Warrington South (UK Parliament constituency)

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Warrington South
Borough constituency

Warrington South shown within Cheshire, and Cheshire shown within England
Created: 1983
MP: Helen Southworth
Party: Labour
Type: House of Commons
County: Cheshire
EP constituency: North West England

Warrington South is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

The constituency has the Press Association (PA) number 612.

Contents

[edit] Boundaries

The constituency is one of two covering the unitary authority of Warrington, Cheshire, the other being Warrington North. It covers the parts of the town lying south of the River Mersey, including Appleton, Grappenhall and Stockton Heath, the town centre and the Penketh and Sankey areas in the west of the town. It also includes the village of Lymm.

[edit] History

The constituency was created in 1983. Prior to then, the Warrington constituency covered the central part of the town and surrounding area, while the southern fringes were in the Runcorn constituency and the surrounding area to the north was covered by the Newton constituency. The current boundaries were introduced at the 1997 general election, when the number of constituencies in Cheshire were increased and the new Weaver Vale seat was created.

Politically, Warrington South is considered the more interesting of the two Warrington seats. While Warrington North is a safe seat for the Labour Party, Warrington South is regarded as a bellwether constituency, reflecting the fate of the major parties at the national level. As such it was held by the Conservatives from 1983 until 1992 (until 1987 by the former Runcorn MP Mark Carlisle, then by Chris Butler), when it was taken by Labour's Mike Hall. Hall moved to the new Weaver Vale seat in 1997, and Helen Southworth (also of the Labour Party) has represented the seat since then.

Most of the borough council seats in the constituency are held by the Liberal Democrats, who nevertheless have come third in recent general elections, behind the Conservatives.

[edit] Members of Parliament

Year Member Party
1983 Mark Carlisle Conservative
1987 Chris Butler Conservative
1992 Mike Hall Labour
1997 Helen Southworth Labour

[edit] Election results

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Next United Kingdom general election: Warrington Sth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Mowat
Liberal Democrats Jo Crotty
General Election 2005: Warrington South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Helen Southworth 18,972 40.5 -8.8
Conservative Fiona Bruce 15,457 33.0 0.0
Liberal Democrats Ian Marks 11,111 23.7 +7.4
UKIP Gerry Kelley 804 1.7 +0.3
Independent (politician) Paul Kennedy 453 1.0 +1.0
Majority 3,515 7.5
Turnout 46,797 61.8 0.6
Labour hold Swing -4.4
General Election 2001: Warrington South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Helen Southworth 22,419 49.3 -2.9
Conservative Caroline Mosley 15,022 33.0 +0.5
Liberal Democrats Barlow, R.J. 7,419 16.3 +3.2
UKIP Kelley, J. 637 1.4
Majority 7,397 16.3
Turnout 45,497 61.2
Labour hold Swing -1.7
General Election 1997: Warrington South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Helen Southworth 28,721 52.1 +11.31
Conservative Chris Grayling 17,914 32.5 -13.19
Liberal Democrats Peter Walker 7,199 13.1 +0.09
Referendum Party Gerald Kelly 1,082 2.0 +2.0
Natural Law Steve Ross 166 0.3 -0.22
Majority 10,807 19.6
Turnout 55,082 76.0
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +12.3

Based on the 1992 notional results the Conservative party gained Warrington South.

General Election 1992: Warrington South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mike Hall 27,819 43.64
Conservative Chris Butler 27,628 43.34
Liberal Democrats Peter Walker 7,978 12.52
Natural Law S Benson 321 0.5
Majority 191 0.3
Turnout 63,880 82.05
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 1987: Warrington South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Chris Butler 24,809 48.21
Labour A Booth 21,200 35.86
Liberal Ian Marks 13,112 22.18
Majority 3,609 6.10
Turnout 59,121 75.21
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1983: Warrington South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Carlisle 22,740 41.92
Labour D Colin-Thome 16,275 30.00
Liberal Ian Marks 14,827 27.33
Ecology Paul Kennedy 403 0.74
Majority 6,465 11.92
Turnout 54,245 74,51
Conservative hold Swing

[edit] See also

Constituencies in North West England
Labour

Ashton-under-Lyne | Barrow and Furness | Birkenhead | Blackburn | Blackpool North and Fleetwood | Blackpool South | Bolton North East | Bolton South East | Bolton West | Bootle | Burnley | Bury North | Bury South | Carlisle | Chorley | City of Chester | Copeland | Crewe and Nantwich | Crosby | Denton and Reddish | Eccles | Ellesmere Port and Neston | Halton | Heywood and Middleton | Hyndburn | Knowsley North and Sefton East | Knowsley South | Leigh | Liverpool Garston | Liverpool Riverside | Liverpool Walton | Liverpool Wavertree | Liverpool West Derby | Makerfield | Manchester Blackley | Manchester Central | Manchester Gorton | Morecambe and Lunesdale | Oldham East and Saddleworth | Oldham West and Royton | Pendle | Preston | Rossendale and Darwen | Salford | South Ribble | St Helens North | St Helens South | Stalybridge and Hyde | Stockport | Stretford and Urmston | Wallasey | Warrington North | Warrington South | Weaver Vale | West Lancashire | Wigan | Wirral South | Wirral West | Workington | Worsley | Wythenshawe and Sale East

Conservative

Altrincham and Sale West | Congleton | Eddisbury | Fylde | Lancaster and Wyre | Macclesfield | Penrith and The Border | Ribble Valley | Tatton

Liberal Democrat

Cheadle | Hazel Grove | Manchester Withington | Rochdale | Southport | Westmorland and Lonsdale

North West European constituency: Labour (3) | Conservative (3) | Liberal Democrats (2) | UKIP (1)