Wakefield (UK Parliament constituency)

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Wakefield
County constituency

Wakefield shown within West Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire shown within England
Created: 1832
MP: Mary Creagh
Party: Labour
Type: House of Commons
County: West Yorkshire
EP constituency: Yorkshire and the Humber

Wakefield 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.

Contents

[edit] Boundaries

The constituency is a very odd shape; it covers three-quarters of the West Yorkshire city of Wakefield and a number of villages to the south-west of the city. "Wakefield South" ward is not included in the seat; this is the most affluent part of the city, yet is included in the ultra-Labour seat of Hemsworth.

The city part of the seat has a very high density of council housing. Combined with a history of coal-mining, this has led the seat to be continuously Labour. However, the "Wakefield West" ward has unexpectedly returned Conservatives in the last three elections.

The rural part of the seat includes several well-known villages: Netherton - often mentioned during the 1984-5 miners' strike, as it contained two pits, one of which was threatened with accelerated closure; Denby Dale, which is famous for its pies and festivals; Emley, which has a large tower. Other settlements include Kirkburton, Woolley, Middlestown, Overton, Durkar, Crigglestone, Clayton West and Skelmathorpe. The rural wards - "Wakefield Rural", "Denby Dale" and "Kirkburton" - are usually Tory in local elections. However, there are so many old pit sites in the area that there is a large number of ex-miners in the area who sometimes secure Labour victories. The National Coal Mining Museum for England is situated within the seat; it was formerly known as Caphouse Colliery before its 1985 closure.

[edit] Members of Parliament

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[edit] Elections

General Election 2005: Wakefield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mary Creagh 18,802 43.3 −6.6
Conservative Alec Shelbrooke 13,648 31.5 +0.9
Liberal Democrat David Ridgway 7,063 16.3 +3.9
British National Party Grant Rowe 1,328 3.1 N/A
Green Derek Hardcastle 1,297 3.0 +0.4
UK Independence John Upex 467 1.1 −0.5
English Democrats Adrian McEnhill 356 0.8 N/A
Socialist Alternative Mick Griffiths 319 0.7 N/A
Socialist Labour Linda Sheridan 101 0.2 −1.3
Majority 5,154 11.9
Turnout 43,381 59.3 +4.8
Labour hold Swing
General Election 2001: Wakefield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Hinchliffe 20,592 49.9 -7.5
Conservative Thelma Karran 12,638 30.6 +2.2
Liberal Democrat Dale Douglas 5,097 12.4 +1.2
Green Sarah Greenwood 1,075 2.6 N/A
UK Independence Janice Cannon 677 1.6 N/A
Socialist Labour Abdul Aziz 634 1.5 N/A
Socialist Alliance Mick Griffiths 541 1.3 N/A
Majority 7,954 19.3
Turnout 41,254 54.5 -14.5
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1997: Wakefield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Hinchliffe 28,977 57.4
Conservative Jonathan Peacock 14,373 28.5
Liberal Democrat Douglas Dale 5,656 11.2
Referendum Party Simon Shires 1,480 2.9
Majority 14,604 28.9
Turnout 50,486 68.9
Labour hold Swing

[edit] See also

v • d • e
Constituencies in Yorkshire and the Humber
Labour
Barnsley Central • Barnsley East and Mexborough • Barnsley West and Penistone • Batley and Spen • Bradford North • Bradford South • Bradford West • Brigg and Goole • Calder Valley • City of York • Cleethorpes • Colne Valley • Dewsbury • Don Valley • Doncaster Central • Doncaster North • Elmet • Great Grimsby • Halifax • Hemsworth • Huddersfield • Hull East • Hull North • Hull West and Hessle • Keighley • Leeds Central • Leeds East • Leeds North East • Leeds West • Morley and Rothwell • Normanton • Pontefract and Castleford • Pudsey • Rother Valley • Rotherham • Scunthorpe • Selby • Sheffield Attercliffe • Sheffield Brightside • Sheffield Central • Sheffield Heeley • Sheffield Hillsborough • Wakefield • Wentworth
Conservative
Liberal Democrat
Yorkshire and the Humber European constituency: Labour (2) • Conservative (2) • Liberal Democrats (1) • UKIP (1)


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