vote, as an equal number of candidates ran as seats available.
Reference: Statutory Instrument 1987 No. 2208 The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) (Miscellaneous Changes) (No. 3) Order 1987