Normanton (UK Parliament constituency)

Normanton was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Normanton
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of Normanton in West Yorkshire for the 2005 general election
Location of West Yorkshire within England
CountyWest Yorkshire
1885–2010
Number of membersOne
Replaced byNormanton, Pontefract and Castleford, Morley and Outwood and Wakefield
Created fromSouthern West Riding of Yorkshire

Boundaries

1885–1918:

1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Altofts, Castleford, Featherstone, Methley, Normanton, and Whitwood.

1950–1983: The Urban Districts of Normanton, Rothwell, and Stanley, in the Rural District of Tadcaster the parishes of Great and Little Preston, and Swillington, and in the Rural District of Wakefield the parishes of Crofton, Sharlston, and Warmfield-cum-Heath.

1983–1997: The City of Wakefield wards of Normanton and Sharlston, Ossett, Stanley and Altofts, and Stanley and Wrenthorpe, and the City of Leeds ward of Rothwell.

1997–2010: The City of Wakefield wards of Horbury, Normanton and Sharlston, Ossett, Stanley and Altofts, and Stanley and Wrenthorpe.

The West Yorkshire constituency includes the towns of Normanton and Ossett and several villages. The area has a tradition of being working-class, but it has now become almost entirely gentrified as nearby Leeds has expanded as a financial centre.

Ossett is now actually the largest town in the area, due to its high growth in recent years. The Tory vote is very low in Normanton itself and in Ossett, but councillors have been elected for Horbury and for Wrenthorpe. Until recently the LibDems had all three councillors for the Ossett ward, but have never performed well in general elections, in this area. Stanley and Outwood East is a fairly safe Labour ward.

The constituency is nicknamed the banana constituency on account of its unusual shape.

The village of Altofts, located just to the north of Normanton, was included in the constituency, despite being part of a Castleford ward, and due to move into a proposed "Pontefract and Castleford" seat.

Boundary review

Following their review of parliamentary representation in West Yorkshire, the Boundary Commission for England had created a Normanton and Pontefract constituency. In late May 2006, the Commission published a revised recommendation changing the name of this constituency to Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford.

Local newspapers and the Labour Party opposed the initial change, but following a public consultation the Commission decided to create the seat conceding only a name change – from Pontefract and Castleford, to Normanton and Pontefract. This was extended to cover all three names. The wards of Wrenthorpe and Outwood West and Stanley and Outwood East – the most affluent parts of the constituency – were joined to the Conservative-leaning commuter town of Morley, which is in the Leeds district, as Morley and Outwood. At the time local groups and newspapers protested that this represented a takeover of the Wakefield district by the Leeds district. An early concern of the Labour Party was that Morley and Outwood would be won by the Conservatives, which ultimately did happen at the 2015 general election. Ossett and Horbury were moved to the Wakefield constituency.

Members of Parliament

The constituency elected only Labour MPs since 1905, the longest run (with Gower and Makerfield) of any UK constituency. From 1885 to 1906, it had returned Liberal-Labour MPs.

Ed Balls, the former Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, represented the seat from the 2005 general election until 2010 when it was abolished.

ElectionMember[1]Party
1885 Benjamin Pickard Lib-Lab
1904 by-election William Parrott Lib-Lab
1905 by-election Frederick Hall Lib-Lab
1909 Labour
1933 by-election Tom Smith Labour
1947 by-election George Sylvester Labour
1950 Thomas Brooks Labour
1951 Albert Roberts Labour
1983 Bill O'Brien Labour
2005 Ed Balls Labour Co-op
2010 constituency abolished : see Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford
and Morley and Outwood

Election results

Elections in the 1880s
Pickard
General election 1885: Normanton [2][3][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Lib-Lab Benjamin Pickard 5,615 60.2
Conservative Albany Charlesworth 3,706 29.8
Majority 1,909 20.4
Turnout 9,321 81.2
Registered electors 11,479
Lib-Lab win (new seat)
General election 1886: Normanton [2][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Lib-Lab Benjamin Pickard 4,771 56.2 -4.0
Conservative Albany Charlesworth 3,724 46.8 +4.0
Majority 1,047 12.4 -8.0
Turnout 8,495 74.0 -7.2
Registered electors 11,479
Lib-Lab hold Swing -4.0

Elections in the 1890s
General election 1892: Normanton [2][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Lib-Lab Benjamin Pickard 6,134 61.7 +5.5
Conservative Percy Tew 3,803 38.3 -5.5
Majority 2,331 23.4 +11.0
Turnout 9,937 76.4 +2.4
Registered electors 13,000
Lib-Lab hold Swing +5.5
General election 1895: Normanton [2][3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Lib-Lab Benjamin Pickard 5,499 58.3 -3.4
Conservative D'Arcy Bruce Wilson 3,941 41.7 +3.4
Majority 1,558 16.6 -6.8
Turnout 9,440 72.6 -3.8
Registered electors 12,998
Lib-Lab hold Swing -3.4

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: Normanton [2][3][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Lib-Lab Benjamin Pickard 5,025 58.2 -0.1
Conservative Cecil Edmund Lister-Kaye, 4th Baronet 3,606 41.8 +0.1
Majority 1,419 16.4 -0.2
Turnout 8,631 65.9 -6.7
Registered electors 13,100
Lib-Lab hold Swing -0.1
Parrott
1904 Normanton by-election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Lib-Lab William Parrott 6,855 70.2 +12.0
Conservative Marcus Robert Phipps Dorman 2,909 29.8 −12.0
Majority 3,946 40.4 +24.0
Turnout 9,764 65.5 −0.4
Registered electors 14,898
Lib-Lab hold Swing +12.0
Hall
1905 Normanton by-election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Lib-Lab Frederick Hall Unopposed
Lib-Lab hold
General election 1906: Normanton [2][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Lib-Lab Frederick Hall Unopposed
Lib-Lab hold

Elections in the 1910s
Ashmead-Bartlett
General election January 1910: Normanton [2][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frederick Hall 9,172 72.2 N/A
Conservative Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett 3,540 27.8 New
Majority 5,632 44.4 N/A
Turnout 12,712 77.2 N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
General election December 1910: Normanton [2][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frederick Hall Unopposed
Labour hold

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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1918: Normanton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frederick Hall Unopposed
Labour hold

Elections in the 1920s
General election 1922: Normanton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frederick Hall 16,040 73.3 N/A
National Liberal Ernest George Bearcroft 5,855 26.7 New
Majority 10,185 46.6 N/A
Turnout 21,895 68.3 N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
General election 1923: Normanton[7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frederick Hall 15,455 78.0 +4.7
Unionist George Hillman 4,365 22.0 -4.7
Majority 11,090 56.0 +9.4
Turnout 19,820 61.5 -6.8
Labour hold Swing +4.7
General election 1924: Normanton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frederick Hall Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
General election 1929: Normanton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frederick Hall 26,008 83.1 N/A
Unionist Alfred Coates 5,276 16.9 New
Majority 20,732 66.2 N/A
Turnout 31,284 75.8 N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1930s
General election 1931: Normanton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frederick Hall 22,877 69.6 -13.5
Conservative John Norman Cumberbirch 9,974 30.4 +13.5
Majority 12,903 39.2 -27.0
Turnout 32,851 78.8 +3.0
Labour hold Swing -13.5
1933 Normanton by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Smith Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A
General election 1935: Normanton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Smith 26,705 81.4 N/A
Conservative Eric Oscar Moss 6,106 18.6 New
Majority 20,599 62.8 N/A
Turnout 32,811 77.7 N/A
Labour hold Swing N/A

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: Normanton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Smith 28,238 84.3 +2.9
Conservative John Harvey Hulbert 5,259 15.7 -2.9
Majority 22,979 68.6 +5.8
Turnout 33,497 79.9 +2.2
Labour hold Swing +2.9
1947 Normanton by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Sylvester 19,085 79.8 −4.5
Conservative Enoch Powell 4,258 17.8 +2.1
Independent Walter Dixon Hartley 579 2.4 New
Majority 14,827 62.0 -6.6
Turnout 23,922 54.6 −25.3
Labour hold Swing -3.3

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1950: Normanton [11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas Brooks 31,986 74.53
Conservative Thomas Heseltine 10,929 25.47
Majority 21,057 49.06
Turnout 42,915 87.54
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Normanton [11][12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Roberts 31,052 73.49
Conservative and National Liberal Thomas Heseltine 11,199 26.51
Majority 19,853 46.98
Turnout 42,251 85.48
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Normanton [11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Roberts 27,846 73.50
Conservative John Bird 10,040 26.50
Majority 17,806 47.00
Turnout 37,886 78.09
Labour hold Swing
General election 1959: Normanton [11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Roberts 29,672 72.65
Conservative James A C Briggs 11,169 27.35
Majority 18,503 45.30
Turnout 40,841 83.11
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1964: Normanton [11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Roberts 28,477 72.53
Conservative Francis Kevin Roberts 10,785 27.47
Majority 17,692 45.06
Turnout 39,262 77.51
Labour hold Swing
General election 1966: Normanton [11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Roberts 29,416 76.41
Conservative John Edward Robert Wauchop 9,084 23.59
Majority 20,332 52.82
Turnout 38,500 74.31
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1970: Normanton [11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Roberts 28,421 68.40
Conservative David H Cargill 13,132 31.60
Majority 15,289 36.80
Turnout 41,553 71.55
Labour hold Swing
General election February 1974: Normanton [14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Roberts 29,621 67.22
Conservative Antony Marlow 14,447 32.78
Majority 15,174 34.44
Turnout 44,068 75.40
Labour hold Swing
General election October 1974: Normanton [14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Roberts 24,372 58.73
Conservative J Makin 9,739 23.47
Liberal W Whitaker 7,384 17.79 New
Majority 14,633 35.26
Turnout 41,495 70.41
Labour hold Swing
General election 1979: Normanton [14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Roberts 26,591 56.43
Conservative MH Cavendish 14,398 30.55
Liberal ARC Paton 6,134 13.02
Majority 12,193 25.88
Turnout 47,123 76.76
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s
General election 1983: Normanton[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill O'Brien 18,782 43.56
Conservative A Paul 14,599 33.86
SDP P Pantelli 9,741 22.59 New
Majority 4,183 9.70
Turnout 43,122 70.40
Labour hold Swing
General election 1987: Normanton[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill O'Brien 23,303 49.54
Conservative MDM Smith 16,016 34.05
SDP RJ Macey 7,717 16.41
Majority 7,287 15.49
Turnout 47,036 74.78
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1992: Normanton[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill O'Brien 25,936 51.8 +2.3
Conservative Robert Sturdy 16,986 33.9 -0.1
Liberal Democrats M Galdas 7,137 14.3 -2.1
Majority 8,950 17.9 +2.4
Turnout 50,059 76.3 +1.5
Labour hold Swing +1.2
General election 1997: Normanton[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill O'Brien 26,046 60.57
Conservative Fiona Bulmer 10,153 23.61
Liberal Democrats David Ridgway 5,347 12.43
Referendum Ken Shuttleworth 1,458 3.39
Majority 15,893 36.96
Turnout 43,004 68.28
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 2000s
General election 2001: Normanton[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill O'Brien 19,152 56.1 −4.5
Conservative Graham Smith 9,215 27.0 +3.4
Liberal Democrats Stephen Pearson 4,990 14.6 +2.2
Socialist Labour Mick Appleyard 798 2.3 New
Majority 9,937 29.1 -7.9
Turnout 34,155 52.2 −16.0
Labour hold Swing
Balls
General election 2005: Normanton[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Ed Balls 19,161 51.2 −4.9
Conservative Andrew Percy 9,159 24.5 −2.5
Liberal Democrats Simone Butterworth 6,357 17.0 +2.4
BNP John Aveyard 1,967 5.3 New
Independent Mark Harrop 780 2.1 New
Majority 10,002 26.7 -2.4
Turnout 37,424 57.5 +5.3
Labour Co-op hold Swing

See also

Notes and references
  1. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "N" (part 2)
  2. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, FWS Craig
  3. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  4. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
  5. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  6. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  7. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, FWS Craig
  8. The Liberal Year Book, 1931
  9. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
  10. Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 22 March 1939
  11. British Parliamentary Election Results 1950–1973, FWS Craig
  12. The Times House of Commons, 1950–70
  13. The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1951.
  14. British Parliamentary Election Results, 1974–1983, FWS Craig
  15. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  19. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources
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