Halton (UK Parliament Constituency)
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat has been abolished, with the majority, comprising the areas to the north of the River Mersey (Widnes), being included in the new constituency of Widnes and Halewood, contested at the 2024 general election. This was won by Derek Twigg at the election on 4 July 2024, who is now the MP for the area. Areas to the south of the river (Runcorn) are now included in the new constituency of Runcorn and Helsby.
Creation
Halton was created for the 1983 general election following the major reorganisation of local authorities under the Local Government Act 1972, which came into effect on 1 April 1974. The constituency name refers to the Halton barony and covers the majority of the borough of the same name. It sits on either side of the River Mersey and comprises Widnes, the original town of Runcorn (with a small part of the new town) and Hale village.
The larger, northern part of the constituency comprised the former municipal borough of Widnes and the parish of Hale, which were part of the abolished Widnes constituency. The smaller, southern part comprised the majority of the former urban district of Runcorn (excluding Daresbury and Norton), which had been part of the abolished constituency of Runcorn.
Boundaries
1983–1997: The Borough of Halton wards of Appleton, Broadheath, Castlefields, Ditton, Farnworth, Grange, Hale, Halton, Halton Brook, Heath, Hough Green, Kingsway, Mersey, Victoria, and Weston.
1997–2010: The Borough of Halton wards of Appleton, Broadheath, Ditton, Farnworth, Grange, Hale, Halton, Halton Brook, Heath, Hough Green, Kingsway, Mersey, and Riverside.
Eastern part, including Castlefields ward transferred to the new constituency of Weaver Vale.
2010–2024: The Borough of Halton wards of Appleton, Birchfield, Broadheath, Castlefields, Ditton, Farnworth, Grange, Hale, Halton Brook, Halton View, Heath, Hough Green, Kingsway, Mersey, and Riverside.
Castlefields ward transferred back from Weaver Vale.
Political history
Halton is considered a safe seat for the Labour Party. Its most marginal election result, a 12.8% majority, was the earliest in 1983, the year of Margaret Thatcher's first landslide victory, — three elections later that majority had risen to 53.2% of the vote. It has otherwise, to date, proven a statistical safe seat for the Labour Party's incumbent MPs, of which there have thus far been two. The 2015 result made the seat the 22nd safest of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.
Of the two forerunner seats, Widnes was last won by another party in 1935, whilst Runcorn had Conservative representation from its creation in 1950 to 1983, when it was abolished.
Members of Parliament
| Election | Member | Party | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Gordon Oakes | Labour | Junior minister 1974–1976. Retired 1997, died 2005 | |
| 1997 | Derek Twigg | Labour | Junior minister 2004—2008 | |
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Derek Twigg | 29,333 | 63.5 | ―9.5 | |
| Conservative | Charles Rowley | 10,358 | 22.4 | +0.6 | |
| Brexit Party | Janet Balfe | 3,730 | 8.1 | New | |
| Liberal Democrats | Stephen Gribbon | 1,800 | 3.1 | +1.3 | |
| Green | David O'Keefe | 982 | 2.1 | New | |
| Majority | 18,975 | 41.1 | ―10.1 | ||
| Turnout | 46,203 | 64.2 | ―3.2 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ―5.1 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Derek Twigg | 36,150 | 73.0 | +10.2 | |
| Conservative | Matthew Lloyd | 10,710 | 21.8 | +4.0 | |
| UKIP | Glyn Redican | 1,488 | 3.0 | ―11.1 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Ryan Bate | 896 | 1.8 | ―0.6 | |
| Independent | Vic Turton | 309 | 0.6 | ±0.0 | |
| Majority | 25,440 | 51.2 | +6.2 | ||
| Turnout | 49,553 | 67.4 | +5.6 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | +3.1 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Derek Twigg | 28,292 | 62.8 | +5.1 | |
| Conservative | Matthew Lloyd | 8,007 | 17.8 | ―2.4 | |
| UKIP | Glyn Redican | 6,333 | 14.1 | +11.1 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Ryan Bate | 1,097 | 2.4 | ―11.4 | |
| Green | David Melvin | 1,017 | 2.3 | +0.7 | |
| Independent | Vic Turton | 277 | 0.6 | New | |
| Majority | 20,285 | 45.0 | +7.5 | ||
| Turnout | 45,023 | 61.8 | +1.8 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | +3.8 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Derek Twigg | 23,843 | 57.7 | ―5.4 | |
| Conservative | Ben Jones | 8,339 | 20.2 | +0.3 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Frank Harasiwka | 5,718 | 13.8 | ―3.2 | |
| BNP | Andrew Taylor | 1,563 | 3.8 | New | |
| UKIP | John Moore | 1,228 | 3.0 | New | |
| Green | Jim Craig | 647 | 1.6 | New | |
| Majority | 15,504 | 37.5 | ―5.7 | ||
| Turnout | 41,338 | 60.0 | +6.4 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ―2.9 | |||
Elections in the 2000s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Derek Twigg | 21,460 | 62.8 | ―6.4 | |
| Conservative | Colin Bloom | 6,854 | 20.1 | +1.5 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Roger Barlow | 5,869 | 17.2 | +5.0 | |
| Majority | 14,606 | 42.7 | ―7.9 | ||
| Turnout | 34,183 | 53.1 | ―1.0 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ―3.9 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Derek Twigg | 23,841 | 69.2 | −1.7 | |
| Conservative | Chris Davenport | 6,413 | 18.6 | +0.9 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Peter Walker | 4,216 | 12.2 | +4.9 | |
| Majority | 17,428 | 50.6 | −2.6 | ||
| Turnout | 34,470 | 54.1 | −14.2 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1990s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Derek Twigg | 31,497 | 70.9 | +11.3 | |
| Conservative | Philip Balmer | 7,847 | 17.7 | −12.6 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Janet Jones | 3,263 | 7.3 | −1.5 | |
| Referendum | Reginald Atkins | 1,036 | 2.3 | New | |
| Liberal | David Proffitt | 600 | 1.4 | New | |
| Republican | John Alley | 196 | 0.4 | New | |
| Majority | 23,650 | 53.2 | +23.9 | ||
| Turnout | 44,439 | 68.3 | |||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Gordon Oakes | 35,005 | 59.7 | +4.2 | |
| Conservative | Grant Mercer | 16,821 | 28.7 | −1.5 | |
| Liberal Democrats | David Reaper | 6,104 | 10.4 | −3.9 | |
| Monster Raving Loony | Stephen Herley | 398 | 0.7 | New | |
| Natural Law | Nicola Collins | 338 | 0.6 | New | |
| Majority | 18,184 | 31.0 | +5.7 | ||
| Turnout | 58,666 | 78.3 | 0.0 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | +2.9 | |||
Elections in the 1980s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Gordon Oakes | 32,065 | 55.5 | +9.1 | |
| Conservative | John Hardman | 17,487 | 30.2 | −3.4 | |
| SDP | Flo Clucas | 8,272 | 14.3 | −5.7 | |
| Majority | 14,578 | 25.3 | +12.5 | ||
| Turnout | 57,824 | 78.3 | +5.0 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | +6.3 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Gordon Oakes | 24,752 | 46.4 | ||
| Conservative | Philip Pedley | 17,923 | 33.6 | ||
| SDP | Thomas Tilling | 10,649 | 20.0 | ||
| Majority | 6,829 | 12.8 | |||
| Turnout | 53,324 | 73.3 | |||
| Labour win (new seat) | |||||
See also
- List of parliamentary constituencies in Cheshire
- History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Cheshire
Notes
- ^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
- ^ 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
- ^ "England Parliamentary electorates 2010-2018". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
- ^ "'Halton', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Halton". 12 March 2016. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ "Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983" (PDF).
- ^ "Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995".
- ^ "Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007".
- ^ "Labour Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018.
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 1)
- ^ "General Election 2019: Statement of persons nominated" (PDF). 15 November 2019.
- ^ "General Election 2017: who is standing for election". Liverpool Echo. 11 May 2017.
- ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Halton". BBC News. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "2010 general election Results: Halton". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
- ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
- ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
External links
- Halton UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
- Halton UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
