Normanton (UK Parliament constituency)

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Coordinates: 53°42′00″N 1°24′54″W / 53.700°N 1.415°W / 53.700; -1.415

Normanton
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Normanton in West Yorkshire for the 2005 general election.
Outline map
Location of West Yorkshire within England.
County West Yorkshire
1885–2010
Number of members One
Replaced by Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford, Morley and Outwood and Wakefield
Created from Southern West Riding of Yorkshire

Normanton was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Boundaries[edit]

1983-1997: The City of Wakefield wards of Normanton and Sharlston, Ossett, Stanley and Altofts, and Stanley and Wrenthorpe; and the City of Leeds ward of Rothwell.

1997-2010: The City of Wakefield wards of Horbury, Normanton and Sharlston, Ossett, Stanley and Altofts, and Stanley and Wrenthorpe.

The West Yorkshire constituency includes the towns of Normanton and Ossett and several villages. The area has a tradition of being working-class, but it has now become almost entirely gentrified as nearby Leeds has expanded as a financial centre.

The wards included are "Normanton and Sharlston" [the safest Labour ward], "Stanley and Outwood East", "Wrenthorpe and Outwood West", "Ossett" and "Horbury and South Ossett". Ossett is now actually the largest town in the area, due to its high growth in recent years. The Tory vote is very low in Normanton itself and in Ossett, but councillors have been elected for Horbury and for Wrenthorpe. Until recently the LibDems had all three councillors for the "Ossett" ward, but have never performed well in general elections, in this area. "Stanley and Outwood East" is a fairly safe Labour ward.

The constituency is nicknamed the banana constituency on account of its unusual shape.

The village of Altofts, located just to the north of Normanton, is currently included in the constituency, despite being part of a Castleford ward. The village is planned to move into a proposed "Pontefract and Castleford" seat. (but see below)

Boundary review[edit]

Following their review of parliamentary representation in West Yorkshire, the Boundary Commission for England had created a Normanton and Pontefract constituency. In late May 2006, the Commission published a revised recommendation changing the name of this constituency to Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford.

Local newspapers and the Labour Party opposed the initial change, but following a public consultation the Commission decided to create the seat conceding only a name change - from Pontefract and Castleford, to Normanton and Pontefract. This has now been extended to cover all three names. The wards of "Wrenthorpe and Outwood West" and "Stanley and Outwood East" - the most affluent part of the constituency - is set to be joined to the Conservative-leaning commuter town of Morley, which is in the Leeds district, in a Morley and Outwood constituency. Local groups and newspapers have protested that this represents a takeover of the Wakefield district by the Leeds district. Cynics reply that the Labour Party is worried that "Morley and Outwood" would be won the Conservatives. Ossett and Horbury are set for inclusion in the Wakefield constituency.

Members of Parliament[edit]

The constituency elected only Labour MPs since 1905, the longest run (with Gower and Makerfield) of any UK constituency. From 1885 to 1906, it had returned Liberal-Labour MPs.

Ed Balls, the former Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, represented the seat from the 2005 general election until 2010 when it was abolished.

Election Member[1] Party
1885 Benjamin Pickard Lib-Lab
1904 by-election William Parrott Lib-Lab
1905 by-election Frederick Hall Lib-Lab
1909 Labour
1933 by-election Tom Smith Labour
1947 by-election George Sylvester Labour
1950 Thomas Brooks Labour
1951 Albert Roberts Labour
1983 Bill O'Brien Labour
2005 Ed Balls Labour Co-op
2010 constituency abolished : see Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford
and Morley and Outwood

Elections[edit]

Elections in the 2000s[edit]

General Election 2005: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Ed Balls 19,161 51.2 −4.9
Conservative Andrew Percy 9,159 24.5 −2.5
Liberal Democrat Simone Butterworth 6,357 17.0 +2.4
BNP John Aveyard 1,967 5.3 N/A
Independent Mark Harrop 780 2.1 N/A
Majority 10,002 26.7
Turnout 37,424 57.5 +5.3
Labour Co-op hold Swing
General Election 2001: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill O'Brien 19,152 56.1 −4.5
Conservative Graham Smith 9,215 27.0 +3.4
Liberal Democrat Stephen Pearson 4,990 14.6 +2.2
Socialist Labour Mick Appleyard 798 2.3 N/A
Majority 9,937 29.1
Turnout 34,155 52.2 −16.0
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s[edit]

General Election 1997: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill O'Brien 26,046 60.57
Conservative Fiona Bulmer 10,153 23.61
Liberal Democrat David Ridgway 5,347 12.43
Referendum Party Ken Shuttleworth 1,458 3.39
Majority 15,893 36.96
Turnout 68.28
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1992: Normanton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill O'Brien 25,936 51.8 +2.3
Conservative RW Sturdy 16,986 33.9 -0.1
Liberal Democrat M Galdas 7,137 14.3 -2.1
Majority 8,950 17.9 +2.4
Turnout 50,059 76.3 +1.5
Labour hold Swing +1.2

Elections in the 1980s[edit]

General Election 1987: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill O'Brien 23,303 49.54
Conservative MDM Smith 16,016 34.05
Social Democratic RJ Macey 7,717 16.41
Majority 7,287 15.49
Turnout 74.78
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1983: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill O'Brien 18,782 43.56
Conservative A Paul 14,599 33.86
Social Democratic P Pantelli 9,741 22.59
Majority 4,183 9.70
Turnout 70.40
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s[edit]

General Election 1979: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Roberts 26,591 56.43
Conservative MH Cavendish 14,398 30.55
Liberal ARC Paton 6,134 13.02
Majority 12,193 25.87
Turnout 76.76
Labour hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Roberts 24,372 58.73
Conservative J Makin 9,739 23.47
Liberal W Whitaker 7,384 17.79
Majority 14,633 35.26
Turnout 70.41
Labour hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Roberts 29,621 67.22
Conservative Antony Marlow 14,447 32.78
Majority 15,174 34.43
Turnout 75.40
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1970: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Roberts 28,421 68.40
Conservative DH Cargill 13,132 31.60
Majority 15,289 36.79
Turnout 71.55
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s[edit]

General Election 1966: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Roberts 29,416 76.41
Conservative JER Wauchope 9,084 23.59
Majority 20,332 52.81
Turnout 74.31
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1964: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Roberts 28,477 72.53
Conservative FK Roberts 10,785 27.47
Majority 17,692 45.06
Turnout 77.51
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s[edit]

General Election 1959: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Roberts 29,672 72.65
Conservative JAC Briggs 11,169 27.35
Majority 18,503 45.30
Turnout 83.11
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1955: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Roberts 27,846 73.50
Conservative J Bird 10,040 26.50
Majority 17,806 47.00
Turnout 78.09
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1951: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Roberts 31,052 73.49
Liberal National T Heseltine 11,199 26.51
Majority 19,853 46.99
Turnout 85.48
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1950: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas Brooks 31,986 74.53
Liberal National T Heseltine 10,929 25.47
Majority 21,057 49.07
Turnout 87.54
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s[edit]

Normanton by-election, 1947
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Sylvester 19,085 79.8 −4.5
Conservative Enoch Powell 4,258 17.9 +2.1
Independent Dr W.D. Hartley 579 2.4 N/A
Majority 14,827 62.0 -6.6
Turnout 23,922 54.6 −25.3
Labour hold Swing -3.3
General Election 1945: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Smith 28,238 84.30
Conservative JH Hulbert 5,259 15.70
Majority 22,979 68.60
Turnout 80.15
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s[edit]

General Election 1935: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Smith 26,705 81.39
Conservative EO Moss 6,106 18.61
Majority 20,599 62.78
Turnout 77.72
Labour hold Swing
By Election 1933: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Smith Unopposed
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1931: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frederick Hall 22,877 69.64
Conservative J. N. Cumberbirch 9,974 30.36
Majority 12,903 30.36
Turnout 78.84
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1920s[edit]

General Election 1929: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frederick Hall 26,008 83.1
Conservative A. Coates 5,276 16.9
Majority 20,732 66.2
Turnout 75.8
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1924: Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frederick Hall Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

See also[edit]

Notes and references[edit]

  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "N" (part 2)[self-published source][better source needed]
  2. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 Dec 2010. 

Sources[edit]

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