Stratford-on-Avon (UK Parliament Constituency)
Boundaries
2024-present: The District of Stratford-on-Avon wards of: Alcester East; Alcester West; Bidford East; Bidford West; Brailes & Compton; Claverdon & Snitterfield; Henley-in-Arden; Kinwarton; Long Marston; Quinton; Salford Priors & Alcester Rural; Shipston North; Shipston South; Stratford Avenue; Stratford Bishopton; Stratford Clopton; Stratford Guildhall & Bridgetown; Stratford Hathaway; Stratford Orchard Hill; Stratford Shottery; Stratford Tiddington; Stratford Welcombe; Studley North; Studley South; Tanworth-in-Arden; Tredington; Tysoe (part); Welford-on-Avon; Wellesbourne East & Rural (small part); Wellesbourne North & Rural (small part); Wootton Wawen.
2010–2024: The District of Stratford-on-Avon wards of Alcester, Aston Cantlow, Bardon, Bidford and Salford, Brailes, Claverdon, Ettington, Henley, Kinwarton, Long Compton, Quinton, Sambourne, Shipston, Snitterfield, Stratford Alveston, Stratford Avenue and New Town, Stratford Guild and Hathaway, Stratford Mount Pleasant, Studley, Tanworth, Tredington, Vale of the Red Horse, and Welford.
1997–2010: All the wards of the District of Stratford-on-Avon except the wards of Henley, Tanworth, and Tanworth Earlswood.
1983–1997: The District of Stratford-on-Avon.
1974–1983: As 1950 but with redrawn boundaries.
1950–1974: The Borough of Stratford-upon-Avon, and the Rural Districts of Stratford-on-Avon, Alcester, Shipston-on-Stour, and Southam.
1885–1918: The Boroughs of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, and Leamington, the Sessional Divisions of Alcester, Brailes, Henley, Stratford, Snitterfield, and Warwick, and the part of the Sessional Division of Kenilworth in the Parliamentary Borough of Warwick and Leamington.
At the 2010 general election, following the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, this seat was reduced in size: a new constituency of Kenilworth and Southam was created, taking in much of the eastern half of the previous version of this constituency, along with parts of the abolished seat of Rugby and Kenilworth.
At the 2024 general election, following the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies the constituency underwent changes described as the following:
- Minor changes to align boundaries with those of wards in the District of Stratford-on-Avon.
Constituency profile
The constituency consists primarily of agricultural land with relatively widely spaced rural villages which are now predominantly inhabited by commuters, with its boundaries taking in the historic town of Stratford-upon-Avon itself and the south and west of the Stratford-on-Avon local government district. It has been a Conservative seat since 1906.
In May 2023, the Lib Dems gained majority control of the Stratford-on-Avon council for the first time in its history with a 15-seat gain. That compared with the Conservatives, who not only lost their majority but dropped 14 of their seats. On the doorstep, campaigners said issues around the town's Conservative MP came up repeatedly.
After Stratford itself the next largest settlements in the constituency are Studley and Alcester each with just under 5,000 electors.
Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 1.4% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.
History since 1950
Since its recreation in 1950, the seat has elected only Conservatives. The earliest member, John Profumo, was noted for his personal life scandal; another MP, Alan Howarth, served on the benches of the Labour Party for two years after crossing the floor in 1995.
- Political history
With the exception of a relatively close 1963 by-election, the constituency has always returned majorities of over 20% for the Conservatives. Up until 1970, Labour always came second and the Liberals (when they stood) third; and the Liberal/Liberal Democratic parties came second and Labour third in every subsequent general election until 2010. The only occasion on which any other party has been in the top three (or managed to save their deposit) was in 2015, when UKIP came second with just over 13% of the vote. Since then, Labour has come second in 2017, and the Liberal Democrats in 2019.
Members of Parliament
MPs 1885–1918
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1885 | Lord William Compton | Liberal | |
1886 | Frederick Townsend | Conservative | |
1892 | Algernon Freeman-Mitford | Conservative | |
1895 | Victor Milward | Conservative | |
1901 by-election | Philip Foster | Conservative | |
1906 | Thomas Kincaid-Smith | Liberal | |
1909 by-election | Philip Foster | Conservative | |
1918 | Constituency abolished |
MPs since 1950
Election | Member | Party | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1950 | John Profumo | Conservative | Secretary of State for War 1960–63; resigned | |
1963 by-election | Angus Maude | Conservative | ||
1983 | Alan Howarth | Conservative | ||
1995 | Labour | |||
1997 | John Maples | Conservative | Previously MP for Lewisham West 1983–92 | |
2010 | Nadhim Zahawi | Conservative | Chancellor of the Exchequer July–September 2022 |
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Seyi Agboola | ||||
Conservative | Chris Clarkson | ||||
Reform UK | James Crocker | ||||
New Open Non-Political Organised Leadership (NONPOL) | Neil O'Neil | ||||
Liberal Democrats | Manuela Perteghella | ||||
Green | Doug Rouxel | ||||
Independent | Kevin Taylor | ||||
Majority | |||||
Turnout |
- Chris Clarkson (Conservative) ― Incumbent MP for Heywood and Middleton
Elections in the 2010s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nadhim Zahawi | 33,343 | 60.6 | -1.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Dominic Skinner | 13,371 | 24.3 | +12.2 | |
Labour | Felix Ling | 6,222 | 11.3 | -11.0 | |
Green | David Passingham | 2,112 | 3.8 | +1.2 | |
Majority | 19,972 | 36.3 | -3.6 | ||
Turnout | 55,048 | 74.4 | +2.1 | ||
Registered electors | 74,038 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -6.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nadhim Zahawi | 33,657 | 62.9 | +5.2 | |
Labour | Jeff Kenner | 11,699 | 21.9 | +8.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Adams | 6,357 | 11.9 | -0.1 | |
Green | Dominic Giles | 1,345 | 2.6 | -1.5 | |
Independent | Jandy Spurway | 255 | 0.5 | New | |
Independent | Tom Darwood | 219 | 0.4 | New | |
Majority | 21,958 | 41.0 | -4.6 | ||
Turnout | 52,532 | 72.3 | -0.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -2.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nadhim Zahawi | 29,674 | 57.7 | +6.2 | |
UKIP | Edward Fila | 6,798 | 13.2 | +9.5 | |
Labour | Jeff Kenner | 6,677 | 13.0 | +3.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Adams | 6,182 | 12.0 | -17.1 | |
Green | Dominic Giles | 2,128 | 4.1 | +3.1 | |
Majority | 22,876 | 44.5 | +22.1 | ||
Turnout | 51,459 | 72.6 | -0.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -1.75 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nadhim Zahawi | 26,052 | 51.5 | +2.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Martin Turner | 14,706 | 29.1 | +0.8 | |
Labour | Robert Johnston | 4,809 | 9.5 | -5.9 | |
UKIP | Brett Parsons | 1,846 | 3.7 | +0.9 | |
BNP | George Jones | 1,097 | 2.2 | New | |
Independent | Neil Basnett | 1,032 | 2.0 | New | |
Green | Karen Varga | 527 | 1.0 | -1.3 | |
English Democrat | Frederick Bishop | 473 | 0.9 | New | |
Majority | 11,346 | 22.4 | +1.5 | ||
Turnout | 50,542 | 72.7 | +3.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.7 |
Elections in the 2000s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Maples | 28,652 | 49.2 | -1.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Susan Juned | 16,468 | 28.3 | -0.5 | |
Labour Co-op | Rachel Blackmore | 10,145 | 17.4 | +0.7 | |
UKIP | Harry Cottam | 1,621 | 2.8 | +0.6 | |
Green | Mick Davies | 1,354 | 2.3 | +0.2 | |
Majority | 12,184 | 20.9 | -0.6 | ||
Turnout | 58,240 | 68.8 | +4.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -0.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Maples | 27,606 | 50.3 | +2.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Susan Juned | 15,804 | 28.8 | +3.3 | |
Labour | Mushtaq Hussain | 9,164 | 16.7 | -3.8 | |
UKIP | Ron Mole | 1,184 | 2.2 | +1.3 | |
Green | Mick Davies | 1,156 | 2.1 | New | |
Majority | 11,802 | 21.5 | -1.3 | ||
Turnout | 54,914 | 64.4 | -11.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -0.6 |
Elections in the 1990s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Maples | 29,967 | 48.3 | -10.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Susan Juned | 15,861 | 25.5 | ±0.0 | |
Labour | Stewart Stacey | 12,754 | 20.5 | +7.4 | |
Referendum | Adrian Hilton | 2,064 | 3.3 | New | |
UKIP | JEM Spilsbury | 556 | 0.9 | New | |
Natural Law | James Brewster | 307 | 0.5 | +0.3 | |
Stratford First Democratic Conservative | Simon Marcus | 306 | 0.5 | New | |
ProLife Alliance | Sarah Miller | 284 | 0.5 | New | |
Majority | 14,106 | 22.8 | -10.9 | ||
Turnout | 62,099 | 76.3 | -5.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -5.45 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Howarth | 40,251 | 59.2 | -2.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | JN Fogg | 17,359 | 25.5 | -2.4 | |
Labour | SM Brookes | 8,932 | 13.1 | +2.9 | |
Green | RG Roughan | 729 | 1.1 | New | |
Ind. Conservative | AJ Saunders | 573 | 0.8 | New | |
Natural Law | MR Twite | 130 | 0.2 | New | |
Majority | 22,892 | 33.7 | -0.4 | ||
Turnout | 67,974 | 82.1 | +5.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -0.2 |
Elections in the 1980s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Howarth | 38,483 | 61.9 | +1.0 | |
Liberal | David Cowcher | 17,318 | 27.9 | -1.0 | |
Labour | Robert Rhodes | 6,335 | 10.2 | -0.1 | |
Majority | 21,165 | 34.1 | +2.1 | ||
Turnout | 62,136 | 76.5 | +3.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Howarth | 34,041 | 60.9 | +0.5 | |
Liberal | James Taylor | 16,124 | 28.9 | +8.9 | |
Labour | Frank Hooley | 5,731 | 10.3 | -7.4 | |
Majority | 17,917 | 32.0 | -6.4 | ||
Turnout | 55,896 | 72.9 | -3.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -4.2 |
Elections in the 1970s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Angus Maude | 35,470 | 60.41 | +9.4 | |
Liberal | James Taylor | 12,916 | 22.00 | -5.3 | |
Labour | CA Purnell | 10,334 | 17.60 | -4.1 | |
Majority | 22,554 | 38.41 | +14.8 | ||
Turnout | 58,720 | 76.67 | +2.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +7.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Angus Maude | 27,123 | 50.96 | -0.8 | |
Liberal | MJW Wright | 14,555 | 27.34 | -1.7 | |
Labour | DV Hunt | 11,551 | 21.70 | +2.5 | |
Majority | 12,568 | 23.62 | + 0.9 | ||
Turnout | 53,229 | 74.04 | -7.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Angus Maude | 30,106 | 51.77 | -6.3 | |
Liberal | MJW Wright | 16,885 | 29.03 | +10.7 | |
Labour | M Burton | 11,165 | 19.20 | -4.3 | |
Majority | 13,221 | 22.74 | -11.8 | ||
Turnout | 58,156 | 81.06 | +7.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -8.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Angus Maude | 28,106 | 58.08 | +6.8 | |
Labour | Peter Eric Tombs | 11,393 | 23.54 | -6.2 | |
Liberal | David R Bruce | 8,895 | 18.38 | +3.4 | |
Majority | 16,713 | 34.54 | +12.9 | ||
Turnout | 48,394 | 74.08 | -4.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +6.5 |
Elections in the 1960s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Angus Maude | 22,381 | 51.30 | -2.5 | |
Labour | Vernon G Hale | 12,954 | 29.69 | +0.4 | |
Liberal | Gordon H Herringshaw | 6,556 | 15.03 | -1.9 | |
Ind. Conservative | Christopher G Clayton-Wright | 1,733 | 3.97 | New | |
Majority | 9,427 | 21.61 | -2.9 | ||
Turnout | 43,624 | 78.03 | -5.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -1.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Angus Maude | 23,236 | 53.80 | -14.7 | |
Labour | Andrew Faulds | 12,646 | 29.28 | -2.2 | |
Liberal | Derick Mirfin | 7,307 | 16.92 | New | |
Majority | 10,590 | 24.52 | -12.5 | ||
Turnout | 43,189 | 83.07 | + 6.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -6.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Angus Maude | 15,846 | 43.61 | -24.9 | |
Labour | Andrew Faulds | 12,376 | 34.06 | +2.6 | |
Liberal | Derick Mirfin | 7,622 | 20.98 | New | |
Independent | MS Blair | 281 | 0.77 | New | |
Teenage Party | David Sutch | 209 | 0.58 | New | |
Majority | 3,470 | 9.55 | -27.5 | ||
Turnout | 36,334 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | -13.7 |
Elections in the 1950s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Profumo | 26,146 | 68.5 | -0.1 | |
Labour | Joseph Stretton | 12,017 | 31.5 | +0.1 | |
Majority | 14,129 | 37.0 | -0.2 | ||
Turnout | 38,163 | 76.9 | +1.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -0.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Profumo | 24,587 | 68.6 | +4.1 | |
Labour | Thomas LK Locksley | 11,275 | 31.4 | -4.1 | |
Majority | 13,312 | 37.2 | +8.2 | ||
Turnout | 35,862 | 75.6 | -4.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +4.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Profumo | 24,041 | 64.5 | +7.2 | |
Labour | Henry Hilditch | 13,246 | 35.5 | -3.5 | |
Majority | 10,795 | 29.0 | +4.4 | ||
Turnout | 37,287 | 79.9 | -3.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +5.36 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Profumo | 21,492 | 57.3 | ||
Labour | RGM Brown | 12,143 | 32.0 | ||
Liberal | Hadleigh Sydney Seaborne | 4,318 | 11.4 | ||
Majority | 9,349 | 24.6 | |||
Turnout | 37,953 | 83.1 | |||
Conservative win (new seat) |
Election results 1885-1918
Elections in the 1910s
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;
- Unionist: Philip Foster
- Liberal: John Pascoe Elsden
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Philip Foster | 5,147 | 59.8 | ![]() | |
Liberal | Walter King | 3,462 | 40.2 | ![]() | |
Majority | 1,685 | 19.6 | ![]() | ||
Turnout | 8,609 | 79.5 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 10,835 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ![]() |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Philip Foster | 5,505 | 58.9 | ![]() | |
Liberal | Oscar William Bowen | 3,838 | 41.1 | ![]() | |
Majority | 1,667 | 17.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 9,343 | 86.2 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 10,835 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | ![]() |
Elections in the 1900s
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Joseph_Martin.png/120px-Joseph_Martin.png)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Philip Foster | 5,374 | 62.5 | ![]() | |
Liberal | Joseph Martin | 2,747 | 31.9 | ![]() | |
Independent | Thomas Kincaid-Smith | 479 | 5.6 | New | |
Majority | 2,627 | 30.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 8,600 | 80.9 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 10,628 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | ![]() |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Thomas Kincaid-Smith | 4,321 | 50.9 | N/A | |
Conservative | Philip Foster | 4,173 | 49.1 | N/A | |
Majority | 148 | 1.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 8,494 | 83.5 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 10,173 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Philip Foster | 4,755 | 61.5 | N/A | |
Liberal | Bolton King | 2,977 | 38.5 | New | |
Majority | 1,778 | 23.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 7,732 | 76.8 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 10,063 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Victor Milward | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Elections in the 1890s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Victor Milward | 4,598 | 61.9 | +6.1 | |
Liberal | Isaac Thomas Sadler | 2,827 | 38.1 | −6.1 | |
Majority | 1,771 | 23.8 | +12.2 | ||
Turnout | 7,425 | 76.2 | −2.2 | ||
Registered electors | 9,745 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +6.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Algernon Freeman-Mitford | 4,157 | 55.8 | +2.4 | |
Liberal | George Septimus Warmington | 3,293 | 44.2 | −2.4 | |
Majority | 864 | 11.6 | +4.8 | ||
Turnout | 7,450 | 78.4 | +3.9 | ||
Registered electors | 9,505 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.4 |
Elections in the 1880s
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/25/Earl_Compton.jpg/120px-Earl_Compton.jpg)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Frederick Townsend | 3,833 | 53.4 | ![]() | |
Liberal | William Compton | 3,344 | 46.6 | ![]() | |
Majority | 489 | 6.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 7,177 | 74.5 | ![]() | ||
Registered electors | 9,631 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | ![]() |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | William Compton | 4,639 | 55.4 | ||
Conservative | Sampson Lloyd | 3,738 | 44.6 | ||
Majority | 901 | 10.8 | |||
Turnout | 8,377 | 87.0 | |||
Registered electors | 9,631 | ||||
Liberal win (new seat) |
See also
- List of parliamentary constituencies in Warwickshire
- List of parliamentary constituencies in West Midlands (region)