Liverpool Exchange (UK Parliament constituency)

Liverpool Exchange
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
18851974
Number of members One
Replaced by Liverpool Scotland Exchange
Created from Liverpool

Liverpool Exchange was a borough constituency within the city of Liverpool in England, centred on Liverpool Exchange railway station. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

The constituency was created under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election. It was abolished for the February 1974 election, when it was merged with Liverpool Scotland to form Liverpool Scotland Exchange.

Boundaries

The constituency covered the centre of the city of Liverpool, bordering on the River Mersey. It included the commercial area of the city, as well as poorer housing.

1885-1918

The Exchange Ward, with a significant Conservative business vote, was combined with the St Anne's and Vauxhall wards (which were more Liberal and contained a substantial Irish vote).

The Scotland division, to the north of this seat, was more heavily Irish and returned an Irish Nationalist MP. Exchange was a Liberal/Conservative and Allies marginal constituency and its elections were influenced by what guidance the electors were given by Nationalist leaders.

1918-1950

In this period the seat was defined as comprising the Abercromby, Castle Street, Exchange, Great George, St Anne's, St Peter's, and Vauxhall wards.

In this era the area was represented by Conservative Members of Parliament, until the Labour Party captured the seat in 1945.

1950-1955

Brunswick, and Granby wards were added to those previously in the seat.

1955-1974

The constituency comprised Abercromby, Central, Granby, Low Hill, and St James wards.

In the redistribution which took effect in 1974, this seat disappeared. However the successor constituency was named Liverpool Scotland Exchange, combining as it did the central and northern riverside parts of the city.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember[1]Party[2][3]
1885 Laurence Richardson Baily Conservative
1886 David Duncan Liberal
1887 by-election Ralph Neville Liberal
1895 John Charles Bigham Liberal Unionist
1897 by-election Charles McArthur Liberal Unionist
1906 Richard Robert Cherry Liberal
Jan 1910 Max Muspratt Liberal
Dec 1910 Sir Leslie Frederic Scott Conservative
1929 Sir James Philip Reynolds, Bt. Conservative
1933 by-election John Joseph Shute Conservative
1945 Bessie Braddock Labour
1970 Robert Parry Labour
Feb 1974 constituency abolished

Election results

Elections 1950–1970

General Election 1970: Liverpool Exchange
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Parry 12,995 70.6 3.1
Conservative Anthony G. Phillips 4,638 25.2 1.1
Communist Roger O'Hara 775 4.2 N/A
Majority 8,357 45.4
Turnout 18,408 53.4 +2.7
Labour hold Swing 1.0
General Election 1966: Liverpool Exchange
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bessie Braddock 15,089 73.7 +3.6
Conservative B.V. Groombridge 5,372 26.3 3.6
Majority 9,717 47.5
Turnout 20,461 50.7 3.7
Labour hold Swing +3.6
General Election 1964: Liverpool Exchange
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bessie Braddock 16,985 70.1 +8.8
Conservative Vincent Burke 7,239 29.9 8.8
Majority 9,746 40.2
Turnout 24,224 54.4 6.1
Labour hold Swing +8.8
General Election 1959: Liverpool Exchange
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bessie Braddock 18,916 61.3 +5.2
Conservative T Beattie-Edwards 11,945 38.7 +3.3
Majority 6,971 22.6
Turnout 30,861 60.5 2.0
Labour hold Swing +1.0
General Election 1955: Liverpool Exchange
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bessie Braddock 19,457 56.1 4.3
Conservative A.E. Papworth 12,271 35.4 4.2
Ind. Labour Party L. Murphy 2,928 8.4 N/A
Majority 7,186 20.7
Turnout 34,656 62.5 6.7
Labour hold Swing +0.0
General Election 1951: Liverpool Exchange
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bessie Braddock 19,887 60.4 +3.1
Conservative J.O. Tiernan 13,052 39.6 2.0
Majority 6,835 20.7
Turnout 32,939 69.2
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1950: Liverpool Exchange
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bessie Braddock 19,492 57.3 +5.3
Conservative J. Reynolds 14,150 41.6 6.4
Independent Labour A.G. Cleather 381 1.1 N/A
Majority 5,342 15.7
Turnout 34,023 72.8 +11.9
Labour hold Swing +5.9

Elections 1918–1945

Election Political result Candidate Party Votes % ±%
General election, July 1945 [3]
Electorate: 26,794
Turnout: 16,323 (60.9%) 4.8
Labour gain from Conservative
Majority: 665 (4.0%)
Swing: 9.2% from Con to Lab
Bessie BraddockLabour8,49452.0+9.2
John Joseph Shute Conservative7,82948.09.2
General election, November 1935 [3]
Electorate: 46,404
Turnout: 65.7% (+10.5)
Conservative hold
Majority: 4,412 (14.4%) +4.4
Swing: 2.2% from Con to Lab
John Joseph ShuteConservative17,43957.2+2.2
S. Mahon Labour13,02742.82.2
By-election, January 1933 [3]
death of Reynolds
Electorate: 50,060
Turnout: 27,610 (55.2%) 13.8
Conservative hold
Majority: 2,786 (10.0%) 26.6
Swing: 13.8% from Con to Lab
John Joseph ShuteConservative15,19855.013.8
Sydney Silverman Labour12,41245.0+13.8
General election, October 1931 [3]
Electorate: 50,638
Turnout: 69.0% (+3.1)
Conservative hold
Majority: 13,144 (37.6%) +37.0
Swing: 18.5% from Lab to Con
Sir James Reynolds, BtConservative+18.5
T. McLean Labour10,89431.218.5
General election, May 1929 [3]
Electorate: 51,820
Turnout: 34,149 (65.9%) +14.0
Conservative hold
Majority: 209 (0.6%) 0.4
Sir James Reynolds, BtConservative17,17950.3+minus;0.2
William Albert Robinson Labour16,97049.7n/a
General election, October 1924 [3]Conservative hold Leslie ScottConservativeunopposed
General election, 1923 [3]
Electorate: 40,221
Turnout: 51.9% (22.9)
Conservative hold
Majority: 229 (1.0%) 9.8
Swing: 4.9% from Con to IrishNat
Leslie ScottConservative10,55150.54.9
W. Grogan Irish Nationalist10,32249.5+4.9
General election, November 1922 [3]
Electorate: 37,797
Turnout: 28,264 (74.8%) +22.8
Conservative hold
Majority: 3,036 (10.8%) 0.4
Swing: 0.2% from Con to IrishNat
Leslie ScottConservative15,65055.40.2
Joseph Devlin Irish Nationalist12,61444.6+0.2
By-election, March 1922 [3]
Scott appointed as Solicitor General
Conservative hold Leslie ScottConservativeunopposed
General election, December 1918 [3]
Electorate: 35,625
Turnout: 18,511 (52.0%) 28.6
Coalition Conservative hold
Majority: 2,061 (11.2%) +8.0
Leslie ScottCoalition Conservative10,28655.6+4.0
A. Harford Irish Nationalist8,22544.4n/a

Elections 1895–1910

Election Political result Candidate Party Votes % ±%
General election, December 1910 [2]
Electorate: 5,602
Turnout: 4,517 (80.6%) 1.9
Conservative gain from Liberal
Majority: 143 (3.2%)
Swing: 3.3% from Lib to Con
Leslie ScottConservative2,33051.6+3.3
Max Muspratt Liberal2,18748.43.3
General election, January 1910 [2]
Electorate: 5,602
Turnout: 82.5% (+6.8)
Liberal hold
Majority: 161 (3.4%) +0.6
Swing: 0.3% from Con to Lib
Max MusprattLiberal2,39251.7+0.3
Leslie Scott Conservative2,23148.30.3
General election, 1906 [2]
Electorate: 5,891
Turnout: 4,461 (75.7%) +11.3
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist
Majority: 121 (2.8%)
Swing: 16.4% from LibU to Lib
Richard CherryLiberal2,29151.4+16.4
Charles McArthur Liberal Unionist2,17048.616.4
General election, 1900 [2]
Electorate: 6,718
Turnout: 5,325 (64.4%) 11.6
Liberal Unionist 14.5
Majority: 1,297 (30.0%) +29.0
Swing: 14.5% from Lib to LibU
Charles McArthurLiberal Unionist2,81165.0+14.5
Frederick Verney Liberal1,51435.014.5
By-election, November 1897 [2]
resignation of Bigham
Electorate: 7,060
Turnout: 5,368 (76.0%) 2.1
Liberal Unionist hold
Majority: 54 (1.0%) 3.6
Swing: 1.8% from LibU to Lib
Charles McArthurLiberal Unionist2,71150.51.8
Russell Rea Liberal2,65749.5+1.8
General election, 1895 [2]
Electorate: 7,063
Turnout: 5,514 (78.1%) +6.6
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal
Majority: 254 (4.6%)
Swing: 2.9% from Lib to LibU
John BighamLiberal Unionist2,88452.3+2.9
W. B. Bowring Liberal2,63047.72.9
General election, 1892 [2]
Electorate: 7,518
Turnout: 5,376 (71.5%) 9.7
Liberal hold
Majority: 66 (1.2%) +1.0
Swing: 0.5% from LibU to Lib
Ralph NevilleLiberal2,72150.6+0.5
John Bigham Liberal Unionist2,65549.40.5
By-election, January 1887 [2]
death of Duncan
Electorate: 7,911
Turnout: 6,427 (81.2%) +11.8
Liberal hold
Majority: 7 (0.2%) 2.8
Ralph NevilleLiberal3,21750.11.4
George Goschen Liberal Unionist3,21049.9
General election, 1886 [2]
Electorate: 8,171
Turnout: 5,670 (69.4%) 2.9
Liberal gain from Conservative
Majority: 170 (3.0%)
Swing: 1.7% from Con to Lib
David DuncanLiberal2,92051.5+1.7
Laurence Richardson Baily Conservative2,75048.51.7
General election, 1885 [2]
new seat
Electorate: 8,171
Turnout: 5,909 (72.3%)
Conservative win
Majority: 55 (1.0%)
Laurence Richardson BailyConservative2,96450.2
William O'Shea Liberal2,90949.2
T. E. Stephens Liberal360.6

References

  1. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 2)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1989]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 141. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 176. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.

See also