Eddisbury (UK Parliament constituency)

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Eddisbury
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Eddisbury in Cheshire
Outline map
Location of Cheshire within England
CountyCheshire
Electorate74,178 (December 2021)[1]
Major settlementsWinsford, Tarvin, Audlem, Kelsall, Malpas and Tarporley
Current constituency
Created1983
Member of ParliamentEdward Timpson (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created fromNorthwich, Nantwich and Runcorn[2]
1885–1950
SeatsOne
Type of constituencyCounty constituency
Created fromWest Cheshire
Replaced byCrewe, Northwich, Knutsford and Runcorn

Eddisbury is a constituency[n 1] in Cheshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Edward Timpson, a Conservative.[n 2]

From 2015 to 2019 it was represented by Antoinette Sandbach, a former Conservative member who had the whip removed on 3 September 2019 and joined the Liberal Democrats on 31 October 2019.

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be subject to major boundary changes, including the loss of the town of Winsford to the newly created constituency of Mid Cheshire, and the addition of those areas of Chester to the south of the River Dee, transferred from City of Chester (to be renamed Chester North and Neston). As a consequence, Eddisbury will be renamed Chester South and Eddisbury, to be first contested at the next general election.[3]

History[edit]

The constituency was first created as one of eight single-member divisions of Cheshire under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, having previously been part of the larger 2-member Western Division of Cheshire. It was named for the former hundred of Eddisbury and constituted a largely rural area, including Frodsham, Tarporley, Malpas and Audlem. It also included non-resident freeholders of the Parliamentary Borough of Chester.

Under the Representation of the People Act 1948, the seat was abolished for the 1950 general election, being distributed to the constituencies of Crewe, Northwich, Runcorn and City of Chester.

It was re-constituted following the reorganisation of local authorities in 1974 by the Third Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for the 1983 general election, with much of the constituency comprising areas covered by the previous version of the seat, transferred from the abolished constituencies of Nantwich, Northwich and Runcorn.

Constituency profile[edit]

The constituency is mostly rural, covering the south-west of Cheshire, noted in minerals for salt mining and within easy access to the cities of Liverpool, Manchester and the industrial and manufacturing centres of the Wirral Peninsula and Deeside. To the east of the seat lies part of Delamere Forest. The main town in the constituency is Winsford; other main settlements include Tarvin, Audlem, Kelsall, Malpas and Tarporley.

Boundaries[edit]

Map
Map of current boundaries

1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of the City of Chester, the Sessional Division of Broxton, and parts of the Sessional Divisions of Chester Castle, Eddisbury, Nantwich, and Northwich.[4]

1918–1950: The Urban District of Tarporley, the Rural Districts of Malpas and Tarvin, in the Rural District of Northwich the civil parishes of Crowton, Cuddington, Darnhall, Delamere, Eddisbury, Little Budworth, Marton, Oakmere, and Wimboldsley, in the Rural District of Runcorn the civil parishes of Alvanley, Frodsham, Frodsham Lordship, Helsby, Kingsley, Kingswood, Mauley, Newton-by-Frodsham, and Norley, and part of the Rural District of Nantwich.[5]

Minor losses, largely to the enlarged constituency of City of Chester, including Hoole.

On abolition, areas comprising part of the Rural District of Nantwich were transferred to Crewe; areas comprising the Rural District of Tarvin (incorporating the abolished Urban District of Tarporley and the Rural District of Malpas) transferred to Northwich; and small areas also transferred to the City of Chester and to the new County Constituency of Runcorn (including Frodsham).

1983–1997: The District of Vale Royal wards of Church, Cuddington and Marton, Davenham and Moulton, Forest, Frodsham East, Frodsham North West, Frodsham South, Gorst Wood, Gravel, Hartford, Helsby Central, Helsby North, Helsby South and Alvanley Ward, Kingsley, Mara, Milton, Oulton, Over One, Over Two, Swanlow, Tarporley, Vale Royal, Weaver, and Wharton, and the City of Chester wards of Barrow, Farndon, Malpas, Tarvin, Tattenhall, Tilston, and Waverton.[6]

Comprised areas transferred from the abolished constituencies of Nantwich (including Malpas and Winsford), Northwich (including Cuddington and Weaverham) and Runcorn (including Frodsham and Helsby).

1997–2010: The District of Vale Royal wards of Cuddington and Marton, Davenham and Moulton, Gravel, Mara, Oulton, Over One, Over Two, Swanlow, Tarporley, Vale Royal, and Wharton, the Borough of Crewe and Nantwich wards of Acton, Audlem, Bunbury, Combermere, Minshull, Peckforton, and Wybunbury, and the City of Chester wards of Barrow, Farndon, Malpas, Tarvin, Tattenhall, Tilston, and Waverton.[7]

Gained western parts of Crewe and Nantwich, including Audlem. Northern areas, including Frodsham and Helsby, transferred to the new constituency of Weaver Vale.

2010–2019: The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007 defined the boundaries as:

The Borough of Vale Royal wards of Cuddington and Oakmere, Davenham and Moulton, Mara, Tarporley and Oulton, Winsford Dene, Winsford Gravel, Winsford Over, Winsford Swanlow, Winsford Verdin, and Winsford Wharton, the Borough of Crewe and Nantwich wards of Acton, Audlem, Bunbury, Minshull, Peckforton, and Wybunbury, and the City of Chester wards of Barrow, Farndon, Kelsall, Malpas, Tarvin, Tattenhall, Tilston, and Waverton.[8]

Minor boundary changes, primarily due to local authority boundary changes.

However, before the new boundaries came into force for the 2010 election, the districts making up the county of Cheshire were abolished on 1 April 2009, being replaced by four unitary authorities. Consequently, the constituency's boundaries became:

The Cheshire West and Chester wards of: Chester Villages (part), Davenham & Moulton (part), Farndon (part), Gowy (part), Malpas, Tarporley, Tarvin & Kelsall, Tattenhall, Weaver & Cuddington (part), Winsford Over & Verdin (part), Winford Swanlow & Dene, and Winsford Wharton, and the Cheshire East wards of Audlem, Brereton Rural (part), Bunbury, Leighton (part), and Wybunbury.

2019–present: Following a further local government ward boundary review in 2019, the boundaries are currently:

The Cheshire West and Chester wards of Christleton & Huntington (part), Davenham, Moulton & Kingsmead (part), Farndon (part), Gowy Rural (part), Malpas, Sandstone (part), Tarporley, Tarvin & Kelsall, Tattenhall, Weaver & Cuddington (part), Winsford Dene, Winsford Gravel, Winsford Over & Verdin (part), Winford Swanlow, and Winsford Wharton, and the Cheshire East wards of Audlem, Brereton Rural (part), Bunbury, Leighton (part), and Wybunbury.[9]

Political history (current constituency)[edit]

Since the constituency was re-established in 1983, it had always been held by a Conservative, until September 2019.

Between 1983 and 1999, it was represented by Alastair Goodlad, who resigned upon being appointed the United Kingdom's High Commissioner to Australia. The ensuing by-election was won by Stephen O'Brien, who held the seat until 2015. Antoinette Sandbach was elected in 2015, and re-elected in 2017.

The closest the Labour Party has come to winning the seat was in the 1997 general election, when the Conservative majority was reduced to just 1,185. Eddisbury consists of mainly rural villages and small towns which are favourable to the Conservative party[citation needed]; Labour's only strength is in the constituency's largest town, Winsford, which currently has the seat's only local councillors. Labour fell from second to third place in the 2010 general election—the Conservative candidate held the seat with a majority of over 13,000 and a Liberal Democrat moved into second place. The 2015 election saw Labour move back into second place, and the Conservative majority fell by 1.8%.

In 2019, the sitting MP, Antoinette Sandbach had the whip withdrawn following a mass Conservative rebellion intended to prevent a no-deal Brexit, resulting in the seat becoming Independent before defecting to the Liberal Democrats on 31 October 2019.[10] She stood at the December 2019 general election for the Liberal Democrats, but was beaten into third place, with the Conservative candidate, Edward Timpson, achieving a majority of 34.8% over Labour. Edward Timpson was previously the Conservative MP for Crewe and Nantwich constituency until the 2017 General Election, after which Crewe and Nantwich briefly switched to Labour with Laura Smith until 2019, before switching back to the Conservatives with Kieran Mullan.

Members of Parliament[edit]

Election Member[11] Party
1885 Henry James Tollemache Conservative
1906 Arthur Stanley Liberal
1910 Harry Barnston Conservative
1929 by-election R. J. Russell Liberal
1931 National Liberal
1943 by-election John Loverseed Common Wealth
1944 Independent
1945 Labour
1945 Sir John Barlow National Liberal
1950 constituency abolished
1983 Sir Alastair Goodlad Conservative
1999 by-election Stephen O'Brien Conservative
2015 Antoinette Sandbach Conservative
September 2019 Independent
Liberal Democrats
2019 Edward Timpson Conservative

Elections[edit]

Elections in the 2010s[edit]

General election 2019: Eddisbury[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Timpson 30,095 56.8 Decrease0.1
Labour Terry Savage 11,652 22.0 Decrease11.6
Liberal Democrats Antoinette Sandbach 9,582 18.1 Increase12.6
Green Louise Jewkes 1,191 2.2 Increase0.7
UKIP Andrea Allen 451 0.9 Decrease1.3
Majority 18,443 34.8 Increase11.5
Turnout 52,971 71.9 Decrease1.25
Conservative hold Swing Increase5.8
General election 2017: Eddisbury[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Antoinette Sandbach 29,192 56.9 Increase5.9
Labour Cathy Reynolds 17,250 33.6 Increase10.0
Liberal Democrats Ian Priestner 2,804 5.5 Decrease3.6
UKIP John Bickley 1,109 2.2 Decrease10.0
Green Mark Green 785 1.5 Decrease1.9
Pirate Morgan Hill 179 0.3 New
Majority 11,942 23.3 Decrease4.1
Turnout 51,319 73.15 Increase4.15
Conservative hold Swing Decrease2.1
General election 2015: Eddisbury[14][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Antoinette Sandbach 24,167 51.0 Decrease0.7
Labour James Laing 11,193 23.6 Increase2.0
UKIP Rob Millington 5,778 12.2 Increase7.9
Liberal Democrats Ian Priestner 4,289 9.1 Decrease13.4
Green Andrew Garman 1,624 3.4 New
CISTA George Antar 301 0.6 New
Majority 12,974 27.4 Decrease1.8
Turnout 47,352 69.0 Decrease0.5
Conservative hold Swing Decrease1.4
General election 2010: Eddisbury[16][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen O'Brien 23,472 51.7 Increase4.8
Liberal Democrats Bob Thompson 10,217 22.5 Increase4.5
Labour Pat Merrick 9,794 21.6 Decrease10.5
UKIP Charles Dodman 1,931 4.3 Increase1.3
Majority 13,255 29.2 Increase15.6
Turnout 45,414 69.5 Increase2.3
Conservative hold Swing Increase0.2

Elections in the 2000s[edit]

General election 2005: Eddisbury[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen O'Brien 21,181 46.4 +0.1
Labour Mark Green 14,986 32.8 −3.2
Liberal Democrats Joanne Crotty 8,182 17.9 +2.2
UKIP Steve Roxborough 1,325 2.9 +0.9
Majority 6,195 13.6 +3.3
Turnout 45,674 63.2 −1.0
Conservative hold Swing +1.6
General election 2001: Eddisbury[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen O'Brien 20,556 46.3 +3.8
Labour George Eyres 15,988 36.0 −4.1
Liberal Democrats Paul Roberts 6,975 15.7 +2.5
UKIP David Carson 868 2.0 New
Majority 4,568 10.3 +5.7
Turnout 44,387 64.2 −11.6
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s[edit]

1999 Eddisbury by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen O'Brien 15,465 44.8 +2.3
Labour Margaret R. Hanson 13,859 40.2 +0.1
Liberal Democrats Paul D. Roberts 4,757 13.8 +0.6
Monster Raving Loony Alan Hope 238 0.7 New
Independent Robert J. Everest 98 0.3 New
Natural Law Dinah Grice 80 0.2 New
Majority 1,606 4.6 +2.2
Turnout 34,497 51.4 −24.4
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1997: Eddisbury[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alastair Goodlad 21,027 42.5 −8.5
Labour Margaret R. Hanson 19,842 40.1 +9.6
Liberal Democrats David Reaper 6,540 13.2 −3.8
Referendum Norine D. Napier 2,041 4.2 New
Majority 1,185 2.4 -18.1
Turnout 49,450 75.8 -6.8
Conservative hold Swing −9.1
General election 1992: Eddisbury[21][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alastair Goodlad 31,625 51.0 −0.1
Labour Norma M. Edwards 18,928 30.5 +7.0
Liberal Democrats Derrick W. Lyon 10,543 17.0 −6.7
Green Andrew Basden 783 1.3 −0.4
Natural Law Nigel P.J. Pollard 107 0.2 New
Majority 12,697 20.5 −6.9
Turnout 61,986 82.6 +4.6
Conservative hold Swing −3.5

Elections in the 1980s[edit]

General election 1987: Eddisbury[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alastair Goodlad 29,474 51.1 −2.4
Liberal Roderick Fletcher 13,639 23.7 −1.8
Labour Catriona Grigg 13,574 23.5 +2.5
Green Andrew Basden 976 1.7 New
Majority 15,835 27.4 -0.6
Turnout 57,663 78.0 +3.2
Conservative hold Swing −0.3
General election 1983: Eddisbury[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alastair Goodlad 28,407 53.5
Liberal Roderick Fletcher 13,561 25.5
Labour David Hanson 11,169 21.0
Majority 14,846 28.0
Turnout 53,137 74.8
Conservative win (new seat)

Election results 1885–1945[edit]

Elections in the 1940s[edit]

General election 1945: Eddisbury[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal John Barlow 15,294 57.7 N/A
Labour John Loverseed 7,392 27.9 New
Liberal Dunstan Curtis 3,808 14.4 New
Majority 7,902 29.8 N/A
Turnout 26,494 75.2 N/A
National Liberal hold Swing N/A
1943 Eddisbury by-election[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Common Wealth John Loverseed 8,023 43.7 New
National Liberal Thomas Peacock 7,537 41.0 N/A
Independent Liberal Harold Heathcote Williams 2,803 15.3 New
Majority 486 2.7 N/A
Turnout 18,363 56.1 N/A
Common Wealth gain from National Liberal

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 from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1930s[edit]

General election 1935: Eddisbury
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal R. J. Russell Unopposed
National Liberal hold
General election 1931: Eddisbury
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal R. J. Russell Unopposed
National Liberal hold

Elections in the 1920s[edit]

General election 1929: Eddisbury
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal R. J. Russell 13,688 51.6 +5.7
Unionist Roderick George Fenwick-Palmer 12,862 48.4 −5.7
Majority 826 3.2 N/A
Turnout 26,550 86.8 −0.1
Registered electors 30,593
Liberal hold Swing +5.7
1929 Eddisbury by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal R. J. Russell 10,223 53.4 +7.5
Unionist Roderick George Fenwick-Palmer 8,931 46.6 −7.5
Majority 1,292 6.8 N/A
Turnout 19,154 80.6 −6.3
Registered electors 23,760
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +7.5
General election 1924: Eddisbury
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Harry Barnston 11,006 54.1 +3.5
Liberal R. J. Russell 9,337 45.9 −3.5
Majority 1,669 8.2 +7.0
Turnout 20,343 86.9 +10.5
Registered electors 23,409
Unionist hold Swing +3.5
General election 1923: Eddisbury
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Harry Barnston 8,716 50.6 N/A
Liberal R. J. Russell 8,520 49.4 N/A
Majority 196 1.2 N/A
Turnout 17,236 76.4 N/A
Registered electors 22,547
Unionist hold
General election 1922: Eddisbury
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Harry Barnston Unopposed
Unionist hold
By-election, 1921: Eddisbury
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Harry Barnston Unopposed
Unionist hold
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1910s[edit]

General election 1918: Eddisbury
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Harry Barnston Unopposed
Unionist hold
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

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 December 1910: Eddisbury [26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Harry Barnston 5,312 51.4 −1.8
Liberal Arthur Stanley 5,023 48.6 +1.8
Majority 289 2.8 −3.6
Turnout 10,335 90.0 −2.6
Registered electors 11,488
Conservative hold Swing −1.8
General election January 1910: Eddisbury [27][26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Harry Barnston 5,664 53.2 +9.1
Liberal Arthur Stanley 4,976 46.8 -9.1
Majority 688 6.4 N/A
Turnout 10,640 92.6 +6.1
Registered electors 11,488
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +9.1

Elections in the 1900s[edit]

Stanley
Cotton-Jodrell
General election 1906: Eddisbury [25][28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Arthur Stanley 5,315 55.9 New
Conservative Edward Cotton-Jodrell 4,192 44.1 N/A
Majority 1,123 11.8 N/A
Turnout 9,507 86.5 N/A
Registered electors 10,988
Liberal gain from Conservative
General election 1900: Eddisbury [25][28][29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry James Tollemache Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s[edit]

General election 1895: Eddisbury [25][28][29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry James Tollemache 5,176 60.6 +7.5
Liberal Roger Bate 3,371 39.4 -7.5
Majority 1,805 21.2 +15.0
Turnout 8,547 83.3 -0.9
Registered electors 10,262
Conservative hold Swing +7.5
General election 1892: Eddisbury [25][28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry James Tollemache 4,578 53.1 −1.1
Liberal James Tomkinson 4,042 46.9 +1.1
Majority 536 6.2 −2.2
Turnout 8,620 84.2 +7.2
Registered electors 10,232
Conservative hold Swing −1.1

Elections in the 1880s[edit]

Tomkinson
General election 1886: Eddisbury [25][28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry James Tollemache 4,357 54.2 +3.5
Liberal James Tomkinson 3,678 45.8 -3.5
Majority 679 8.4 +7.0
Turnout 8,035 77.0 -4.0
Registered electors 10,436
Conservative hold Swing +3.5
Tollemache
General election 1885: Eddisbury [30][28][31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry James Tollemache 4,285 50.7
Liberal Lawrence Irwell 4,164 49.3
Majority 121 1.4
Turnout 8,449 81.0
Registered electors 10,436
Conservative win (new seat)

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ^ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

References[edit]

Specific
  1. ^ "Electoral statistics for the UK, December 2021 Edition". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  2. ^ "'Eddisbury', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  3. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – North West | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  4. ^ Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. The public general acts. unknown library. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884.
  5. ^ Fraser, Hugh (1918). The Representation of the people act, 1918 : with explanatory notes. University of California Libraries. London : Sweet and Maxwell.
  6. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983" (PDF).
  7. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995".
  8. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007".
  9. ^ "OpenStreetMap". OpenStreetMap.
  10. ^ Correspondent, Kate Devlin, Chief Political. "Ex-Tory Antoinette Sandbach defects to Lib Dems in boost to Jo Swinson". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 7 July 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 1)
  12. ^ "Notice of Poll - Eddisbury 2019" (PDF). cheshireeast.gov.uk. Cheshire East Council. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  13. ^ "Eddisbury parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
  14. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Eddisbury". BBC News. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  16. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  17. ^ Boundary change information [1]. Results from BBC Website
  18. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ^ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  23. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  24. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1949
  26. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  27. ^ Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  28. ^ a b c d e f The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  29. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  30. ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, FWS Craig
  31. ^ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
General

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

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