North Warwickshire and Bedworth (UK Parliament constituency)

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North Warwickshire and Bedworth
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Boundaries since 2024
Map of constituency
Boundary of North Warwickshire and Bedworth in West Midlands region
CountyWarwickshire
Electorate70,245 (2023)[1]
Major settlementsAtherstone, Bedworth, Coleshill and Polesworth
Current constituency
Created1983 (as North Warwickshire)
Member of ParliamentRachel Taylor (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created fromMeriden
Nuneaton
1832–1885
SeatsTwo
Type of constituencyCounty constituency
Created fromWarwickshire
Replaced byNuneaton
Rugby
Tamworth

North Warwickshire and Bedworth is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.[n 2]

Before the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the constituency was known as North Warwickshire with new name taking effect on the 2024 general election, with unchanged boundaries.[2]

Constituency profile

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Warwickshire North contained wards which are the most "working-class" (lowest average income) and industrial of the six constituencies in the county, politically frequently with the best returns locally for Labour candidates. In the 2010 election, all six Warwickshire constituencies were won by the Conservative party, though this constituency was the most marginal, falling on a substantial swing of 8.1% from Labour to the Conservatives (compared to a national swing of 5%).

Like much of the county, the area includes many rural villages which can today be classified as 'commuter' and 'retirement', south of the National Forest, south east of Tamworth and the small cathedral city of Lichfield and centred less than 10 miles (16 km) east of Birmingham, which provides some work locally in the creative and international export sectors. Many towns and villages have a history of coal mining and heavy industry, linked to a strong Labour vote.[3]

Settlements include Bedworth, just north of Coventry, and the historic market town of Atherstone.[n 3]

Boundaries

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Map
Map of 2010–2024 boundaries

The constituency since 2010 has all but two wards of North Warwickshire.[n 4]

1832–1885: The Hundred of Hemlingford, the County of the City of Coventry, and the Rugby and Kirby Divisions of the Hundred of Knightlow.[4]

1983–2010: The Borough of North Warwickshire, and the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth wards of Exhall, Heath, Mount Pleasant, and Poplar.

2010–2024: The Borough of North Warwickshire wards of Atherstone Central, Atherstone North, Atherstone South and Mancetter, Baddesley and Grendon, Coleshill North, Coleshill South, Curdworth, Dordon, Fillongley, Hurley and Wood End, Kingsbury, Newton Regis and Warton, Polesworth East, Polesworth West, and Water Orton, and the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth wards of Bede, Exhall, Heath, Poplar, and Slough.

2024–present: The Borough of North Warwickshire wards of: Atherstone Central; Atherstone North; Atherstone South and Mancetter; Baddesley and Grendon; Coleshill North; Coleshill South; Curdworth; Dordon; Fillongley; Hurley and Wood End; Kingsbury; Newton Regis and Warton; Polesworth East; Polesworth West; Water Orton; and the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth wards of: Bede; Exhall; Heath; Poplar; and Slough.

History

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1832–1885

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The North Warwickshire constituency was created for the 1832 general election, when the Great Reform Act divided the former Warwickshire constituency into two new divisions: North Warwickshire and South Warwickshire.

Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, North Warwickshire was abolished for the 1885 general election, when Warwickshire was divided into six new single-member constituencies: Rugby, Stratford-on-Avon, Nuneaton, Sutton Coldfield, Erdington and Tamworth.

1983–2024

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The second iteration of the North Warwickshire county constituency was created for the 1983 general election, replacing outlying parts of the Meriden and Nuneaton constituencies. The seat was won by Francis Maude of the Conservative Party at the 1983 general election, who held it until 1992, when it was taken by Mike O'Brien of Labour. Labour held the seat comfortably until 2010.

On 8 March 2007, former Army Officer and polar explorer Dan Byles was selected at an open primary to contest North Warwickshire for the Conservative Party. At the 2010 general election, Byles won the seat off Mike O'Brien by just 54 votes, making him the Conservative Member of Parliament with the smallest majority in the country. However, a strong Conservative performance during the latter part of the decade saw the seat become safer for the Conservatives – the result in 2019 being akin to a safe Conservative seat.

Members of Parliament

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MPs 1832–1885

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Election 1st Member[5] 1st Party 2nd Member[5] 2nd Party
1832 William Stratford Dugdale Tory[6] Sir John Eardley-Wilmot, Bt Tory[6]
1834 Conservative[6] Conservative[6]
1843 by-election Charles Newdegate Conservative[6]
1847 Richard Spooner Conservative
1864 by-election William Bromley-Davenport Conservative
1884 by-election Philip Muntz Conservative
1885 Constituency abolished: see Nuneaton, Rugby, Stratford-on-Avon and Tamworth

MPs 1983–2024

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Meriden and Nuneaton prior to 1983

Election Member[5] Party
1983 Francis Maude Conservative
1992 Mike O'Brien Labour
2010 Dan Byles Conservative
2015 Craig Tracey Conservative
2024 Rachel Taylor Labour

Elections

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Elections in the 2020s

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General election 2024: North Warwickshire and Bedworth[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rachel Taylor 14,727 36.0 +9.2
Conservative Craig Tracey 12,529 30.6 −35.3
Reform UK Paul Hopkins 10,701 26.1 N/A
Green Alison Wilson 1,755 4.3 +1.5
Liberal Democrats Guy Burchett 1,228 3.0 −1.5
Majority 2,198 5.4 N/A
Turnout 40,940 58.9 −6.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +22.2

Elections in the 2010s

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General election 2019: North Warwickshire[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Craig Tracey 30,249 65.9 Increase9.0
Labour Co-op Claire Breeze 12,293 26.8 Decrease12.1
Liberal Democrats Richard Whelan 2,069 4.5 Increase2.3
Green James Platt 1,303 2.8 Increase0.8
Majority 17,956 39.1 Increase21.1
Turnout 45,914 65.3 Increase1.8
Conservative hold Swing Increase 10.5
General election 2017: North Warwickshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Craig Tracey 26,860 56.9 Increase14.6
Labour Julie Jackson 18,350 38.9 Increase2.9
Liberal Democrats James Cox 1,028 2.2 Increase0.1
Green Keith Kondakor 940 2.0 Increase0.1
Majority 8,510 18.0 Increase11.7
Turnout 47,178 63.5 Decrease3.7
Conservative hold Swing Increase5.9
General election 2015: North Warwickshire[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Craig Tracey 20,042 42.3 Increase 2.1
Labour Mike O'Brien 17,069 36.0 Decrease 4.1
UKIP William Cash[10] 8,256 17.4 Increase 14.6
Liberal Democrats Alan Beddow 978 2.1 Decrease 9.5
Green Ian Bonner 894 1.9 New
TUSC Eileen Hunter 138 0.3 New
Majority 2,973 6.3 Increase 6.2
Turnout 47,377 67.2 Decrease 0.2
Conservative hold Swing Increase 3.05
General election 2010: North Warwickshire[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Daniel Byles 18,993 40.2 Increase 8.2
Labour Mike O'Brien 18,939 40.1 Decrease 8.0
Liberal Democrats Stephen Martin 5,481 11.6 Decrease 1.9
BNP Jason Holmes 2,106 4.5 Increase 0.4
UKIP Stephen Fowler 1,335 2.8 Increase 0.1
English Democrat David Lane 411 0.9 New
Majority 54 0.1 N/A
Turnout 47,265 67.4 Increase 5.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing Increase 8.1

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2005: North Warwickshire[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mike O'Brien 22,561 48.1 Decrease 6.0
Conservative Ian Gibb 15,008 32.0 Decrease 0.4
Liberal Democrats Jerry Roodhouse 6,212 13.2 Increase 1.8
BNP Michaela Mackenzie 1,910 4.1 New
UKIP Ian Campbell 1,248 2.7 Increase 0.6
Majority 7,553 16.1 Decrease 5.6
Turnout 46,939 62.2 Increase 2.0
Labour hold Swing Decrease 2.8
General election 2001: North Warwickshire[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mike O'Brien 24,023 54.1 Decrease 4.3
Conservative Geoffrey Parsons 14,384 32.4 Increase 1.2
Liberal Democrats William Powell 5,052 11.4 Increase 4.0
UKIP John Flynn 950 2.1 Increase 1.1
Majority 9,639 21.7 Decrease 5.5
Turnout 44,409 60.2 Decrease 14.5
Labour hold Swing Decrease 2.75

Elections in the 1990s

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General election 1997: North Warwickshire[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mike O'Brien 31,669 58.4 Increase 12.3
Conservative Stephen Hammond 16,902 31.2 Decrease 13.4
Liberal Democrats William Powell 4,040 7.4 Decrease 2.9
Referendum Roland Mole 917 1.7 New
UKIP Christopher Cooke 533 1.0 New
Berties Party Ian Moorecroft 178 0.3 New
Majority 14,767 27.2 Increase 24.7
Turnout 54,239 74.7 Decrease 8.1
Labour hold Swing Increase 12.9
General election 1992: North Warwickshire[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mike O'Brien 27,599 46.1 Increase 6.0
Conservative Francis Maude 26,145 43.6 Decrease 1.5
Liberal Democrats Noel R Mitchell 6,167 10.3 Decrease 4.6
Majority 1,454 2.5 N/A
Turnout 59,862 82.8 Increase 2.9
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Increase 3.7

Elections in the 1980s

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General election 1987: North Warwickshire [19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Francis Maude 25,453 45.1 Increase 3.1
Labour Mike O'Brien 22,624 40.1 Increase 3.0
SDP Suzan Neale 8,382 14.9 Decrease 6.1
Majority 2,829 5.0 Increase 0.1
Turnout 56,459 79.9 Decrease 1.9
Conservative hold Swing Increase 0.1
General election 1983: North Warwickshire[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Francis Maude 22,452 42.0
Labour Co-op John Tomlinson 19,867 37.1
SDP Howard Kerry 11,207 20.9
Majority 2,585 4.9
Turnout 53,526 78.0
Conservative win (new seat)

Election results 1832–1885

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Elections in the 1830s

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General election 1832: North Warwickshire (2 seats)[21][6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory John Eardley-Wilmot 2,237 40.9
Tory William Stratford Dugdale 1,666 30.4
Whig Dempster Heming 1,573 28.7
Majority 93 1.7
Turnout 3,109 83.4
Registered electors 3,730
Tory win (new seat)
Tory win (new seat)
General election 1835: North Warwickshire (2 seats)[21][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Eardley-Wilmot 2,600 37.3 −3.6
Conservative William Stratford Dugdale 2,513 36.1 +5.7
Whig Arthur Francis Gregory[22] 1,854 26.6 −2.1
Majority 659 9.5 +7.8
Turnout c. 3,484 c. 72.9 c. −10.5
Registered electors 4,779
Conservative hold Swing −1.3
Conservative hold Swing +3.4
General election 1837: North Warwickshire (2 seats)[21][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Stratford Dugdale 3,326 32.7 −3.4
Conservative John Eardley-Wilmot 2,768 27.2 −10.1
Whig Grey Skipwith 2,292 22.5 +9.2
Whig Charles Holte Bracebridge 1,787 17.6 +4.3
Majority 476 4.7 −4.8
Turnout 5,099 76.9 c. +4.0
Registered electors 6,632
Conservative hold Swing −5.1
Conservative hold Swing −8.4

Elections in the 1840s

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General election 1841: North Warwickshire (2 seats)[21][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Stratford Dugdale Unopposed
Conservative John Eardley-Wilmot Unopposed
Registered electors 6,785
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
By-election, 10 March 1843: North Warwickshire[21][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Newdigate Newdegate Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1847: North Warwickshire (2 seats)[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Newdigate Newdegate 2,915 38.1 N/A
Conservative Richard Spooner 2,451 32.1 N/A
Whig William Henry Leigh[23] 2,278 29.8 New
Majority 173 2.3 N/A
Turnout 4,961 (est) 77.9 (est) N/A
Registered electors 6,371
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1850s

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General election 1852: North Warwickshire (2 seats)[21][24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Newdigate Newdegate 2,950 30.0 −8.1
Conservative Richard Spooner 2,822 28.7 −3.4
Whig Frederick Craven[25] 2,038 20.7
Whig Sir Thomas George Skipwith, 9th Baronet 2,021 20.6
Majority 784 8.0 +5.7
Turnout 4,916 (est) 70.2 (est) −7.7
Registered electors 7,002
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1857: North Warwickshire (2 seats)[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Newdigate Newdegate Unopposed
Conservative Richard Spooner Unopposed
Registered electors 6,832
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
General election 1859: North Warwickshire (2 seats)[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Newdigate Newdegate Unopposed
Conservative Richard Spooner Unopposed
Registered electors 6,871
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s

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By-election, 13 December 1864: North Warwickshire[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Bromley Unopposed
Conservative hold
  • Caused by Spooner's death.
General election 1865: North Warwickshire (2 seats)[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Newdigate Newdegate 3,159 37.4 N/A
Conservative William Bromley 2,873 34.0 N/A
Liberal George Frederick Muntz 2,408 28.5 New
Majority 465 5.5 N/A
Turnout 5,424 (est) 80.8 (est) N/A
Registered electors 6,710
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1868: North Warwickshire (2 seats)[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Newdigate Newdegate 4,547 29.0 −8.4
Conservative William Bromley-Davenport 4,377 28.0 −6.0
Liberal George Frederick Muntz 3,411 21.8 +7.5
Liberal Edward Fordham Flower 3,322 21.2 +6.9
Majority 966 6.2 +0.7
Turnout 7,829 (est) 76.3 (est) −4.5
Registered electors 10,266
Conservative hold Swing −7.8
Conservative hold Swing −6.6

Elections in the 1870s

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General election 1874: North Warwickshire (2 seats)[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Newdigate Newdegate 4,672 38.3 +9.3
Conservative William Bromley-Davenport 4,322 35.5 +7.5
Liberal George Frederick Muntz[26] 3,189 26.2 −16.8
Majority 1,133 9.3 +3.1
Turnout 7,686 (est) 75.4 (est) −0.9
Registered electors 10,200
Conservative hold Swing +8.9
Conservative hold Swing +8.0

Elections in the 1880s

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General election 1880: North Warwickshire (2 seats)[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Bromley-Davenport Unopposed
Conservative Charles Newdigate Newdegate Unopposed
Registered electors 11,789
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
By-election, 3 July 1884: North Warwickshire[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Muntz 5,282 59.9 N/A
Liberal Archibald Corbett 3,538 40.1 New
Majority 1,744 19.8 N/A
Turnout 8,820 73.5 N/A
Registered electors 11,993
Conservative hold
  • Caused by Bromley-Davenport's death.

See also

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Notes

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  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.
  3. ^ This saw considerable population expansion from 1995–2010
  4. ^ Arley and Whitacre and Hartshill, moved in 2010 to Nuneaton

References

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  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – West Midlands". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  2. ^ "West Midlands | Boundary Commission for England". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  3. ^ "2011 Census Interactive – ONS". ons.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 29 January 2016.
  4. ^ "The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. XLV: An Act to amend the Representation of the People in England and Wales". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1832. pp. 154–206. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  5. ^ a b c Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 1)
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. p. 96. Retrieved 3 June 2019 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ "North Warwickshire and Bedworth". BBC News. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Warwickshire North Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  9. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. ^ "UK Polling Report".
  11. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. ^ "UK > England > West Midlands > Warwickshire North". Election 2010. BBC. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  13. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ^ "'Warwickshire North', May 1997 -". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  17. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. ^ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  19. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 474–475. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  22. ^ "General Elections". Morning Chronicle. 16 January 1835. p. 1. Retrieved 3 May 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  23. ^ "Election Movements". Greenock Advertiser. 20 August 1847. p. 1. Retrieved 3 June 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  24. ^ "General Election". The Ipswich Journal. 17 July 1852. p. 3. Retrieved 18 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  25. ^ "The English Elections". Cork Examiner. 12 July 1852. p. 3. Retrieved 18 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  26. ^ "The Polling". Leamington Spa Courier. 14 February 1874. p. 7. Retrieved 22 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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52°32′N 1°40′W / 52.54°N 1.66°W / 52.54; -1.66

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