Leeds Central (UK Parliament constituency)

Leeds Central
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons

Boundary of Leeds Central in West Yorkshire.

Location of West Yorkshire within England.
County West Yorkshire
Electorate 80,912 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created 1983 (1983)
Member of Parliament Hilary Benn (Labour)
Number of members One
1885 (1885)–1955 (1955)
Created from Leeds
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency Yorkshire and the Humber

Leeds Central is a borough 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

Boundaries

Following boundary changes for the 2010 general election, the constituency is made up of five electoral wards of the City of Leeds:

Constituency profile

The business and retail centre of Leeds is at the heart of the constituency. Despite this relatively affluent hub, the seat suffers from severe residential deprivation, typified by row on row of terraced houses, home to many Labour-inclined working class voters. Unemployment in the seat is high. Leeds' two universities produce a significant student population.

History

The constituency was created in 1885 by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and was first used in the general election of that year. Leeds had previously been represented by two MPs (1832–1868) and three MPs (1868–1885). From 1885 it was represented by five single-member constituencies: Leeds Central, Leeds East, Leeds North, Leeds South and Leeds West. The constituencies of Morley, Otley and Pudsey were also created in 1885.

The constituency was abolished in 1955. After the 1955 general election Leeds was represented by Leeds East (created 1885, abolished 1918, recreated 1955), Leeds North East (created 1918), Leeds North West (created 1950), Leeds South (created 1885), and Leeds South East (created 1918). There were also constituencies of Batley and Morley (created 1918) and Pudsey (created 1885, replaced by Pudsey and Otley 1918-1950).

The constituency was re-created for the 1983 general election. After that election, Leeds was represented by Leeds Central, Leeds East, Leeds North East, Leeds North West, Leeds South East and Leeds West. There were also constituencies of Batley and Morley, and Pudsey.

In a 1999 by-election, the constituency experienced the lowest voter turnout in post-war British history of 19.6%.[2][3]

Members of Parliament

MPs 1885–1955

Election Member[4] Party
1885 Gerald William Balfour, later Earl of Balfour Conservative
1906 Robert Armitage Liberal
1922 Arthur Wellesley Willey Conservative
1923 by-election Sir Charles Henry Wilson Conservative
1929 Richard Denman Labour
1931 National Labour
1945 George Porter Labour
1955 constituency abolished

MPs since 1983

Election Member[4] Party
1983 Derek Fatchett Labour
1999 by-election Hilary Benn Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2010: Leeds Central[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hilary Benn 18,434 49.3 −10.2
Liberal Democrat Michael Taylor 7,789 20.8 −0.7
Conservative Alan Lamb 7,541 20.2 +7.5
BNP Kevin Meeson 3,066 8.2 +4.1
Independent Dave Procter 409 1.1 N/A
Independent We Beat The Scum One-Nil[6] 155 0.4 N/A
Majority 10,645 28.5 −9.5
Turnout 37,394 57.8 +13.5
Labour hold Swing −4.8

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Leeds Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hilary Benn 17,526 60.0 -6.9
Liberal Democrat Ruth Coleman 5,660 19.4 +6.2
Conservative Brian Cattell 3,865 13.2 -1.1
BNP Mark Collett 1,201 4.1 N/A
UKIP Peter Sewards 494 1.7 -1.1
Independent Mick Dear 189 0.6 N/A
Independent Oluwole Taiwo 126 0.4 N/A
Alliance for Change Julian Fitzgerald 125 0.4 N/A
Majority 11,866 40.7
Turnout 29,186 46.4 +4.7
Labour hold Swing
General Election 2001: Leeds Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hilary Benn 18,277 66.9 -2.7
Conservative Victoria Richmond 3,896 14.3 +0.5
Liberal Democrat Stewart Arnold 3,607 13.2 +2.0
UKIP David Burgess 775 2.8 N/A
Socialist Alliance Stephen Johnston 751 2.8 N/A
Majority 14,381 52.6
Turnout 27,306 41.7 -12.5
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

Leeds Central by-election, 1999
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hilary Benn 6,361 48.2 -21.4
Liberal Democrat Peter Wild 4,068 30.8 +19.6
Conservative Edward Wild 1,618 12.3 -1.4
Green David Blackburn 478 3.6 N/A
UKIP Raymond Northgreaves 353 2.7 N/A
Leeds Left Alliance Chris Hill 258 2.0 N/A
Independent Julian Fitzgerald 51 0.4 N/A
Majority 2,293
Turnout 19.9
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1997: Leeds Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Derek Fatchett 25,766 69.6
Conservative Edward Wild 5,077 13.7
Liberal Democrat David Freeman 4,164 11.3
Referendum Party Philip Myers 1,042 2.8 N/A
Socialist Labour Michael Rix 656 1.8 N/A
Socialist Alternative Chris Hill 304 0.8 N/A
Independent Julian Fitzgerald 51 0.4 N/A
Majority 20,689
Turnout 54.7
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1992: Leeds Central[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Derek Fatchett 23,673 62.2 +6.6
Conservative Mrs TC Holdroyd 8,653 22.7 −2.8
Liberal Democrat D Pratt 5,713 15.0 −2.9
Majority 15,020 39.5 +9.4
Turnout 38,039 61.3 −3.5
Labour hold Swing +4.7

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Leeds Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Derek Fatchett 21,270 55.62
Conservative D. Schofield 9,765 25.53
Liberal Democrat K Lee 6,853 17.92
Communist W Innis 355 0.93
Majority 11,505 30.08
Turnout 59,019 64.80
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1983: Leeds Central[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Derek Fatchett 18,706 47.93
SDP–Liberal Alliance P Wrigley 10,484 26.86
Conservative M Ashley-Brown 9,192 23.55
BNP G Cummins 331 0.85
Communist JM Rogers 314 0.8
Majority 8,222 21.07
Turnout 39,030 61.66

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. http://www.boundarycommissionforengland.org.uk/electoral-figures/electoral-figures.htm. Retrieved 13 March 2011. 
  2. ^ http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/M16.pdf
  3. ^ BBC (2008-07-11). "Election Records". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7498330.stm. Retrieved 2008-07-11. 
  4. ^ a b Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 1)
  5. ^ "UK > England > Yorkshire & the Humber > Leeds Central". Election 2010 (BBC). 7 May 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/c50.stm. Retrieved 12 May 2010. 
  6. ^ http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Leeds-United-fan-aims-to.6241419.jp
  7. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/ge92index.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-06. 
  8. ^ http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge83/i12.htm
Labour (31)
Conservative (19)
Liberal Democrats (3)
Independent (1)