Tatton (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 53°18′43″N 2°23′02″W / 53.312°N 2.384°W

Tatton
County constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Boundary of Tatton in Cheshire.

Outline map

Location of Cheshire within England.
County Cheshire
Electorate 65,200 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created 1983
Member of parliament George Osborne (Conservative)
Number of members One
Created from Runcorn, Cheadle, Northwich & Knutsford
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency North West England

Tatton is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2001 by the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne.[n 2]

Boundaries

The constituency is the north-western part of the Cheshire East unitary authority, including the towns of Knutsford and Wilmslow, and a number of villages such as Alderley Edge, Chelford, Handforth and Mobberley, in Cheshire. It also covers a small, north-east, part of the Cheshire West and Chester unitary authority, including some of the outskirts of Northwich.

The constituency is named after Tatton Park, a stately home in this area.

Following their review of parliamentary representation in Cheshire, the Boundary Commission for England made minor changes to the existing arrangement as a consequence of population changes. The electoral wards included in this modified constituency became:

The changes were approved in 2007 and were in effect at the 2010 general election.[3]

History

The constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the seats of Runcorn, Cheadle, Northwich and Knutsford. It was held by the Conservative Neil Hamilton until 1997.

Tatton shot to fame during the 1997 general election campaign, becoming one of the highest-profile constituencies at that election. Following Hamilton's implication in the Cash for Questions scandal of the 1990s, the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats withdrew their candidates in favour of the former BBC journalist Martin Bell, who stood as an Independent, while those two parties supported his "anti-corruption" campaign. Bell was ultimately victorious, with a majority of over 11,000 over Hamilton.

Bell did not contest the seat at the 2001 election, and the seat was won by Conservative George Osborne with a majority of 8,611 (20.8%).

Prominent members of the frontbenches

Osborne held the seat at the 2005 election with an increased majority, and became the Shadow Chancellor that year, and Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2010, one of the highest frontbench government positions.

Constituency profile

Tatton includes Alderley Edge, Wilmslow and other outlying villages which have high property prices. The seat largely comprises prosperous villages and small towns set amidst Cheshire countryside, featuring country parks, hills, recreation grounds and golf courses,[4] previously dominated by countryside however since the 1950s, with a largely built-up, suburban character, on the fringes of Greater Manchester. The largest centres of population are Alderley Edge, Wilmslow and Knutsford. Its proximity to Manchester means Tatton forms part of the commuter belt to the city.

Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 2.1% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[5]

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember[6] Party
1983 Mostyn Neil Hamilton Conservative
1997 Martin Bell Independent
2001 George Osborne Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Tatton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UKIP Stuart Alex Hutton[7]
Conservative George Osborne
Labour David Jonathan Pinto-Duschinsky[8]
Green Tina Louise Rothery[9]
Liberal Democrat Gareth George Wilson[10]
General Election 2010: Tatton[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Osborne 24,687 54.6 +2.8
Liberal Democrat David Lomax 10,200 22.6 +0.8
Labour Richard Jackson 7,803 17.3 −6.2
Independent Sarah Flannery 2,243 4.9 +4.9
The True English (Poetry) Party Michael George Gibson 298 0.7 +0.1
Majority 14,487 32.0
Turnout 45,231 70.6 +9.2
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Tatton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Osborne 21,447 51.8 +3.7
Labour Justin Madders 9,716 23.5 −3.8
Liberal Democrat Ainsley Arnold 9,016 21.8 +3.2
UKIP Diane Bowler 996 2.4 +0.5
Independent Michael George Gibson 239 0.6 +0.6
Majority 11,731 28.3 3.6
Turnout 41,414 64.6
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 2001: Tatton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Osborne 19,860 48.1 +10.7
Labour Steve Conquest 11,249 27.3 N/A
Liberal Democrat Mike Ash 7,685 18.6 N/A
UKIP Mark Sheppard 769 1.9 N/A
Independent Green Peter Sharratt 734 1.8 N/A
Tatton Group Vivianne Allinson 505 1.2 N/A
Independent John Batchelor 322 0.8 N/A
Independent Jonathan Boyd Hunt 154 0.4 N/A
Majority 8,611 20.8
Turnout 41,278 63.5
Conservative gain from Independent Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Tatton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Martin Bell 29,354 60.2 N/A
Conservative Mostyn Neil Hamilton 18,277 37.5 −17.6
Independent Conservative Sam Hill 295 0.6 N/A
Independent Conservative Simon L. Kinsey 184 0.4 N/A
Miss Moneypenny's Glamorous One Party Burnel G. Penhaul 128 0.3 N/A
Albion Party John R. Muir 126 0.3 N/A
Natural Law Michael P. Kennedy 123 0.3 N/A
Lord Byro versus the Scallywag Tories David L. Bishop 116 0.2 N/A
Independent Conservative Raul Nicholas 113 0.2 N/A
Juice Party Julian Price 73 0.1 N/A
Majority 11,077 22.7
Turnout 48,792 76.1
Independent gain from Conservative Swing 48.9
General Election 1992: Tatton[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mostyn Neil Hamilton 31,658 55.1 +0.5
Labour Jonathan M. Kelly 15,798 27.5 +5.9
Liberal Democrat Ms. Cathy Hancox 9,597 16.7 −6.9
Feudal Party Michael George Gibson 410 0.7 +0.2
Majority 15,860 27.6 −3.4
Turnout 57,463 80.8 +4.0
Conservative hold Swing −2.7

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Tatton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mostyn Neil Hamilton 30,128 54.6 0.0
Social Democratic Ms. Bridie Gaskin 13,034 23.6 −3.6
Labour Hazel Blears 11,760 21.3 +3.1
Feudal Party Michael George Gibson 263 0.5 N/A
Majority 17,094 31.0
Turnout 55,185 76.8
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1983: Tatton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mostyn Neil Hamilton 27,877 54.6 N/A
Social Democratic David Levy 13,917 27.2 N/A
Labour William Davies 9,295 18.2 N/A
Majority 13,960 27.3 N/A
Turnout 51,089 74.3 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

Notes and references

Notes
  1. ↑ A county 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.
References
  1. ↑ "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ↑ 2010 post-revision map non-metropolitan areas and unitary authorities of England
  3. ↑ The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007, S.I. 2007/1681
  4. ↑ OS Map with Listed Buildings and Parks marked
  5. ↑ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  6. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 1)
  7. ↑ http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/tatton/
  8. ↑ Wilson, James (20 October 2014). "Labour's David Pinto Duschinsky to take on George Osbourne at General Election". Northwich Guardian. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  9. ↑ http://yournextmp.com/constituency/65964/tatton
  10. ↑ Gareth Wilson selected to stand for Liberal Democrats against George Osborne Liberal Democrat Voice
  11. ↑ http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/electoral_services/parliamentary_general_election/tatton_constituency.aspx, Cheshire East Council
  12. ↑ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.

Sources

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Edinburgh South West		 Constituency represented by the Chancellor of the Exchequer
2010 – present 		Succeeded by
incumbent