Stoke-on-Trent Central (UK Parliament constituency)

Stoke-on-Trent Central is a constituency.^{[n 1][n 2]}

Members of Parliament

Profile

The contribution of the city to Britain's economy and history is prominent as home to Staffordshire Potteries: Aynsley, Burleigh, Doulton, Dudson, Heron Cross, Minton, Moorcroft, Twyford and Wedgwood, most in this particular seat.

Owing to a reduction in clay and coal excavation works in the area, and canal trade, this seat has the highest unemployment rates of the three Stoke seats; this seat has 6.2% of workless registered unemployment benefit claimants, compared to a national average of 3.8% and regional average of 4.7%.^[3]

Boundaries

Since the implementation of the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies after the 2005 election the seat has had these electoral wards:

• Abbey Green, Bentilee and Townsend, Berryhill and Hanley East, Hanley West and Shelton, Hartshill and Penkhull, Northwood and Birches Head, and Stoke and Trent Vale in the City of Stoke-on-Trent.^[4]

In the initial proposals of the Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat would be reshaped and renamed "Stoke-on-Trent South".^[5] The proposed seat would comprise the electoral wards of Bentilee and Ubberley, Boothen and Oak Hill, Broadway and Longton East, Eaton Park, Fenton East, Fenton West and Mount Pleasant, Hanley Park and Shelton, Hartshill and Basford, Joiner’s Square, Lightwood North and Normacot, Meir Hay, Meir North, Meir Park, Meir South, Penkhull and Stoke, Sandford Hill, Springfields and Trent Vale, and Weston Coyney.^[6]

History

The constituency was created for the 1950 general election. The large town had, in succession, two forerunners, the first of which gained representation by way of the "Great Reform Act" in 1832. The constituency has a majority of residents from a clear-cut working-class background, many of whom work or have worked in trade union-represented industries. Of these, many were employed in The Potteries, the smaller foundries or in nearby hubs for the civil infrastructure and automotive industries; the latter of these remains an important source of employment in the region. The constituency's housing—overwhelmingly low-rise, and in some cases highly ornate Victorian terraces and semi-detached houses—is, compared with Staffordshire as a whole, a relatively dense urban network of streets.

Political history

Statistics are confusing as to the current status of the area, reflecting the great demographic—in particular, economic sector—changes in the constituency. Tristram Hunt's result at the 2015 general election gave the seat the 60th-most marginal majority of the Labour Party's 232 seats, measured by percentage of majority.^[7] Labour's continuous tenure of Stoke-on-Trent Central since 1950 places it among the approximately 120 constituencies of the 232 which returned Labour members in 2015—all their precedessor areas included—to have withstood landslides for the Conservative Party during the intervening period (such as the 1983 general election). Stoke-on-Trent Central ranked highest for political apathy at the 2015 election, recording the lowest turnout in the United Kingdom.^[8]

Prominent members

Barnett Stross was awarded the Order of the White Lion in recognition of his role in the development of relations between the UK and Czechoslovakia, and for his role in the renewal of the substantial village of Lidice; he also led statutory efforts that began specific protection of workers against industrial disease.

Mark Fisher was for 13 months the Minister for the Arts at the outset of the Blair ministry.

Tristram Hunt was the Shadow Secretary of State for Education in the Labour Party's Shadow Cabinet from October 2013 until September 2015.

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2017: Stoke-on-Trent Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour Co-op	Gareth Snell	17,083	51.5	12.2
	Conservative	Daniel Jellyman	13,186	39.8	17.2
	UKIP	Mick Harold	1,608	4.8	17.8
	Liberal Democrat	Peter Andras	680	2.0	2.1
	Green	Adam Colclough	378	1.1	2.5
	Independent	Barbara Fielding	210	0.6	NA
Majority			3,897	11.8	0.6
Turnout			33,145	57.0

By-election 2017: Stoke-on-Trent Central^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Gareth Snell	7,853	37.1	2.2
	UKIP	Paul Nuttall	5,233	24.7	2.1
	Conservative	Jack Brereton	5,154	24.3	1.8
	Liberal Democrat	Zulfiqar Ali	2,083	9.8	5.7
	Green	Adam Colclough	294	1.4	2.2
	Independent	Barbara Fielding	137	0.6	N/A
	Monster Raving Loony	The Incredible Flying Brick	127	0.6	N/A
	BNP	David Furness	124	0.6	N/A
	Christian Peoples	Godfrey Davies	109	0.5	N/A
	Independent	Mohammad Akram	56	0.3	N/A
Majority			2,620	12.4	4.3
Turnout			21,200	38.2	11.7
	Labour hold		Swing

General Election 2015: Stoke-on-Trent Central^[10][11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Tristram Hunt	12,220	39.3	0.5
	UKIP	Mick Harold	7,041	22.7	18.3
	Conservative	Liam Marshall-Ascough	7,008	22.5	1.5
	Independent	Mark Breeze	2,120	6.8	6.8
	Liberal Democrat	Zulfiqar Ali[12]	1,296	4.2	17.5
	Green	Jan Zablocki[13]	1,123	3.6	3.6
	CISTA	Ali Majid	244	0.8	0.8
	The Ubuntu Party	Paul Toussaint	32	0.1	0.1
Majority			5,179	16.7
Turnout			31,084	49.9
	Labour hold		Swing

General Election 2010: Stoke-on-Trent Central^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Tristram Hunt	12,605	38.8	13.6
	Liberal Democrat	John Redfern	7,039	21.7	3.1
	Conservative	Norsheen Bhatti	6,833	21.0	3.7
	BNP	Simon Darby	2,502	7.7	0.1
	UKIP	Carol Lovatt	1,402	4.3	1.1
	Independent	Paul Breeze	959	3.0	N/A
	Independent	Gary Elsby	399	1.2	N/A
	City Independents	Brian Ward	303	0.9	N/A
	Independent	Alby Walker	295	0.9	N/A
	TUSC	Matthew Wright	133	0.4	N/A
Majority			5,566	17.1	12.9
Turnout			32,470	53.2	4.5
	Labour hold		Swing	8.3

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Stoke-on-Trent Central^[15][16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Mark Fisher	14,760	52.9	7.8
	Liberal Democrat	John Redfern	4,986	17.9	3.2
	Conservative	Esther Baroudy	4,823	17.3	1.5
	BNP	Michael Coleman	2,178	7.8	N/A
	UKIP	Joseph Bonfiglio	914	3.3	N/A
	Socialist Alternative	Jim Cessford	246	0.9	N/A
Majority			9,774	35.0	6.9
Turnout			27,907	48.4	1.0
	Labour hold		Swing	5.5

General Election 2001: Stoke-on-Trent Central^[17][18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Mark Fisher	17,170	60.7	5.5
	Conservative	Jill Clark	5,325	18.8	2.1
	Liberal Democrat	Gavin Webb	4,148	14.7	2.8
	Independent	Richard Wise	1,657	5.9	N/A
Majority			11,845	41.9	7.6
Turnout			28,300	47.4	15.4
	Labour hold		Swing	3.9

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Stoke-on-Trent Central^[19][20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Mark Fisher	26,662	66.2	8.2
	Conservative	Neil Jones	6,738	16.7	11.2
	Liberal Democrat	Ed Fordham	4,809	11.9	1.7
	Referendum	Peter L. Stanyer	1,071	2.7	N/A
	BNP	Michael Coleman	606	1.5	N/A
	Liberal	Fran M. Oborski	359	0.9	N/A
Majority			19,924	49.5	19.2
Turnout			40,245	62.8	5.3
	Labour hold		Swing	9.7

General Election 1992: Stoke-on-Trent Central^[21][22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Mark Fisher	25,897	58.0	5.46
	Conservative	Nick Gibb	12,477	27.9	3.11
	Liberal Democrat	Martin Dent	6,073	13.6	N/A
	Natural Law	Nicholas Pullen	196	0.4	N/A
Majority			13,420	30.3	8.77
Turnout			44,643	68.1	0.7
	Labour hold		Swing	4.29

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Stoke-on-Trent Central^[23][24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Mark Fisher	23,842	52.5	4.5
	Conservative	David Stone	14,072	31.0	1.7
	Social Democratic	Iain Cundy	7,462	16.4	5.0
Majority			9,770	21.5	2.8
Turnout			45,376	68.8	2.9
	Labour hold		Swing	3.1

General Election 1983: Stoke-on-Trent Central^[25][26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Mark Fisher	21,194	48.1	12.1
	Conservative	Keith Mans	12,944	29.4	0.1
	Social Democratic	Vicki Freeman	9,458	21.5	N/A
	Monster Raving Loony	Clive Cook	504	1.1	N/A
Majority			8,250	18.7	12.0
Turnout			44,102	65.9	3.2
	Labour hold		Swing	− 6.0

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in Staffordshire

Notes and references

Notes

References

Coordinates: 53°1′N 2°11′W / 53.017°N 2.183°W / 53.017; -2.183