Liverpool West Derby (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 53°26′20″N 2°53′28″W / 53.439°N 2.891°W

Liverpool, West Derby
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Boundary of Liverpool, West Derby in Merseyside.

Outline map

Location of Merseyside within England.
County Merseyside
Electorate 62,709 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created 1885
Member of parliament Stephen Twigg (Labour Co-operative)
Number of members One
Created from Liverpool
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency North West England

Liverpool, West Derby is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Stephen Twigg of the Labour Party and Co-operative Party.[n 2]

Boundaries

The constituency is one of five covering the city of Liverpool and covers the northeast of the city, including Croxteth, Gillmoss, Knotty Ash, Norris Green, Tuebrook, Stoneycroft as well as West Derby itself.

Following their review of parliamentary representation in Merseyside, the Boundary Commission created a modified West Derby constituency, which was fought at the 2010 general election.

Their initial proposal to create a cross-border "Croxteth and Kirkby" seat (which would have contained with electoral wards from Knowsley borough, as well as from Liverpool) was dropped on its public consultation. The electoral wards used in the modified West Derby constituency are:

The boundaries of the constituency from 1950-1974 was Croxteth, Gillmoss and West Derby. In 1974 a new ward was added to the constituency called Tuebrook.

History

The seat was created in the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 and can be considered a safe seat from 1964 to date for the Labour Party, their candidates having been victorious in every general election since then. However, in the early 1980s it was briefly held by the Social Democratic Party as a result of the sitting Labour MP Eric Ogden being among many defectors.[n 3] Labour regained the seat at the 1983 general election, when Bob Wareing was first elected.

Before 1964, it was held by the Conservatives, although their share of the vote has declined considerably; so much so that in the last four general elections, they have finished in fourth place.

In the general elections of 1997 and 2001, the seat was the only constituency in England in which a minor party came second, the continuing Liberal Party (after the Liberal-SDP merger) who had [n 4] all three local councillors for one electoral ward in the area.[2] In the 2005 election, however, the Liberals were pushed into third place by the Liberal Democrats.

Sir F E Smith

Sir Frederick Edwin Smith, then Solicitor-General in the David Lloyd George Coalition Government, was returned for West Derby in the General Election of December 1918 when constituency reorganisation abolished his former neighbouring Walton seat. He sat for only two months, being promoted Lord Chancellor and raised to the peerage as Lord Birkenhead in February 1919. He was the first of two MPs for this seat to achieve the highest legal office.

David Maxwell Fyfe

Maxwell Fyfe, KC, MP from 1935-54 (including World War II) became the highest judge in the country, the Lord Chancellor, having been the Attorney General and Solicitor General for England and Wales. He helped to co-write the European Convention on Human Rights and was one of the key prosecutors at the Nuremberg Trials jointly with the (Labour-member) prosecutor Sir Hartley Shawcross. At this task was a "capable lawyer, efficient administrator and concerned housemaster".[3] There were misgivings in some quarters as to how Fyfe would perform, cross-examination not being regarded as one of his strengths. However his cross-examination of Hermann Göring is one of the most noted cross-examinations in history.[4]"Faced with sustained and methodical competence rather than brilliance, Goering [n 5]... crumbled".[5]

Stephen Twigg

Stephen Twigg ousted Michael Portillo in the normally right-leaning Enfield, Southgate and served it from 1997 until the 2005 election, briefly serving as schools minister before that election, which he lost, before five years later standing for this normally left-leaning seat in Liverpool.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember[6]Party
1885 Lord Claud Hamilton Conservative
1888 by-election Hon. William Cross Conservative
1893 by-election Walter Long Conservative
1900 Samuel Wasse Higginbottom Conservative
1903 by-election William Rutherford Conservative
1918 Sir F. E. Smith, Bt Conservative
1919 by-election Sir William Reginald Hall Conservative
1923 Charles Sydney Jones Liberal
1924 Sir John Sandeman Allen Conservative
1935 David Maxwell Fyfe Conservative
1954 by-election John Woollam Conservative
1964 Eric Ogden Labour
1981 SDP
1983 Bob Wareing Labour
2007 Independent
2010 Stephen Twigg Labour Co-operative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Liverpool West Derby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Rebecca Lawson[7]
Conservative Ed McRandal[8]
UKIP Neil Lawrence Miney[9]
Liberal Steve Radford
Labour Co-op Stephen Twigg[10]
Liberal Democrat Paul Twigger[8]
General Election 2010: Liverpool West Derby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Stephen Twigg 22,953 64.1 +3.6
Liberal Democrat Paul Twigger 4,486 12.5 −2.7
Liberal Steve Radford 3,327 9.3 −2.5
Conservative Pamela Hall 3,311 9.3 +1.1
UKIP Hilary Jones 1,093 3.1 +1.1
Socialist Labour Kai Anderson 614 1.7 −0.6
Majority 18,467 50.6
Turnout 35,784 56.7 +11.0
Labour hold Swing 3.2

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Liverpool West Derby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Wareing 19,140 62.83 −3.4
Liberal Democrat Patrick Moloney 3,915 12.85 +2.0
Liberal Steve Radford 3,606 11.84 −3.1
Conservative Peter Garrett 2,567 8.4 +0.4
Socialist Labour Kai Anderson 698 2.3 N/A
UKIP Peter Baden 538 1.8 N/A
Majority 15,225 50.0 −1.3
Turnout 30,464 47.2 +1.7
Labour hold Swing −2.7
General Election 2001: Liverpool West Derby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Wareing 20,454 66.2 −5.0
Liberal Steve Radford 4,601 14.9 +5.0
Liberal Democrat Patrick Moloney 3,366 10.9 +1.9
Conservative William Clare 2,486 8.0 −0.7
Majority 15,853 51.3
Turnout 30,907
Labour hold Swing −1.9

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Liverpool West Derby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Wareing 30,002 71.2 +3.0
Liberal Steve Radford 4,037 9.6 +7.0
Liberal Democrat Ann Hines 3,805 9.0 −3.2
Conservative Neil C. Morgan 3,656 8.7 −7.9
Referendum Party Peter R. Forrest 657 1.6 N/A
Majority 25,965 61.6
Turnout 42,157 61.3
Labour hold Swing +5.5
General Election 1992: Liverpool West Derby[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Wareing 27,014 68.2 +2.9
Conservative Stephen Fitzsimmons 6,589 16.6 −2.6
Liberal Democrat Miss Gillian S. Bundred 4,838 12.2 −3.3
Liberal Derek Curtis 1,021 2.6 N/A
Natural Law C.J. Higgins 154 0.4 N/A
Majority 20,425 51.6 +5.5
Turnout 39,616 69.8 −3.6
Labour hold Swing +2.8

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Liverpool West Derby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Wareing 29,021 65.3 +10.8
Conservative John Edwin Backhouse 8,525 19.2 −8.3
Social Democratic Malcolm Ferguson 6,897 15.5 −2.5
Majority 20,496 46.1
Turnout 44,443 73.4
Labour hold Swing +9.6
General Election 1983: Liverpool West Derby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Wareing 23,905 54.5
Conservative William M. Trelawney 12,062 27.5
Social Democratic Eric Ogden 7,871 18.0
Majority 11,843 27.0
Turnout 43,838 69.5
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Liverpool West Derby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eric Ogden 22,576 55.5 −5.0
Conservative D P M Hudson 14,356 35.3 +6.4
Liberal A Humphreys 3,765 9.3 −1.4
Majority 8,220 20.2 −11.4
Turnout 40,697
Labour hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Liverpool West Derby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eric Ogden 23,964 60.48 +5.8
Conservative J Last 11,445 28.88 −1.8
Liberal R Ousby 4,215 10.64 −3.1
Majority 12,519 31.6 +7.6
Turnout
Labour hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Liverpool West Derby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eric Ogden 22,689 54.68 −2.6
Conservative J Last 12,716 30.65 −12.0
Liberal P. Gilchrist 5,701 13.74 N/A
Peoples' Party D. Pascoe 388 0.94 N/A
Majority 9,973 24.0 +9.4
Turnout
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1970: Liverpool West Derby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eric Ogden 22,324 57.3 +0.44
Conservative Michael Anthony Latham 16,619 42.7 −0.4
Majority 5,705 14.65 +0.88
Turnout
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Liverpool West Derby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eric Ogden 19,988 56.9 +2.2
Conservative Peter Wynford Innes Rees 15,150 43.12 -2.20
Majority 4,838 13.77 +4.42
Turnout
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1964: Liverpool West Derby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eric Ogden 21,134 54.7 +0.7
Conservative John Woollam 17,519 45.3 +0.7
Majority 3,615 9.35 1.43
Turnout
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Liverpool West Derby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Woollam 22,719 53.96 +0.70
Labour Aubrey Paxton 19,386 46.04 -0.70
Majority 3,333 7.92 +1.41
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1955: Liverpool West Derby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Woollam 21,124 53.26 +1.34
Labour Cyril Fenton 18,540 46.74 -1.34
Majority 2,584 6.51 +2.67
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing
Liverpool West Derby by-election, 1954
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Woollam 21,158
Labour Co-op Cyril Fenton 18,650
Majority 2,508
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing
David Maxwell Fyfe
General Election 1951: Liverpool West Derby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Maxwell Fyfe 27,441 51.61
Labour L. C. Edwards 25,734 48.39
Majority 1,707 3.21
Turnout 80.32
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1950: Liverpool West Derby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Maxwell Fyfe 27,449 51.92 -2.35
Labour Bertie Kirby 25,417 48.08 -2.35
Majority 2,032 3.84 -4.69
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Liverpool West Derby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Maxwell Fyfe 21,798 54.27
Labour Richard Lewis 18,370 45.73
Majority 3,428 8.53
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935

Electorate 58,031

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Maxwell Fyfe 21,196 58.35
Labour James Haworth 10,218 28.13
Liberal D.K. Mitchell 4,911 13.52
Majority 10,978 30.22
Turnout 62.60
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1931

Electorate 55,752

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir John Sandeman Allen 32,202 78.01
Labour Joseph Jackson Cleary 9,077 21.99
Majority 23,125 56.02
Turnout 74.04
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: West Derby[12]

Electorate 53,745

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Sir John Sandeman Allen 16,794 42.7
Labour W. Harvey Moore 14,124 36.0
Liberal Arthur Probyn Jones 8,368 21.3
Majority 2,670 6.7
Turnout 73.1
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1924

Electorate 38,579

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist John Sandeman Allen 15,667
Labour Thomas Gallon Adams 8,807
Liberal Charles Sydney Jones 5,321
Majority
Turnout
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing
General Election 1923

Electorate 37,618

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Sydney Jones 12,942
Unionist William Reginald Hall 10,952
Majority 1,990
Turnout
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing
General Election 1922

Electorate 35,330

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Sir William Reginald Hall 16,179
Labour David Rowland Williams 6,785
Majority
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1910s

William Reginald Hall
Liverpool West Derby by-election, 1919
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Coalition Conservative Sir William Reginald Hall 6,062 56.5 -10.9
Labour George Nelson 4,670 43.5 +10.9
Majority 1,392 13.0 -21.8
Turnout 10,732 34.3 -20.8
Coalition Conservative hold Swing -10.9
Frederick Edwin Smith
1918 General Election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Coalition Conservative
  1. Rt Hon. Sir Frederick Edwin Smith
 11,622 67.4 N/A
Labour George Nelson 5,618 32.6 N/A
Majority 6,004 34.8 N/A
Turnout 17,240 55.1
Coalition Conservative hold Swing N/A

A # denotes candidate who was endorsed by the Coalition Government.

See also

Notes and references

Notes
  1. ↑ A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ↑ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
  3. ↑ See Labour Party (UK), who at the time called for withdrawal from the EEC (the Common Market) and removal of nuclear weapons during the Cold War. These considerable defections caused Labour to change its policies.
  4. ↑ Terms of office to date: 2003-2015
  5. ↑ [(alternative spelling for Göring]
References
  1. ↑ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ↑ Councillors at Liverpool City Council
  3. ↑ Tusa & Tusa (1983), p.136.
  4. ↑ Dutton (2004)
  5. ↑ Tusa & Tusa, p.287.
  6. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 2)
  7. ↑ https://my.greenparty.org.uk/candidates/106050
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 https://yournextmp.com/constituency/65766/
  9. ↑ http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/liverpoolwestderby/
  10. ↑ http://electionresults.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/liverpool-west-derby-2015.html
  11. ↑ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
  12. ↑ British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig, F.W.S.