Brighouse and Spenborough (UK Parliament constituency)

Brighouse and Spenborough
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1950–1983
Number of members one
Replaced by Batley and Spen
Calder Valley
Created from Elland
Spen Valley

Brighouse and Spenborough was a parliamentary constituency in the West Riding of Yorkshire, comprising the two municipal boroughs of Brighouse and Spenborough and neighbouring areas.[1] It returned one member of parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

History

The constituency was created for the 1950 general election, and abolished for the 1983 general election.

Boundaries

The constituency was first defined by the Representation of the People Act 1948 as comprising the borough of Brighouse and the urban districts of Queensbury and Shelf and Spenborough.[2][1] These boundaries were used at the 1950 and 1951 general elections.

The boundaries were changed before the 1955 general election: Queensbury and Shelf was transferred to Bradford South while the urban district of Heckmondwike was added from Dewsbury.[1] [3] These boundaries were used until the seat's abolition.

In 1983 parliamentary seats were reorganised to reflect the changes in local government introduced in 1974. The area had become part of the Metropolitan County of West Yorkshire and was divided between two new constituencies: Batley and Spen (including Heckmondwike and Spenborough) and Calder Valley (including Brighouse).[4]

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberParty
1950 Frederick Cobb Labour
1950 by-election John Edwards Labour
1960 by-election Michael Shaw National Liberal Party
1964 Colin Jackson Labour
1970 Wilfred Proudfoot Conservative
Feb 1974 Colin Jackson Labour
1979 Gary Waller Conservative
1983 constituency abolished

Elections

1970s

General Election 1979: Brighouse and Spenborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gary Waller 23,448 44.71
Labour Michael McGowan 21,714 41.41
Liberal R Thomas 7,278 13.88
Majority 1,734 3.31
Turnout 80.17
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General Election October 1974: Brighouse and Spenborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Colin Jackson 21,964 43.91
Conservative Wilfred Proudfoot 19,787 39.56
Liberal John Smithson 8,265 16.52
Majority 2,177 4.35
Turnout 78.59
Labour hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Brighouse and Spenborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Colin Jackson 22,107 41.04
Conservative Wilfred Proudfoot 20,561 38.17
Liberal Patrick G Robertshaw 11,029 20.47
Independent Democratic Alliance Shirley Milner 169 0.31
Majority 1,546 2.87
Turnout 85.31
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 1970: Brighouse and Spenborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Wilfred Proudfoot 22,953 46.25
Labour Colin Jackson 22,894 46.13
Liberal G H Manley 3,781 7.62
Majority 59 0.12
Turnout 80.54
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

1960s

General Election 1966: Brighouse and Spenborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Colin Jackson 25,740 54.82
Liberal National (Cyril) Donald Chapman 21,216 45.18
Majority 4,524 9.63
Turnout 83.96
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1964: Brighouse and Spenborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Colin Jackson 20,734 44.16
Liberal National Michael Shaw 19,812 42.19
Liberal James Pickles 6,411 13.65
Majority 922 1.96
Turnout 85.28
Labour gain from Liberal National Swing
Brighouse and Spenborough by-election, 1960
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal National Michael Shaw 22,472 50.8 +0.9
Labour Colin Jackson 21,806 49.2 -0.9
Majority 666 1.5%
Turnout 44,278
Liberal National gain from Labour Swing 0.8

1950s

General Election 1959: Brighouse and Spenborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lewis John Edwards 23,290 50.05
Liberal National Michael Norman Shaw 23,243 49.95
Majority 47 0.10
Turnout 85.50
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1955: Brighouse and Spenborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lewis John Edwards 23,674 51.78
Liberal National Frederick W H Cook 22,048 48.22
Majority 1,626 3.56
Turnout 83.72
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1951: Brighouse and Spenborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lewis John Edwards 26,105 52.28
Liberal National Major William Edward Woolley 23,828 47.72
Majority 2,277 4.56
Turnout 88.69
Labour hold Swing
Brighouse and Spenborough by-election, 1950
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lewis John Edwards 24,004 50.5 −1.71
Liberal National Major William Edward Woolley 23,567 49.5 +1.71
Majority 437 0.91 −3.44
Turnout 47,571 85.4 −2.6
Labour hold Swing −1.71
General Election 1950: Brighouse and Spenborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frederick Cobb 25,588 52.17
Liberal National Major William Edward Woolley 23,456 47.83
Majority 2,132 4.35
Turnout 88.04
Labour hold Swing

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Youngs, Frederic A, Jr. (1991). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol.2: Northern England. London: Royal Historical Society. p. 848. ISBN 0861931270.
  2. ↑ Representation of the People Act 1948, C.65, First Schedule, Parliamentary Constituencies.
  3. ↑ Parliamentary Constituencies (Bradford, Brighouse and Spenborough and Dewsbury) Order 1954
  4. ↑ The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983 (S.I. 1983/417)