| Birmingham Handsworth | |
|---|---|
| Former Borough constituency | |
| for the House of Commons | |
| 1918–1983 |
| Handsworth | |
|---|---|
| Former County constituency | |
| for the House of Commons | |
| 1885–1918 |
Birmingham Handsworth was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Handsworth district of Birmingham. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was abolished in 1983.
Contents |
1885-1918: The constituency was created, as a county constituency, for the 1885 general election when it was the Handsworth division of Staffordshire. In 1885 the area was to the north of the parliamentary borough of Birmingham and was the south-eastern county division of Staffordshire. Birmingham, which from 1889 was a county borough, with city status, was mostly located in the geographic county of Warwickshire, but gradually expanded into adjacent areas of Staffordshire and Worcestershire.
The constituency bordered to the west West Bromwich, Wednesbury and Walsall; to the north Lichfield; to the east Tamworth and to the south Birmingham West and Birmingham North.
1918-1955: By 1918 the Handsworth area had been incorporated within the growing city of Birmingham. For the 1918 general election it became a borough constituency as Birmingham Handsworth. The seat comprised the then County Borough of Birmingham wards of Handsworth, Sandwell and Soho.
1955-1974: The redistribution before the 1955 general election altered the constituency so it comprised Handsworth, Lozells and Sandwell wards. Soho ward became part of Birmingham All Saints. Lozells ward had been transferred from Birmingham Aston.
1974-1983: Before the February 1974 general election there was a redistribution. The constituency was altered to include the Aston, Handsworth and Sandwell wards.
The seat was abolished for the 1983 general election. Sandwell ward became 32.9% of Birmingham Ladywood. The Birmingham Perry Barr constituency absorbed Handsworth ward, which was 24.8% of the new seat. Aston ward became 11.9% of Birmingham Small Heath.
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | Sir Henry Wiggin | Liberal | |
| 1886 | Liberal Unionist | ||
| 1892 | Sir Henry Meysey-Thompson | Liberal Unionist | |
| 1906 | Ernest Meysey-Thompson | Liberal Unionist | |
| 1912 | Conservative | ||
| 1918 | Coalition Conservative | ||
| 1922 | Oliver Locker-Lampson | Conservative | |
| 1945 | Harold Roberts | Conservative | |
| 1950 by-election | Sir Edward Boyle | Conservative | |
| 1970 | Sydney Chapman | Conservative | |
| Feb 1974 | John Lee | Labour | |
| 1979 | Sheila Wright | Labour | |
| 1983 | constituency abolished: see Birmingham Ladywood, Birmingham Perry Barr and Birmingham Small Heath | ||