Rossendale and Darwen
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Rossendale and Darwen in Lancashire
Outline map
Location of Lancashire within England
CountyLancashire
Electorate73,443 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsDarwen, Entwistle, Rossendale
Current constituency
Created1983
Member of ParliamentJake Berry (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created fromRossendale, Darwen and Heywood & Royton[2]

Rossendale and Darwen is a constituency[n 1] in Lancashire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Jake Berry, the former Chairman of the Conservative Party.[n 2]

Boundaries

Map
Map of current boundaries

1983 to 1997: The Borough of Rossendale, and the Borough of Blackburn wards of Earcroft, Marsh House, North Turton, Sudell, Sunnyhurst, and Whitehall.

1997 to 2010: All the wards of the Borough of Rossendale except the Greenfield and Worsley wards, and the Borough of Blackburn wards of Earcroft, Marsh House, North Turton, Sudell, Sunnyhurst, and Whitehall.

2010 to present: The Borough of Rossendale wards of Cribden, Eden, Facit and Shawforth, Goodshaw, Greensclough, Hareholme, Healey and Whitworth, Helmshore, Irwell, Longholme, Stacksteads, and Whitewell, and the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen wards of Earcroft, East Rural, Fernhurst, Marsh House, North Turton with Tockholes, Sudell, Sunnyhurst, and Whitehall.

Darwen Ward Changes At the 2018 local elections the Darwen electoral wards were changed and re named. They are now known as Darwen West, Darwen East, Darwen South and West Pennine. Fernhurst ward is now part of Blackburn South and Lower Darwen which is part of the Blackburn constituency.

Proposed

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the next general election, due by January 2025, the constituency will be composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

Minor changes to align with the revised ward boundaries in Blackburn with Darwen.

Constituency profile

The constituency consists of Census Output Areas of two local government districts with similar characteristics: a working population whose income is close to the national average but varying reliance upon social housing in relative terms to the national average.[4] At the end of 2012 the unemployment rate in the constituency stood as 3.5% of the population claiming jobseekers allowance, compared to the regional average of 4.2%.[5]

The borough of Rossendale that contributes to the bulk of the population has a 21.5% of its population without a car, whereas this is 30.5% in Blackburn and outside of the seat in Burnley is 32.3%. A relatively high 24% of Rossendale's population were in 2001 without qualifications and a high 25.1% were with level 4 qualifications or above. A higher share, 28.7% of Blackburn's population lacked qualifications, however 19.8% of its population had Level 4 qualifications or above.

In terms of tenure 69.6% of homes are owned outright or on a mortgage as at the 2011 census across the Rossendale district; this compares to a similar 63.7% across Blackburn. Whereas in Ribble Valley to the north 76.6% of homes fall within this category, in Leeds the figure is 58.2% and in Manchester just 37.8%.[6]

History

This constituency was created in 1983 and has alternated between the two largest parties' MPs during this time; since 1997 the constituency has been a bellwether of the national result.

Members of Parliament

Election Member[7] Party
1983 David Trippier Conservative
1992 Janet Anderson Labour
2010 Jake Berry Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Rossendale and Darwen[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jake Berry 27,570 56.5 +5.7
Labour Alyson Barnes 18,048 37.0 ―7.4
Liberal Democrats Paul Valentine 2,011 4.1 +1.0
Green Sarah Hall 1,193 2.4 +0.8
Majority 9,522 19.5 +13.1
Turnout 48,822 67.1 ―2.1
Conservative hold Swing +6.5
General election 2017: Rossendale and Darwen[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jake Berry 25,499 50.8 +4.2
Labour Alyson Barnes 22,283 44.4 +9.3
Liberal Democrats Sean Bonner 1,550 3.1 +1.5
Green John Payne 824 1.6 ―0.5
Majority 3,216 6.4 ―5.1
Turnout 50,156 69.2 +2.8
Conservative hold Swing ―2.6
General election 2015: Rossendale and Darwen[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jake Berry 22,847 46.6 +4.8
Labour Will Straw 17,193 35.1 +2.9
UKIP Clive Balchin 6,862 14.0 +10.6
Green Karen Pollard-Rylance 1,046 2.1 New
Liberal Democrats Afzal Anwar 806 1.6 ―16.5
Independent Kevin Scranage 122 0.2 New
TUSC Simon Thomas 103 0.2 New
Northern Shaun Hargreaves 45 0.1 New
Majority 5,654 11.5 +2.0
Turnout 49,024 66.4 +1.8
Conservative hold Swing +1.0
General election 2010: Rossendale and Darwen[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jake Berry 19,691 41.8 +7.1
Labour Janet Anderson 15,198 32.2 ―10.7
Liberal Democrats Robert Sheffield 8,541 18.1 +3.2
UKIP David Duthie 1,617 3.4 +1.8
National Front Kevin Bryan 1,062 2.3 New
English Democrat Michael Johnson 663 1.4 New
Impact Tony Melia 243 0.5 New
Independent Mike Siveri 113 0.2 New
Majority 4,493 9.5 N/A
Turnout 47,128 64.6 +3.0
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +8.9

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Rossendale and Darwen[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Janet Anderson 19,073 42.9 ―5.9
Conservative Nigel Adams 15,397 34.6 ―1.7
Liberal Democrats Mike Carr 6,670 15.0 +0.3
BNP Anthony Wentworth 1,736 3.9 New
Green Kenneth McIver 821 1.8 New
UKIP David Duthie 740 1.7 New
Majority 3,676 8.3 ―4.4
Turnout 44,437 61.5 +2.8
Labour hold Swing ―1.9
General election 2001: Rossendale and Darwen[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Janet Anderson 20,251 49.0 ―4.6
Conservative George Lee 15,281 36.7 +4.5
Liberal Democrats Brian Dunning 6,079 14.7 +4.1
Majority 5,223 12.7 ―8.6
Turnout 41,358 58.7 ―14.3
Labour hold Swing ―4.3

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Rossendale and Darwen[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Janet Anderson 27,470 53.6 +9.7
Conservative Patricia Buzzard 16,521 32.3 ―11.4
Liberal Democrats Brian Dunning 5,435 10.6 ―0.7
Referendum Roy Newstead 1,108 2.2 New
BNP Andrew Wearden 674 1.3 New
Majority 10,949 21.3 +21.1
Turnout 51,208 73.0 ―10.0
Labour hold Swing +10.6
General election 1992: Rossendale and Darwen[16][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Janet Anderson 28,028 43.9 +5.6
Conservative David Trippier 27,908 43.7 ―2.9
Liberal Democrats Kevin Connor 7,226 11.3 ―3.8
Green James Gaffney 596 0.9 New
Natural Law Peter Gorrod 125 0.2 New
Majority 120 0.2 N/A
Turnout 63,883 83.0 +2.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +4.2

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Rossendale and Darwen[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Trippier 28,056 46.6 ―0.4
Labour Janet Anderson 23,074 38.3 +6.5
Liberal Peter John Hulse 9,097 15.1 ―6.1
Majority 4,982 8.3 ―6.9
Turnout 60,227 80.3 +2.5
Conservative hold Swing ―3.5
General election 1983: Rossendale and Darwen[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Trippier 27,214 47.0
Labour Christopher Robinson 18,393 31.8
Liberal Michael Taylor 12,246 21.2
Majority 8,821 15.2
Turnout 57,853 77.8
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

Notes

  1. ^ A county 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.

References

  1. ^ "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ^ "'Rossendale and Darwen', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 13 March 2016.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 5 North West region.
  4. ^ 2001 Census
  5. ^ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  6. ^ 2011 census interactive maps Archived 29 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 2)
  8. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll" (PDF).
  9. ^ "Rossendale & Darwen parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
  10. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  11. ^ "Rossendale & Darwen". BBC News. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  12. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. ^ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  18. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

53°42′29″N 2°14′24″W / 53.708°N 2.240°W / 53.708; -2.240

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