Plymouth Sutton (UK Parliament constituency)

Plymouth, Sutton was, from 1918 until 2010, a borough 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.

Plymouth, Sutton
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of Plymouth, Sutton in Devon for the 2005 general election
Location of Devon within England
CountyDevon
1918–2010
Number of membersOne
Replaced byPlymouth Moor View, Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Created fromPlymouth

History

Plymouth Sutton covered parts of the city of Plymouth, in South West England, and was first contested at the 1918 general election. In a by-election in 1919, it became the second constituency in the UK (and the first in Great Britain) to elect a female MP: Nancy Astor became the first woman to take a seat in the House of Commons (the first female MP was the Sinn Féin member Constance Markievicz, who did not take her seat). Three of its MPs have been members of the Astor family. A more recent prominent MP was the flamboyant Conservative Alan Clark, who represented Plymouth Sutton from 1974 until 1992.

Abolition

Following the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies by the Boundary Commission for England, constituencies in Plymouth were reorganised, with both Plymouth Sutton and Plymouth Devonport being replaced by new constituencies of Plymouth Sutton and Devonport and Plymouth Moor View from 2010.[1] The vast majority of the Plymouth Sutton constituency became part of the new Plymouth Sutton and Devonport constituency. [2]

Boundaries

1918–1950: The County Borough of Plymouth wards of Charles, Compton, Friary, Laira, St Andrew, Sutton, and Vintry.

1950–1955: The County Borough of Plymouth wards of Charles, Compton, Crownhill, Drake, Friary, Laira, Mutley, St Andrew, Sutton, Valletort, and Vintry, and the parish of Bickleigh in the Rural District of Plympton St Mary.

1955–1974: The County Borough of Plymouth wards of Charles, Compton, Crownhill, Efford, Friary, Mount Gould, Peverell, Sutton, Tamerton, and Trelawney.

1974–1983: The County Borough of Plymouth wards of Crownhill, Efford, Mount Gould, Plympton Erle, Plympton St Mary, Plymstock Dunstone, Plymstock Radford, and Sutton.

1983–1997: The City of Plymouth wards of Efford, Eggbuckland, Mount Gould, Plympton Erle, Plympton St Mary, Plymstock Dunstone, and Plymstock Radford.

1997–2010: The City of Plymouth wards of Compton, Drake, Efford, Mount Gould, St Peter, Stoke, Sutton, and Trelawny.

The 1997 boundary changes were highly favourable to Labour in this constituency: what had been a safe Conservative seat became a marginal seat. As such the seat from 1997 until 2010 was closer in its wards to the defunct marginal seat of Plymouth Drake.[3]

Members of Parliament
ElectionMember[4]Party
1918Waldorf AstorConservative
1919 by-electionNancy AstorConservative
1945Lucy MiddletonLabour
1951Jakie AstorConservative
1959Ian FraserConservative
1966David OwenLabour
Feb 1974Alan ClarkConservative
1992Gary StreeterConservative
1997Linda GilroyLabour
2010 constituency abolished: see Plymouth Moor View & Plymouth Sutton and Devonport

Elections

Elections in the 1910s
Waldorf Astor
General election 1918: Plymouth Sutton[5] Electorate 43,444
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Waldorf Astor 17,091 65.9
Labour William Thomas Gay 5,334 20.6
Liberal Sidney Ransom 3,488 13.5
Majority 11,757 45.3
Turnout 25,913 59.6
Unionist win (new seat)
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.
1919 Plymouth Sutton by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Nancy Astor 14,495 51.9 -14.0
Labour William Thomas Gay 9,292 33.3 +12.7
Liberal Isaac Foot 4,139 14.8 +1.3
Majority 5,203 18.6 -26.7
Turnout 27,926
Unionist hold Swing
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s
Nancy Astor
General election 1922: Plymouth Sutton[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Nancy Astor 13,924 47.4 -18.5
Labour Frederick George Woulfe-Brenan 10,831 36.8 +16.2
Independent Unionist Hugh Wansey Bayly 4,643 15.8 New
Majority 3,093 10.6 -34.7
Turnout 29,398 78.0 +18.4
Unionist hold Swing
General election 1923: Plymouth Sutton[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Nancy Astor 16,114 54.5 +7.1
Labour Frederick George Woulfe-Brenan 13,438 45.5 +8.7
Majority 2,676 9.0 -1.6
Turnout 29,552 77.9 -0.1
Unionist hold Swing -0.8
General election 1924: Plymouth Sutton[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Nancy Astor 18,174 58.1 +3.6
Labour Frederick George Woulfe-Brenan 13,095 41.9 -3.6
Majority 5,079 16.2 +7.2
Turnout 31,269 81.6 +3.7
Unionist hold Swing
General election 1929: Plymouth Sutton[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Nancy Astor 16,625 43.2 -15.9
Labour William Westwood 16,414 42.7 +0.8
Liberal Thomas Henry Aggett 5,430 14.1 New
Majority 211 0.5 -15.7
Turnout 38,469 81.1 -0.5
Unionist hold Swing -7.8

Elections in the 1930s
General election 1931: Plymouth Sutton[5] Electorate 47,862
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nancy Astor 24,277 63.3 +20.1
Labour George Ward 14,073 36.7 -6.0
Majority 10,204 26.6 +26.1
Turnout 38,350 80.1 -1.0
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1935: Plymouth Sutton[5] Electorate 47,540
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nancy Astor 21,491 58.3 -5.0
Labour George Ward 15,394 41.7 +5.0
Majority 6,097 16.6 -10.0
Turnout 37,425 77.6 -3.5
Conservative hold Swing

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: Plymouth Sutton[5] Electorate 41,493
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lucy Middleton 15,417 51.6 +9.9
Conservative Laurence Douglas Grand 10,738 36.0 -22.3
Liberal Joan Arundell Gaved 3,695 12.4 New
Majority 4,679 15.6 N/A
Turnout 29,850 71.9 -5.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1950: Plymouth Sutton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lucy Middleton 27,512 47.73
Conservative Jakie Astor 26,588 46.13
Liberal Kenneth Henry B Major 3,541 6.14
Majority 924 1.60
Turnout 57,641 86.40
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Plymouth Sutton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jakie Astor 28,908 50.62
Labour Lucy Middleton 28,198 49.38
Majority 710 1.24 N/A
Turnout 57,106 85.37
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election 1955: Plymouth Sutton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jakie Astor 30,051 53.38
Labour Lucy Middleton 26,241 46.62
Majority 3,810 6.76
Turnout 56,292 78.88
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1959: Plymouth Sutton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Fraser 32,752 55.75
Labour Julian D. Richards 25,991 44.52
Majority 6,761 11.23
Turnout 58,743 79.30
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1964: Plymouth Sutton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Fraser 24,722 43.82
Labour John Dunwoody 24,312 43.09
Liberal Graham Cocks 7,383 13.09 New
Majority 410 0.73
Turnout 56,417 76.66
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1966: Plymouth Sutton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Owen 31,567 54.51
Conservative Ian Fraser 26,345 45.49
Majority 5,222 9.02 N/A
Turnout 57,912 78.90
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1970: Plymouth Sutton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Owen 29,383 50.64
Conservative John M. Goss 28,636 49.36
Majority 747 1.28
Turnout 58,019 72.27
Labour hold Swing

New constituency boundaries came into effect in time for the following election in February 1974.

General election February 1974: Plymouth Sutton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Clark 21,649 45.22
Labour BW Fletcher 13,545 28.29
Liberal Simon Godfrey Banks 12,683 26.49 New
Majority 8,104 16.93 N/A
Turnout 47,876 79.07
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election October 1974: Plymouth Sutton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Clark 20,457 44.61
Labour Julian Priestley 15,269 33.30
Liberal Simon Godfrey Banks 10,131 22.09
Majority 5,188 11.31
Turnout 45,858 75.17
Conservative hold Swing -2.8
General election 1979: Plymouth Sutton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Clark 28,892 54.80
Labour Julian Priestley 17,605 33.39
Liberal J Scannell 6,226 11.81
Majority 11,287 21.41
Turnout 52,723 76.95
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s
General election 1983: Plymouth Sutton[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Clark 25,203 55.12
Liberal Anthony Puttick 13,516 29.56
Labour Frances Holland 6,358 14.3
Ecology Stephen Shaw 470 1.03 New
Majority 11,687 25.56
Turnout 45,726 76.35
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1987: Plymouth Sutton[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Clark 23,187 45.76
Liberal Bruce Tidy 19,174 37.84
Labour Ralph Maddern 8,310 16.4
Majority 4,013 7.92
Turnout 50,674 79.03
Conservative hold Swing −3.8

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1992: Plymouth Sutton[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gary Streeter 27,070 49.5 +3.7
Labour Andrew Pawley 15,120 27.6 +11.2
Liberal Democrats Julian P. Brett-Freeman 12,291 22.5 −15.3
Natural Law Jeremy J. Bowler 256 0.5 New
Majority 11,950 21.9 +14.0
Turnout 54,737 81.2 +2.2
Conservative hold Swing −3.8
General election 1997: Plymouth Sutton[13][14][15][16][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Linda Gilroy 23,881 50.1 +11.3
Conservative Andrew Crisp 14,441 30.3 −11.5
Liberal Democrats Steve Melia 6,613 13.9 +0.7
Referendum Tim Hanbury 1,654 3.5 New
UKIP Roger Bullock 499 1.1 New
Plymouth First Group Kevin Kelway 396 0.8 New
Natural Law Frank Lyons 168 0.4 −0.1
Majority 9,440 19.8 N/A
Turnout 47,650 67.4 -13.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +11.4

Elections in the 2000s
General election 2001: Plymouth, Sutton[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Linda Gilroy 19,827 50.7 +0.6
Conservative Oliver Colvile[19] 12,310 31.5 +1.2
Liberal Democrats Alan Connett 5,605 14.3 +0.6
UKIP Alan Whitton 970 2.5 +1.4
Socialist Labour Henry Leary 361 0.9 New
Majority 7,517 19.2 −0.6
Turnout 39,073 57.1 −10.3
Labour Co-op hold Swing −0.3
General election 2005: Plymouth, Sutton[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Linda Gilroy 15,497 40.6 −10.1
Conservative Oliver Colvile[19] 11,388 29.8 −1.7
Liberal Democrats Karen Gillard 8,685 22.7 +8.4
UKIP Robert Cumming 2,392 6.3 +3.8
Socialist Labour Rob Hawkins 230 0.6 −0.3
Majority 4,109 10.8 −8.4
Turnout 38,192 56.8 −0.3
Labour Co-op hold Swing −4.2

See also

Notes and references
  1. "Final recommendations for Parliamentary constituencies in the counties of Devon, Plymouth and Torbay". Boundary Commission for England. 24 November 2004. Archived from the original on 2 November 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  2. Waller, Robert; Criddle, Byron (2007). The Almanac of British Politics (8th ed.). UK: Routledge. p. 752. ISBN 0-415-37823-0.
  3. C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, pp.133, 244 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995).
  4. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "P" (part 2)
  5. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  6. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
  7. "UK General Election results: May 1979". Politicsresources.net. 28 May 1979. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  8. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  9. "UK General Election results: June 1983". Politicsresources.net. 9 June 1983. Archived from the original on 30 June 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  10. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  11. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  12. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  13. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. "Politics Resources". Election 1997. Politics Resources. 1 May 1997. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
  15. C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.133 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
  16. The 1997 election result has swings relative to the notional, not the actual, 1992 result.
  17. "Plymouth Sutton". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  18. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. Oliver Colvile Archived 20 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Official PPC Website
  20. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources
  • Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.

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