Droylsden (UK Parliament constituency)

Droylsden
Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
19501955
Seatsone
Created fromMossley
Replaced byManchester Gorton, Manchester Openshaw and Ashton-under-Lyne

Droylsden was a parliamentary constituency in the historic county of Lancashire in the North West of England. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

History

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The constituency was created for the 1950 general election, and abolished for the 1955 general election. Before 1950 the area had formed part of the Mossley constituency.

The former MP for Mossley, the Rev. G.S. Woods, was elected as a Labour Co-operative member in the first election for this constituency in 1950. He sat in Parliament until he died, shortly before the 1951 election. A new Labour MP, W.R. Williams, was elected in 1951 and represented the seat for the rest of its existence.

Boundaries

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The constituency was formed by combining four Urban Districts, situated to the north east of Manchester. They were Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, and Failsworth.

In 1955 the constituency was abolished. Audenshaw and Denton became part of Manchester Gorton constituency. Failsworth was attached to the division of Manchester Openshaw. Droylsden became part of the Ashton-under-Lyne constituency, which in the 1955 redistribution extended west to the borders of Manchester.

Members of Parliament

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Election Member Party
1950 George Savile Woods a Labour Co-operative
1951 William Williams Labour
1955 constituency abolished

Note:-

  • a Seat vacant at dissolution, following the death of Woods on 9 July 1951.

Elections

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General election 1950: Droylsden
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op George Woods 25,238 48.7
Conservative Eric Johnson 21,102 40.7
Liberal Herbert Kevin-Armitage 5,483 10.6
Majority 4,136 8.0
Turnout 51,823 87.7
Registered electors 59,077
Labour Co-op win (new seat)
  • Seat vacant on dissolution - death
General election 1951: Droylsden
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Williams 26,829 51.8 +3.1
Conservative William Howard 24,959 48.2 +7.5
Majority 1,870 3.6 −4.4
Turnout 51,788 86.6 −1.1
Registered electors 59,772
Labour hold Swing +5.3
  • Swing from Labour to Conservative
  • Constituency abolished (1955)

References

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  • Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Research Services 1983)
  • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume IV 1945-1979, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1981)
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 3)