Worcester (UK Parliament constituency)

Worcester
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Boundary of Worcester in Worcestershire.

Outline map

Location of Worcestershire within England.
County Worcestershire
Electorate 73,960 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created 1295
Member of parliament Robin Walker (Conservative)
Number of members 1885–present: One
1295–1885: Two
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency West Midlands

Worcester is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since 1885 it has elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election; from 1295 to 1885 it elected two MPs.

Boundaries

1983-1997: The City of Worcester; and the District of Wychavon wards of Drakes Broughton, Inkberrow, Lenches, Pinvin, Spetchley, and Upton Snodsbury.

1997-present: The City of Worcester.

The constituency covers the city of Worcester, with exactly the same boundaries as the city. It borders the Mid Worcestershire constituency to the east, and West Worcestershire to the west.

History

A Conservative seat for many years, Worcester was represented by the high-profile Conservative cabinet minister Peter Walker for three decades, from a by-election in 1961 until he stood down in 1992. Peter Luff (also Conservative) held the seat until 1997, when he moved to the redrawn Mid Worcestershire constituency.

Michael Foster of the Labour Party took the seat in the 1997 general election. This can be put down to a combination of Labour's landslide victory nationally, but also to the fact that boundary changes meant the constituency was now solely an urban area, rather than also containing much of the surrounding countryside.

Peter Walker's son, Robin Walker, was elected as the Conservative MP in 2010.

The constituency is marginal and was selected as a "target" by the Labour Party in 1997 and by the Conservative Party in 2010.

Many political commentators and journalists look on Worcester as having the demographic statistics which most closely mirror those in the United Kingdom as a whole. As such the term "Worcester woman" has come into use as a description for a typical swing voter.

Members of Parliament

ParliamentFirst memberSecond member
1386 Richard MaisemoreRobert Stevens[2]
1388 (Feb)Roger LichfieldJohn Bredon[2]
1388 (Sep)John ColeJohn Somery[2]
1390 (Jan) Roger LichfieldThomas Belne[2]
1390 (Nov)Richard MaisemoreJohn Bredon[2]
1391 Thomas Belne Richard Maisemore[2]
1393 Thomas Belne John Hereford[2]
1394 Thomas BelneJohn Barrel[2]
1395 Thomas BelneJohn Cooper[2]
1397 (Jan)Thomas BelneJohn Bredon[2]
1397 (Sep)
1399 Thomas BelneJohn Bredon[2]
1401 John BarrelRichard Halle[2]
1402 Thomas BelneJohn Bredon[2]
1404 (Jan)Richard HalleJohn Malley[2]
1404 (Oct)
1406 Richard HalleRichard Oseney[2]
1407 Thomas BelneJohn Malley[2]
1410 John WestonThomas Belne[2]
1411
1413 (Feb) Sir John Phelip[2]
1413 (May)John WestonJohn Wood[2]
1414 (Apr)
1414 (Nov)John WestonRichard Norton[2]
1415 John WoodJohn Weston[2]
1416 (Mar)John Wood Ralph Merston[2]
1416 (Oct)
1417 John BoyleGeoffrey Friar[2]
1419 John WestonWilliam Boughton[2]
1420 John Forthey William Ward[2]
1421 (May)John FortheyRobert Nelme[2]
1421 (Dec)John FortheyGeoffrey Friar[2]
1510-1523No names known[3]
1529 Hugh Dee, died
and replaced after 1530 by ?Thomas Hill 		John Braughing[3]
1536 Thomas Hill ?[3]
1539 ?
1542 John BraughingThomas Sheldon[3]
1545 Richard CalowhillThomas Sheldon[3]
1547 John Braughing died
and replaced by Jan 1552 by Thomas Wylde		Robert Youle[3]
1553 (Mar)William RobinsonEdward Brogden[3]
1553 (Oct) Sir John BourneJohn Emery[3]
1554 (Apr) John AinsworthThomas Hill[3]
1554 (Nov)Robert YouleEdward Brogden[3]
1555 Robert Youle William Adyes[3]
1558 Robert Youle Thomas Wylde[3]
1559 Richard Bullingham Guthlac Edwards[4]
1562/3 William GibbesJohn More[4]
1571 Francis Streate Richard Bullingham[4]
1572 Christopher DeightonThomas Walsgrove alias Fleet[4]
1584 Richard NashWalter Jones[4]
1586 Ralph WyatWalter Jones[4]
1588 Walter JonesJohn Walsgrove alias Fleet[4]
1593 Walter JonesRowland Berkeley[4]
1597 Rowland BerkeleyWilliam Bagnall[4]
1601 Rowland BerkeleyChristopher Deighton[4]
1604 John Coucher Christopher Deighton, died
and repl. 1605 by Rowland Berkeley
1614 John Coucher Thomas Chettle
1621 John Coucher Robert Berkeley
1624 John Coucher Robert Berkeley
1625 Walter Devereux Henry Spelman
1626 John Spelman John Haselock
1628 John Coucher John Haselock
1640 (Apr) John Coucher John Nash
1640 (Nov) John Coucher John Nash, secluded 1648
1654 William Collins Edward Elvines (Alderman)
1656 William Collins Edmund Giles
1659 William Collins Thomas Street

MPs 1660–1885

ElectionFirst member[5]PartySecond member[5]Party
1660 Thomas Street Thomas Hall
1661 Sir Rowland Berkeley
1679 Sir Francis Winnington
1681 Henry Herbert, later Baron Herbert
1685 Sir William Bromley Bridges Nanfan
1689 Sir John Somers
1693 Samuel Swift
1694 Charles Cocks
1695 Samuel Swift
1701 Thomas Wylde
1718 by-election Samuel Sandys, later Baron Sandys
1727 Sir Richard Lane
1734 Richard Lockwood
1741 Thomas Winnington
1744 by-election Sir Henry Harpur
1746 by-election Thomas Vernon
1747 Thomas Geers Winford[6]
1748 [6] Robert Tracy
1754 Henry Crabb-Boulton
1761 John Walsh
1773 by-election Thomas Bates Rous Tory
1774, Mar by-election Nicholas Lechmere Tory
1774, Oct Thomas Bates Rous Tory
1780 William Ward, later Viscount Dudley
1784 Samuel Smith
1789 by-election Edmund Wigley
1790 Edmund Lechmere
1796 Abraham Robarts Whig
1802 Joseph Scott Whig
1806 Henry Bromley Whig
1807 by-election William Gordon Tory
1816 by-election Viscount Deerhurst Tory
1818 Thomas Henry Hastings Davies Whig
1826 George Richard Robinson Whig
1835 Joseph Bailey Conservative
1837 Thomas Henry Hastings Davies Liberal
1841 Sir Thomas Wilde Liberal
1846 by-election Sir Denis Le Marchant, Bt Liberal
1847 Osman Ricardo Liberal Francis Rufford Conservative
1852 William Laslett Liberal
1860 by-election Richard Padmore Liberal
1865 Alexander Clunes Sheriff Liberal
1868 William Laslett Conservative
1874 Thomas Rowley Hill Liberal
1878 by-election John Derby Allcroft Conservative
1880 Aeneas John McIntyre Liberal
1885 Representation reduced to one member

MPs since 1885

ElectionMember[5]PartyNotes
1885 George Higginson Allsopp Conservative Brewer, of Samuel Allsopp & Sons
1906 George Henry Williamson Conservative Election overturned on petition in 1906, writ suspended until 1908
1908 by-election Edward Alfred Goulding Conservative Made a baronet in 1915. Later ennobled as Baron Wargrave
1922 Richard Robert Fairbairn Liberal contested the seat 8 times, but won only once
1923 Crawford Greene Conservative
1945 George Ward Conservative ennobled in 1960 as Viscount Ward of Witley
1961 by-election Peter Walker Conservative Cabinet minister 1970–1974, 1979–1990
1992 Peter Luff Conservative MP for Mid Worcestershire for 1997
1997 Michael Foster Labour Under-Secretary of State for International Development 2008–2010
2010 Robin Walker Conservative son of Peter Walker, MP for Worcester 1961–1992

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Worcester[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UKIP James Goad[8]
Independent Mark Shuker[9]
Liberal Democrat Federica Smith[10]
Labour Joy Squires[11]
Green Louis Stephen
Conservative Robin Walker
TUSC Pete McNally[12]
General Election 2010: Worcester[13][14][15][16][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robin Walker 19,358 39.5 +4.4
Labour Michael Foster 16,376 33.4 -8.5
Liberal Democrat Jackie Alderson 9,525 19.4 +3.1
UKIP Jack Bennett 1,360 2.8 +0.4
BNP Spencer Kirby 1,219 2.5 +0.4
Green Louis Stephen 735 1.5 -0.5
Pirate Andrew Robinson 173 0.3 N/A
Independent Peter Nielsen 129 0.2 N/A
Independent Andrew Christian-Brookes 99 0.2 N/A
Majority 2,982 6.1
Turnout 48,974 67.2 +2.8
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +6.4

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Worcester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Foster 19,421 41.9 −6.7
Conservative Margaret Harper 16,277 35.1 −0.4
Liberal Democrat Mary Dhonau 7,557 16.3 +3.7
UKIP Richard Chamings 1,113 2.4 −0.9
BNP Martin Roberts 980 2.1 N/A
Green Chris Lennard 921 2.0 N/A
Independent Prudence Dowson 119 0.3 N/A
Majority 3,144 6.8
Turnout 46,388 64.1 +2.1
Labour hold Swing −3.2
General Election 2001: Worcester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Foster 21,478 48.6 -1.5
Conservative Richard Adams 15,712 35.5 -0.2
Liberal Democrat Paul Chandler 5,578 12.6 +0.1
UKIP Richard Chamings 1,442 3.3 +1.5
Majority 5,766 13.1
Turnout 44,210 62.0 -12.5
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Worcester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Foster 25,848 50.1
Conservative Nicholas Bourne 18,423 35.7
Liberal Democrat Paul Chandler 6,462 12.5
UKIP P. Wood 886 1.7
Majority 7,452
Turnout 74.6
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 1992: Worcester[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Luff 27,883 46.4 −1.8
Labour Roger E. Berry 21,731 36.2 +7.7
Liberal Democrat John J. Caiger 9,561 15.9 −7.5
Green Mike J. Foster 592 1.0 N/A
Independent Martin C. Soden 343 0.6 N/A
Majority 6,152 10.2 −9.5
Turnout 60,110 81.0 +4.3
Conservative hold Swing −4.8

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Worcester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Walker 25,504 48.17
Labour M.J. Webb 15,051 28.43
Social Democratic J.J. Craiger 12,386 23.40
Majority 10,453 19.74
Turnout 76.75
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1983: Worcester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Walker 24,381 49.45
Social Democratic Colin Phipps 13,510 27.40
Labour J. Rudd 11,208 22.73
BNP K.A. Axon 208 0.42
Majority 10,871 22.05
Turnout 74.11
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Worcester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Walker 30,194 51.31
Labour D. Sparks 18,605 31.62
Liberal D. Elliott 8,886 15.10
Ecology J. Davenport 707 1.20
National Front K. Stevens 450 0.76
Majority 11,589 19.70
Turnout 75.41
Conservative hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Worcester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Walker 25,183 45.57
Labour W.B. Morgan 20,194 36.54
Liberal D. Elliott 9,888 17.89
Majority 4,989 9.03
Turnout 73.84
Conservative hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Worcester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Walker 27,377 45.62
Labour W.B. Morgan 19,910 33.18
Liberal D.S. Smith 12,724 21.20
Majority 7,467 12.44
Turnout 80.95
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1970: Worcester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Walker 29,717 58.28
Labour P. Jones 21,275 41.72
Majority 8,442 16.56
Turnout 72.84
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Worcester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Walker 25,398 53.52
Labour F. Barrington-Ward 22,057 46.48
Majority 3,341 7.04
Turnout 77.89
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1964: Worcester

Electorate 60,287

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Walker 24,345 50.90
Labour J. Martin 17,038 35.62
Liberal John G. Parry 6,448 13.48
Majority 7,307 15.28
Turnout 47,831 79.34
Conservative hold Swing
Worcester by-election, 1961

Electorate

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Walker 15,087 39.7
Labour Bryan Stanley 11,490 30.2
Liberal Robert Glenton 11,435 30.1 n/a
Majority 3,597 9.5
Turnout 38,012 64.2
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Worcester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Ward 27,024 57.67
Labour Bryan Stanley 19,832 42.33
Majority 7,192 15.35
Turnout 79.26
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1955: Worcester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Ward 25,610 56.76
Labour L.V. Pike 19,508 43.24
Majority 6,102 13.52
Turnout 77.77
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1951: Worcester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Ward 26,060 55.48
Labour L.V. Pike 20,909 44.52
Majority 5,151 10.97
Turnout 82.13
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1950: Worcester

Electorate 56,622

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Ward 24,147 49.54
Labour J. Evans 19,807 40.64
Liberal Maj. W.H.P. Gardiner 4,786 9.82
Majority 4,340 8.90
Turnout 86.08
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Worcester

Electorate 41,523

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Ward 13,523 42.93
Labour J. Evans 13,519 42.92
Liberal Ronald James Bowker 4,459 14.16
Majority 4 0.01
Turnout 75.86
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1939/40: Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

General Election 1935: Worcester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Pomeroy Crawford Greene 13,398 50.68
Liberal Richard Robert Fairbairn 6,885 26.05
Labour James Ferguson 6,152 23.27
Majority 6,513 24.64
Turnout 76.75
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1931: Worcester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Pomeroy Crawford Greene 16,357 60.94
Liberal Richard Robert Fairbairn 6,611 24,63
Labour H Bolton 3,874 14.43
Majority 9,746 36.31
Turnout 79.71
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Worcester[21]

Electorate 32,764

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Pomeroy Crawford Greene 13,181 47.2
Labour Kenneth Martin Lindsay 8,208 29.3
Liberal Richard Robert Fairbairn 6,588 23.5
Majority 4,974 17.9
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1924: Worcester[22]

Electorate 25,617

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Pomeroy Crawford Greene 11,956 56.0
Liberal Richard Robert Fairbairn 6,139 28.7
Labour Percy Williams 3,272 15.3
Majority 5,817 27.3
Turnout 83.4
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1923: Worcester[23]

Electorate 25,094

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Pomeroy Crawford Greene 10,971 50.9 +2.9
Liberal Richard Robert Fairbairn 9,743 45.3 -6.7
Labour Percy Williams 815 3.8 n/a
Majority 1,228 5.6 9.6
Turnout 85.8
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +4.8
General Election 1922 : Worcester[24]

Electorate 23,694

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Richard Robert Fairbairn 10,143 52.0 +17.4
Unionist Hon. Henry Lygon 9,370 48.0 -17.4
Majority 773 4.0 34.8
Turnout 82.4 +20.1
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +17.4

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1918 Worcester[25]

Electorate 22,667

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist 9,243 65.4
Liberal Richard Robert Fairbairn 4,889 34.6
Majority 4,364 30.8
Turnout 62.3
Unionist hold Swing

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 5)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 The election of Winford in 1747 was overturned on petition, and Tracy was declared elected in his place
  7. ↑ http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/worcester/
  8. ↑ http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/11510349.UKIP_reveals_its_Worcester_General_Election_candidate/?ref=rss
  9. ↑ https://www.mark-shuker.co.uk
  10. ↑ http://worcesterlibdems.co.uk/2015/04/18/q-and-a-with-federica-smith-liberal-democrat-ppc-for-worcester/
  11. ↑ https://www.labour.org.uk/worcester-joy-squires
  12. ↑ "More TUSC candidates in place as election challenge grows". TUSC. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  13. ↑ http://www.libdems.org.uk/people_detail.aspx?name=Jackie_Alderson&pPK=9a78970e-ba56-451b-a8cb-b4172fcc9e09
  14. ↑ http://candidates.ukip.org/index.php?pg=show&eid=625
  15. ↑ http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/4726191.Ex_Tory_to_stand_as_an_independent_in_election/?ref=rss
  16. ↑ http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/4739535.Former_councillor_to_stand_as_independent/
  17. ↑ http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/local/8099450.Who_put_BNP_logo_on_Tory_election_posters_/
  18. ↑ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
  19. ↑ The Liberal Magazine, 1939
  20. ↑ Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
  21. ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  22. ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  23. ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  24. ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  25. ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.

Coordinates: 52°12′N 2°12′W / 52.20°N 2.20°W