Mid Staffordshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Mid Staffordshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
County Staffordshire
Major settlements Lichfield, Rugeley, Stone
1983–1997
Number of members one
Replaced by Lichfield, Stone, Cannock Chase, Stafford

Mid Staffordshire was a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom from 1983 until 1997.

It covered a swathe of territory across the centre of Staffordshire, stretching from Lichfield and Rugeley in the south to Stone in the north.

At the 1983 general election, the seat was won by John Heddle of the Conservative Party, who had previously represented the Lichfield and Tamworth constituency. Heddle held the seat at the 1987 general election.

Following Heddle's suicide in December 1989, a by-election followed on 22 March 1990. The by-election attracted a blaze of publicity, and a large number of candidates (14), as it took place at the height of the public dissatisfaction with the Conservative government over the Community Charge or Poll Tax (indeed, the notorious Poll Tax Riots took place only days after the by-election). Sylvia Heal of the Labour Party was victorious in the by-election; however she failed to retain the seat at the 1992 general election, losing to the Conservatives' Michael Fabricant.

In 1997, a review by the Boundary Commission reorganised the constituencies in Staffordshire, and Mid Staffordshire was abolished. It was replaced by parts of four constituencies: mostly by the Lichfield and Stone constituencies, apart from Rugeley which was included in Cannock Chase, and the area around the village of Great Haywood which was covered by the Stafford constituency.

Boundaries

The District of Lichfield wards of Armitage with Handsacre, Central, Chadsmead, Colton and Ridwares, Curborough, King's Bromley, Longdon, Leomansley, St John's, and Stowe, the Borough of Stafford wards of Barlaston, Chartley, Fulford, Haywood, Milwich, Oulton, St Michael's, Stonefield and Christchurch, and the District of Cannock Chase wards of Brereton and Ravenhill, Brindley Heath, Etching Hill, Hagley, and Western Springs.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember [1] PartyNotes
1983 John Heddle Conservative Previously MP for Lichfield and Tamworth from 1979; committed suicide December 1989
1990 by-election Sylvia Heal Labour Subsequently MP for Halesowen and Rowley Regis 1997-2010, and a Deputy Speaker 2000–2010
1992 Michael Fabricant Conservative Subsequently MP for Lichfield since 1997
1997 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1992: Mid Staffordshire[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Fabricant 31,227 49.7 −0.9
Labour Sylvia Heal 24,991 39.8 +15.0
Liberal Democrat BJ Stamp 6,402 10.2 −13.0
Natural Law Ms. D Grice 239 0.4 N/A
Majority 6,236 9.9 −16.0
Turnout 62,859 85.6 +6.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing −8.0
Mid Staffordshire by-election, 1990[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sylvia Heal 27,649 49.1 24.3
Conservative Charles Prior 18,200 32.3 -18.3
Liberal Democrat Timothy Jones 6,315 11.2 -12.0
Social Democrat Ian Wood 1,422 2.5
Green Robert Saunders 1,215 2.2
Anti-Thatcher Conservative James Bazeley 547 1.0
Monster Raving Loony Screaming Lord Sutch 336 0.6
National Front John Hill[4] 311 0.5
NHS Supporters Party Dr Christopher Abell 102 0.2
Against Immigration Conservative Green Nicholas Parker-Jervis 71 0.1
Raving Loony Green Giant Supercalafragalistic Party Stuart Hughes 59 0.1
National Independent Correct Edification Lindi St. Claire 51 0.1
Independent 'Save the 2CV' Bernard Mildwater 42 0.1
Christian Patriotic Alliance - Save Britain Campaign David Black 39 0.1
Majority 9,449 16.8
Turnout 56,359 77.5 -1.9
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +21%

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Mid Staffordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Heddle 28,644 50.6 -1.5
Labour C.R. St. Hill 13,990 24.7 +2.3
Liberal Timothy A. Jones 13,114 23.2 -2.3
Independent Conservative J.G. Bazeley 836 1.5 N/A
Majority 14,654 25.9 -0.7
Turnout 56,584 79.4 +1.9
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1983: Mid Staffordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Heddle 27,210 52.1
Liberal T.A. Jones 13,330 25.5
Labour P.W. Lane 11,720 22.4
Majority 13,880 26.6
Turnout 52,260 77.5
Conservative hold Swing

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 4)
  2. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
  3. ↑ http://www.by-elections.co.uk/staffordshire90.html
  4. ↑ http://by-elections.co.uk/staffsmid90/hill.html

Sources

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