Melton (UK Parliament constituency)

Melton was a county constituency centred on the town of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Melton
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyLeicestershire
Major settlementsMelton Mowbray
18851983
Number of membersOne
Replaced byRutland & Melton, Loughborough and Bosworth[1]
Created fromNorth Leicestershire

The constituency was created for the 1885 general election, when the former two-seat Northern Division of Leicestershire was replaced by two new single-seat county divisions: Melton and Loughborough. It was abolished for the 1983 general election, when it was succeeded by the Rutland and Melton constituency.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Belvoir and Melton Mowbray, and parts of the Sessional Divisions of Leicester and Loughborough.

1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Melton Mowbray, Quorndon, and Thurmaston, and the Rural Districts of Barrow-upon-Soar, Belvoir, Billesdon, and Melton Mowbray.

1950–1974: The Urban District of Melton Mowbray, and the Rural Districts of Barrow-upon-Soar, Billesdon, and Melton and Belvoir.

1974–1983: The Urban District of Melton Mowbray, and the Rural Districts of Barrow-upon-Soar, and Melton and Belvoir.

As its name suggested, the main settlement in the constituency was Melton Mowbray.

Members of Parliament

YearMemberParty
1885 Lord John Manners Conservative
1888 Marquess of Granby Conservative
1895 Lord Edward Manners Conservative
1900 Lord Cecil Manners Conservative
1906 Henry Walker Liberal
1910 Sir Charles Yate Conservative
1924 Sir Lindsay Everard Unionist
1945 Sir Anthony Nutting Conservative
1956 Mervyn Pike Conservative
1974 Michael Latham Conservative
1983 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1880s

Lord John
General election 1885: Melton [2][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Manners 5,150 57.1
Liberal Daniel Rowlinson Ratcliff 3,868 42.9
Majority 1,282 14.2
Turnout 9,018 88.5
Registered electors 10,190
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1886: Melton [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Manners Unopposed
Conservative hold

Manners was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 13 Aug 1886: Melton [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Manners Unopposed
Conservative hold

Manners succeeded to the peerage, becoming Duke of Rutland, causing a by-election.

Granby
By-election, 21 Mar 1888: Melton [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Manners Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Melton [2][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Manners Unopposed
Conservative hold
Lord Edward
General election 1895: Melton [2][4][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Manners 5,636 56.8 N/A
Liberal Arthur Wakerley 4,283 43.2 New
Majority 1,353 13.6 N/A
Turnout 9,919 83.4 N/A
Registered electors 11,894
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Melton [2][4][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Cecil Manners 5,585 51.8 -5.0
Liberal Arthur Wakerley 5,193 48.2 +5.0
Majority 392 3.6 -10.0
Turnout 10,778 80.0 -3.4
Registered electors 11,894
Conservative hold Swing -5.0
General election 1906: Melton [3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry de Rosenbach Walker 7,800 56.4 +8.2
Conservative Arthur Hazlerigg 6,033 43.6 -8.2
Majority 1,767 12.8 N/A
Turnout 13,833 87.5 +7.5
Registered electors 15,815
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +8.2

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Melton [3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry de Rosenbach Walker 7,748 50.4 -6.0
Conservative Charles Yate 7,625 49.6 +6.0
Majority 123 0.8 -12.0
Turnout 15,373 91.1 +3.6
Liberal hold Swing -6.0
General election December 1910: Melton [3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Yate 7,599 51.3 +1.7
Liberal Edward Dunne 7,227 48.7 -1.7
Majority 372 2.6 N/A
Turnout 14,826 87.9 -3.2
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +1.7

General Election 1914/15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1918: Melton [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Charles Yate Unopposed
Unionist hold
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Melton [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Charles Yate 13,341 53.6 N/A
Liberal Arthur Richardson 11,550 46.4 New
Majority 1,791 7.2 N/A
Turnout 24,891 79.9 N/A
Unionist hold Swing N/A
General election 1923: Melton [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Charles Yate 13,239 50.1 -3.5
Liberal Arthur Richardson 13,195 49.9 +3.5
Majority 44 0.2 -7.0
Turnout 26,434 80.9 +1.0
Unionist hold Swing -3.5
General election 1924: Melton [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Lindsay Everard 17,090 58.9 +8.8
Liberal Arthur Richardson 11,934 41.1 -8.8
Majority 5,156 17.8 +17.6
Turnout 29,024 84.3 +3.4
Unionist hold Swing +8.8
General election 1929: Melton [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Lindsay Everard 18,707 47.4 -11.5
Liberal Guy Halford Dixon 14,144 35.9 -5.2
Labour A. E. Stubbs 6,569 16.7 New
Majority 4,563 11.5 -6.3
Turnout 32,851 83.2 -1.1
Unionist hold Swing -3.2

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Melton [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lindsay Everard 30,355 78.9 +31.5
Labour A. E. Stubbs 8,100 21.1 +4.4
Majority 22,255 57.8 +46.3
Turnout 38,455 76.4 -6.8
Conservative hold Swing N/A
  • Liberal candidate Guy Halford Dixon withdrew at the start of the campaign
General election 1935: Melton [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lindsay Everard 26,325 67.4 -11.5
Labour A. E. Stubbs 12,704 32.5 +11.4
Majority 13,621 34.9 -22.9
Turnout 39,029 71.9 -4.5
Conservative hold Swing -11.5

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 and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Melton [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Anthony Nutting 23,772 46.0 -21.4
Labour Archibald Crawford 18,379 35.6 +3.1
Liberal Brian Melton Butcher 9,510 18.4 New
Majority 5,393 10.4 -24.5
Turnout 51,661 76.7 +4.8
Conservative hold Swing -12.2

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Melton [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Anthony Nutting 26,177 51.01
Labour Archibald Crawford 19,621 38.24
Liberal Wilfrid Horace Kirby 5,518 10.75 New
Majority 6,556 12.77
Turnout 51,316 87.46
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1951: Melton [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Anthony Nutting 28,689 56.26
Labour Kenneth Frank Urwin 22,308 43.74
Majority 6,381 12.52
Turnout 50,997 85.46
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Melton [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Anthony Nutting 30,074 60.92
Labour Kenneth Frank Urwin 19,294 39.08
Majority 10,780 21.84
Turnout 49,368 80.95
Conservative hold Swing
1956 Melton by-election [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mervyn Pike 19,133 53.29 -7.63
Labour Edward John Masters 16,771 46.71 +7.63
Majority 2,362 6.58 -15.26
Turnout 35,904
Conservative hold Swing -7.63
General election 1959: Melton [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mervyn Pike 34,997 61.21
Labour Charles W Shepherd 22,176 38.79
Majority 12,821 22.42
Turnout 57,173 81.40
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Melton [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mervyn Pike 32,842 51.47
Labour D. J. Williams 19,578 30.68
Liberal Garth V. J. Pratt 11,392 17.85 New
Majority 13,264 20.79
Turnout 65,684 82.57
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1966: Melton [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mervyn Pike 30,776 48.04
Labour John R. Frears 23,181 36.18
Liberal Garth V. J. Pratt 10,108 15.78
Majority 7,595 11.86
Turnout 64,065 80.47
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Melton [9][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mervyn Pike 38,782 56.08
Labour Kevin Wood 20,907 30.23
Liberal John B. Pick 9,465 13.69
Majority 17,785 25.85
Turnout 69,154 75.94
Conservative hold Swing
General election February 1974: Melton[1][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Latham 32,239 47.44 -8.64
Liberal John Barclay Pick 19,490 28.68 +14.99
Labour Royston William Samuel Mayhew 16,228 23.88 -6.35
Majority 12,749 18.76 -7.09
Turnout 67,957 83.49 +7.55
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Melton[1][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Latham 30,943 48.92 +1.48
Labour David John Knaggs 16,747 26.47 +2.59
Liberal John Barclay Pick 15,567 24.61 -4.07
Majority 14,196 22.45 +3.69
Turnout 63,257 77.03 -6.46
Conservative hold Swing -0.56
General election 1979: Melton[1][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Latham 40,242 58.56 +9.64
Labour Mel Read 15,882 23.11 -3.36
Liberal David John Farrer 12,596 18.33 -6.28
Majority 24,360 35.45 +13.00
Turnout 68,720 78.70 +1.67
Conservative hold Swing +6.50

References

  1. "'Melton', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  2. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  3. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  4. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  5. Grantham Journal, 18 Apr 1914
  6. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  7. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
  8. The Liberal Magazine, 1939
  9. British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
  10. https://web.archive.org/web/20121010071845/http://by-elections.co.uk/56.html
  11. F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
  12. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1970". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 16 June 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  13. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results February 1974". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 27 January 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  14. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results October 1974". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  15. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1979". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
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