Widnes
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Widnes in Lancashire, showing boundaries used from 1974-1983
1885–1983
Seatsone
Created fromSouth West Lancashire
Replaced byHalton, Knowsley South and St Helens South[1]

Widnes was a county constituency in England, based on the town of Widnes, in Lancashire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

History

The constituency was formed as a Parliamentary division of Lancashire in 1885, including Allerton, Cronton, Ditton, Garston, Hale, Halewood, Huyton with Roby, Little Woolton, Much Woolton, Speke, Tarbock, Whiston and Widnes.

In 1918 it was redefined to cover the municipal borough of Widnes, along with the urban districts of Prescot and Huyton with Roby and the Whiston Rural District. The two urban districts and part of the rural district (the parishes of Eccleston, Kirkby, Knowsley, and Windle) became part of a new Huyton constituency in 1950, with Widnes retaining the borough and the remainder of the rural district. In 1971 Widnes featured the last by-election to date to have only a Labour and a Conservative candidate. Its boundaries remained unchanged in 1974. In 1983 Widnes constituency was abolished and replaced by Halton constituency.[2]

Boundaries

1950–1983: The borough of Widnes, and the rural district of Whiston except the parishes of Eccleston, Kirkby, Knowsley, and Windle.[3]

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
1885 Tom Edwards-Moss Conservative
1892 John Saunders Gilliat Conservative
1900 William Walker Coalition Conservative
1919 by-election Arthur Henderson Labour
1922 Christopher Clayton Conservative
1929 Alexander Gordon Cameron Labour
1931 Roland Robinson Conservative
1935 Richard Pilkington Conservative
1945 Christopher Shawcross Labour
1950 James MacColl Labour
1971 by-election Gordon Oakes Labour
1983 constituency abolished

Election results

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gordon Oakes 32,033 55.2 −4.0
Conservative B.G. Holder 21,752 37.5 +10.0
Liberal L.A. Self 4,290 7.4 -5.9
Majority 10,281 17.7
Turnout 58,075 74.2 +3.3
Labour hold Swing −7.0
General election October 1974: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gordon Oakes 31,532 59.2 −5.9
Conservative A.H.K. Maynard 14,661 27.5 −7.5
Liberal A. Turner 7,067 13.3 N/A
Majority 16,871 31.7
Turnout 53,260 70.9 −2.8
Labour hold Swing +0.8
General election February 1974: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gordon Oakes 35,654 65.1 +7.4
Conservative A.H.K. Maynard 19,155 35.0 −7.3
Majority 16,499 30.1
Turnout 54,809 73.7 +5.0
Labour hold Swing +7.4
By-election 1971: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gordon Oakes 22,880 69.1 +11.4
Conservative David Stanley 10,219 30.9 −11.4
Majority 12,661 38.3
Turnout 33,099
Labour hold Swing +11.4
General election 1970: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James MacColl 28,384 57.7 −3.0
Conservative Griffith H. Pierce 20,841 42.3 +3.0
Majority 7,543 15.3
Turnout 49,225 68.7
Labour hold Swing −3.0

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James MacColl 26,613 60.7 +3.9
Conservative Alan Pickering 17,235 39.3 −3.9
Majority 9,378 21.4
Turnout 43,848 72.8 −5.1
Labour hold Swing +3.9
General election 1964: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James MacColl 24,446 56.8 +4.8
Conservative Alan Pickering 18,572 43.2 −4.8
Majority 5,874 13.7
Turnout 43,018 77.9 −5.5
Labour hold Swing +4.8

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James MacColl 21,218 52.0 +0.1
Conservative Bruce L. Butcher 19,620 48.0 −0.1
Majority 1,598 3.9
Turnout 40,838 83.4 +7.0
Labour hold Swing +0.1
General election 1955: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James MacColl 19,823 51.9 −2.3
Conservative Beata Brookes 18,374 48.1 +2.3
Majority 1,449 3.8
Turnout 38,197 76.4
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James MacColl 21,688 54.2 +0.1
Conservative Francis H. Wilson 18,315 45.8 −0.1
Majority 3,373 8.4
Turnout 40,003 87.4 −0.8
Labour hold Swing +0.1
General election 1950: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James MacColl 21,253 54.1 −4.7
Conservative Richard Pilkington 18,033 45.9 +4.7
Majority 3,220 8.2
Turnout 39,286 88.2 +12.2
Labour hold Swing −4.7

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Christopher Shawcross 41,980 58.8 +14.8
Conservative Richard Pilkington 29,382 41.2 −14.8
Majority 12,598 17.7
Turnout 71,362 76.0 −3.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +14.8

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Pilkington 24,457 56.0 −6.1
Labour Alexander Gordon Cameron 19,187 44.0 +6.1
Majority 5,270 12.1
Turnout 43,644 79.7 −7.8
Conservative hold Swing −6.1
General election 1931: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roland Robinson 25,123 62.1
Labour Alexander Gordon Cameron 15,309 37.9
Majority 9,814 24.3
Turnout 40,432 87.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alexander Gordon Cameron 19,125 51.0 +4.7
Unionist Christopher Clayton 18,376 49.0 -4.7
Majority 749 2.0 9.4
Turnout 37,501 84.8 -1.0
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +4.7
General election 1924: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Christopher Clayton 15,476 53.7
Labour Joe Cotter 13,326 46.3
Majority 2,150 7.4
Turnout 28,802 85.8
Unionist hold Swing
General election 1923: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Christopher Clayton 12,808 47.1 -6.1
Labour Joe Cotter 12,020 44.2 -2.6
Liberal Harry Trevor Ellis 2,355 8.7 n/a
Majority 788 2.9 -3.5
Turnout 27,183 83.0 -3.8
Unionist hold Swing -1.7
General election 1922: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Christopher Clayton 14,679 53.2
Labour Arthur Henderson 12,897 46.8
Majority 1,782 6.4
Turnout 27,576 86.8
Unionist gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1910s

Widnes by-election, August 30 1919
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Arthur Henderson 11,404 52.3 +11.9
C Unionist Francis Fisher 10,417 47.7 −11.9
Majority 987 4.6 N/A
Turnout 21,821 71.1 +8.1
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +11.9
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.
General election 1918: Widnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist William Walker 11,515 59.6 N/A
Labour Tom Williamson 7,821 40.4 N/A
Majority 3,694 19.2 N/A
Turnout 19,336 63.0 N/A
Unionist hold Swing N/A
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.
By-election, 1916: Widnes[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Walker Unopposed
Unionist hold
General election December 1910: Widnes[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Walker Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election January 1910: Widnes[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Walker 5,758 55.2 +0.6
Liberal Louis Bernacchi 4,666 44.8 −0.6
Majority 1,092 10.4 +1.2
Turnout 10,424 88.5 +5.1
Registered electors 11,780
Conservative hold Swing −1.2

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1906: Widnes[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Walker 5,017 54.6 −15.0
Liberal John Swinburne 4,165 45.4 +15.0
Majority 852 9.2 −30.0
Turnout 9,182 83.4 +11.7
Registered electors 11,005
Conservative hold Swing −15.0
General election 1900: Widnes[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Walker 4,716 69.6 +16.1
Liberal M. C. Macinerney 2,062 30.4 −16.1
Majority 2,654 39.2 +32.2
Turnout 6,778 71.7 −10.9
Registered electors 9,447
Conservative hold Swing +16.1

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1895: Widnes[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Saunders Gilliat 3,973 53.5 +2.1
Liberal Henry Wade Deacon[5] 3,456 46.5 −2.1
Majority 517 7.0 +4.2
Turnout 7,429 82.6 −0.9
Registered electors 8,998
Conservative hold Swing +2.1
General election 1892: Widnes[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Saunders Gilliat 3,866 51.4 −4.6
Liberal Henry Wade Deacon[5] 3,661 48.6 +4.6
Majority 205 2.8 −9.2
Turnout 7,527 83.5 +2.7
Registered electors 9,014
Conservative hold Swing −4.6

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1886: Widnes[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tom Edwards-Moss 3,719 56.0 −6.0
Liberal Augustine Birrell 2,927 44.0 +6.0
Majority 792 12.0 −12.0
Turnout 6,646 80.8 −4.0
Registered electors 8,223
Conservative hold Swing −12.0
General election 1885: Widnes[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tom Edwards-Moss 4,327 62.0 N/A
Liberal Edmund Knowles Muspratt[6] 2,650 38.0 N/A
Majority 1,677 24.0 N/A
Turnout 6,977 84.8 N/A
Registered electors 8,223
Conservative win (new seat)

References

  1. ^ "'Widnes', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  2. ^ Youngs, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Volume 2
  3. ^ "Representation of the People Act 1948: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1948 c. 65 (sch. 1), retrieved 23 July 2023
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  5. ^ a b "Liberal Meeting at Widnes". Liverpool Mercury. 23 February 1892. p. 6. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  6. ^ "The General Election". London Evening Standard. 4 December 1885. p. 5. Retrieved 14 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.

Sources

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