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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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West Bromwich West
West Bromwich West was a constituency in the West Midlands in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was represented from 1974 until 2019 by members of the Labour Party, and by the Conservatives from 2019 until 2024.

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished at the 2024 general election, with most of the seat becoming part of the new Tipton and Wednesbury constituency, with the Oldbury and Tividale wards being transferred to the revived West Bromwich constituency, which is largely the successor to the abolished West Bromwich East.

In exchange the Friar Park and Hateley Heath wards from West Bromwich East, and the Coseley East ward from Wolverhampton South East, were transferred to the new Tipton and Wednesbury.

Constituency profile

Wednesbury and Tipton are economic centres and historic towns with considerable suburbs, although overshadowed in the service sector by nearby Birmingham. Since the recessions of the 1970s and early 1980s, West Bromwich West has suffered from an acute, stubbornly great minority of unemployment, and as a result of the Great Recession of 2008, unemployment peaked at 14.3%. Only Birmingham, Ladywood nearby had higher unemployment rates in all of Britain.

Workless claimants who were registered jobseekers were, in November 2012, higher than the national average of 3.8%, standing at 8.1% of the local population. Based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian, this also exceeded the regional average of 4.7% of those of working age in receipt of this benefit, which is seen as the lower gauge of the breadth of unemployment.

Boundaries

West Bromwich West was one of four constituencies covering the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, covering its west and north-west. Its main settlements were the towns of Tipton and Wednesbury, alongside the villages or suburbs of Great Bridge, Princes End and Tividale.

1974–1983: The County Borough of West Bromwich wards of Greets Green, Hill Top, Horseley Heath, Lyng, Market, Tibbington, Tipton Green, and Wood Green.

1983–1997: The Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell wards of Great Bridge, Greets Green and Lyng, Princes End, Tipton Green, Wednesbury North, and Wednesbury South.

1997–2024: The Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell wards of Great Bridge, Oldbury, Princes End, Tipton Green, Tividale, Wednesbury North, and Wednesbury South.

Political history

The seat was held by either the Labour Party or one of its members as the Speaker of the House of Commons from its creation until December 2019.

From 1974 until 2000, this was the constituency of Betty Boothroyd, who was first elected for the former West Bromwich in its by-election in 1973 and became the first woman to be Speaker of the House of Commons in 1992. She retired as Speaker in 2000. The ensuing by-election was won by the Labour Co-operative candidate Adrian Bailey, who held the seat until 2019. Shaun Bailey, the Conservative Party candidate in the 2019 general election, took the seat from Labour with a 50.5% vote share on an 11.7% swing. He became the first-ever Conservative member for the constituency.

At local level, Labour held most of the wards of the constituency. From 2008 until 2012, it was followed by the controversial British National Party, which had four councillors, ahead of the Conservatives with three. This came after a fairly strong BNP showing in the 2005 general election, when it received nearly 10% of the vote.

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
Feb 1974 Betty Boothroyd Labour
1992 Speaker
2000 by-election Adrian Bailey Labour Co-op
2019 Shaun Bailey Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: West Bromwich West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Shaun Bailey 17,419 50.5 +10.8
Labour James Cunningham 13,620 39.5 –12.6
Brexit Party Franco D'Aulerio 1,841 5.3 New
Liberal Democrats Flo Clucas 915 2.7 +1.8
Green Keir Williams 664 1.9 +1.0
Majority 3,799 11.0 N/A
Turnout 34,459 53.4 –1.3
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +11.7
General election 2017: West Bromwich West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Adrian Bailey 18,789 52.1 +4.8
Conservative Andrew Hardie 14,329 39.7 +15.8
UKIP Star Anderton 2,320 6.4 –18.8
Liberal Democrats Flo Clucas 333 0.9 –0.7
Green Robert Buckman 323 0.9 –1.1
Majority 4,460 12.4 –9.7
Turnout 36,094 54.7
Labour hold Swing –5.6
General election 2015: West Bromwich West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Adrian Bailey 16,578 47.3 +2.3
UKIP Graham Eardley 8,836 25.2 +20.9
Conservative Paul Ratner 8,365 23.9 –5.4
Green Mark Redding 697 2.0 New
Liberal Democrats Karen Trench 550 1.6 –10.4
Majority 7,742 22.1 +5.4
Turnout 35,026
Labour hold Swing –9.3
General election 2010: West Bromwich West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Adrian Bailey 16,263 45.0 –8.7
Conservative Andrew Hardie 10,612 29.3 +6.6
Liberal Democrats Sadie Smith 4,336 12.0 +1.8
BNP Russ Green 3,394 9.4 –0.5
UKIP Malcolm Ford 1,566 4.3 +1.8
Majority 5,651 15.7 –15.9
Turnout 36,171 55.6 +4.0
Labour hold Swing –7.6

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: West Bromwich West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Adrian Bailey 18,951 54.3 –6.5
Conservative Mimi Harker 8,057 23.1 –2.0
Liberal Democrats Martyn Smith 3,583 10.3 +3.5
BNP James Lloyd 3,456 9.9 +5.4
UKIP Kevin Walker 870 2.5 +0.9
Majority 10,894 31.2 –4.5
Turnout 34,917 52.3 +4.6
Labour hold Swing –2.3
General election 2001: West Bromwich West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Adrian Bailey 19,352 60.8 N/A
Conservative Karen Bissell 7,997 25.1 N/A
Liberal Democrats Sadie Smith 2,168 6.8 N/A
BNP John Salvage 1,428 4.5 N/A
UKIP Kevin Walker 499 1.6 N/A
Socialist Labour Baghwant Singh 396 1.2 New
Majority 11,355 35.7 N/A
Turnout 31,840 47.7 –6.7
Labour gain from Speaker Swing
2000 West Bromwich West by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Adrian Bailey 9,460 50.6 N/A
Conservative Karen Bissell 6,408 34.3 New
Liberal Democrats Sadie Smith 1,791 9.6 New
BNP Nick Griffin 794 4.2 New
UKIP Jonathan Oakton 246 1.3 New
Majority 3,052 16.3 N/A
Turnout 18,599 27.3 −27.1
Labour gain from Speaker Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: West Bromwich West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Speaker Betty Boothroyd 23,969 65.3 +10.5
Independent Labour Richard Silvester 8,546 23.3 New
National Democrats Steven Edwards 4,181 11.4 New
Majority 15,423 42.0 +22.7
Turnout 36,696 54.4 −16.0
Speaker hold Swing

Boothroyd stood as "The Speaker seeking re-election."

General election 1992: West Bromwich West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Betty Boothroyd 22,251 54.8 +4.3
Conservative Desmond Swayne 14,421 35.5 –1.7
Liberal Democrats Sarah Broadbent 3,925 9.7 –2.7
Majority 7,830 19.3 +6.0
Turnout 40,597 70.4 +3.4
Labour hold Swing +3.0

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: West Bromwich West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Betty Boothroyd 19,925 50.5 −0.2
Conservative Francis Betteridge 14,672 37.2 +4.3
SDP Anthony Collingbourne 4,877 12.4 −4.0
Majority 5,253 13.3 −4.5
Turnout 39,474 67.0 +3.2
Labour hold Swing -2.2
General election 1983: West Bromwich West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Betty Boothroyd 18,896 50.7 −9.6
Conservative David Harman 12,257 32.9 −3.4
SDP Anthony Collingbourne 6,094 16.4 New
Majority 6,639 17.8 −6.2
Turnout 37,247 63.8 −3.3
Labour hold Swing -3.1

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: West Bromwich West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Betty Boothroyd 23,791 60.3 −1.9
Conservative D Harrison 14,323 36.3 +13.5
National Front R Churms 1,351 3.4 −2.0
Majority 9,468 24.0 −15.4
Turnout 39,465 67.1 +4.3
Labour hold Swing -7.7
General election October 1974: West Bromwich West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Betty Boothroyd 23,336 62.2 −0.7
Conservative N Bridges-Adams 8,537 22.8 −6.5
Liberal DJ Corney 3,619 9.7 New
National Front R Churms 2,022 5.4 −2.4
Majority 14,799 39.4 +5.8
Turnout 37,514 62.8 −4.7
Labour hold Swing +2.9
General election February 1974: West Bromwich West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Betty Boothroyd 25,112 62.9
Conservative PM Smith 11,681 29.3
National Front G Bowen 3,107 7.8
Majority 13,431 33.6
Turnout 39,900 67.5
Labour win (new seat)

See also

Notes

  1. ^ A borough 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. ^ She was elevated to the House of Lords as Baroness Boothroyd of Sandwell.

References

  1. ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – West Midlands | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Virgin Media - Official Site". Virgin Media.
  4. ^ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  5. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 2)
  6. ^ "West Bromwich West Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  7. ^ "BBC Constituency Results 2017". BBC. Archived from the original on 9 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  8. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  9. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  11. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  12. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ^ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  15. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Constituency represented by the speaker
1992–2000 		Succeeded by

52°32′N 2°03′W / 52.53°N 2.05°W / 52.53; -2.05

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