North Warwickshire (UK Parliament constituency)

North Warwickshire is a constituency^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Dan Byles, a Conservative.^{[n 2]}

Boundaries

1983-2010: The Borough of North Warwickshire; and the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth wards of Exhall, Heath, Mount Pleasant, and Poplar.

2010-present: The Borough of North Warwickshire wards of Atherstone Central, Atherstone North, Atherstone South and Mancetter, Baddesley and Grendon, Coleshill North, Coleshill South, Curdworth, Dordon, Fillongley, Hurley and Wood End, Kingsbury, Newton Regis and Warton, Polesworth East, Polesworth West, and Water Orton; and the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth wards of Bede, Exhall, Heath, Poplar, and Slough.

The constituency since 2010 has all but two wards of North Warwickshire.^{[n 3]}

History

History 1832–1885

The North Warwickshire constituency was created for the 1832 general election, when the Great Reform Act divided the former Warwickshire constituency into two new divisions: North Warwickshire and South Warwickshire.

Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, North Warwickshire was abolished for the 1885 general election, when Warwickshire was divided into four new single-member constituencies: Nuneaton, Rugby, Stratford-on-Avon and Tamworth.

History 1983–present

The current North Warwickshire county constituency was created for the 1983 general election, replacing outlying parts of the Meriden and Nuneaton constituencies. The seat was won by Francis Maude of the Conservative Party at the 1983 general election, who held it until 1992, when it was taken by Mike O'Brien of Labour. Labour held the seat comfortably until 2010.

On 8 March 2007, former Army Officer and polar explorer Dan Byles was selected at an open primary to contest North Warwickshire for the Conservative Party. At the 2010 general election, Byles won the seat off Mike O'Brien by just 54 votes, making him the Conservative Member of Parliament with the smallest majority in the country.

Constituency profile

Warwickshire North has wards which are the most "working-class" (lowest average income) and industrial of the six constituencies in the county excluding Coventry, politically frequently with the best returns locally for Labour candidates, though in the 2010 election all six Warwickshire constituencies were Conservative gains, this constituency fell on a substantial swing of 8.1% from Labour to the Conservatives (compared to a national swing of 5%), making the area ultra-marginal.

Like much of the county, the area includes many rural villages which can today be classified as 'commuter' and 'retirement' south of the National Forest, south east of Tamworth and the small cathedral city of Lichfield and centred less than 10 miles (16 km) east of Birmingham which provides some work locally in the creative and international export sectors. Many towns and villages have a history of coal mining and heavy industry and with that a strong Labour vote.^[2]

Settlements include Bedworth, just north of Coventry, and the historic market town of Atherstone.^{[n 4]}

Members of Parliament

MPs 1832–1885

MPs since 1983

Elections

See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in Warwickshire

Notes

References

Coordinates: 52°30′N 1°42′W / 52.50°N 1.70°W / 52.50; -1.70