The Wrekin (UK Parliament constituency)

The Wrekin is a constituency[n 1] in the House of Commons of the British Parliament, located in the county of Shropshire in the West Midlands of England. It has existed continuously since its creation by the Representation of the People Act 1918, and is named after a prominent landmark hill in the area, The Wrekin. It has been represented by the Labour and Conservative parties since the 1920s, a post held since 2005 by Conservative MP Mark Pritchard.[n 2]

The Wrekin
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of The Wrekin in Shropshire
Outline map
Location of Shropshire within England
CountyShropshire
Electorate66,111 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsAlbrighton, Cosford, Newport, Shifnal, Wellington
Current constituency
Created1918
Member of ParliamentMark Pritchard (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created fromWellington, Newport and Ludlow

History
Political history

The seat saw a first winning candidate from the Labour Party relatively early in its history, in 1923. The seat alternated between the two largest modern parties eight times between 1923 and 1979.

In more recent history, reflecting the growing population of Telford and the rich iron smelting, railway and mining industries as major historic employers in the area, the seat was more Labour-leaning than the national average but still marginal, being represented by a Conservative for the first eight years of the Thatcher ministry and then (from 1987) returning a Labour member, who was moved to a new Telford seat in 1997, and another Labour member until 2005, followed by the present Conservative who was elected that year. The current Conservative majority is 18,726 votes.

Most prominent members in Parliament

Gerald Fowler (Labour) reached the frontbenches of government as the Minister for Education and Science from 1969 to 1970, again in 1974 and 1976 and as Minister for the Privy Council Office from 1974 to 1976.

Anthony Trafford (Conservative) went on after serving as MP to serve as a health minister, from the House of Lords in 1989.

Bruce Grocott (Labour) went on, after serving as MP for the newly created neighbouring seat from 1997 to 2001, to serve as the Government's Chief Whip in the House of Lords for six years.

Boundaries

1918–1950: The Borough of Wenlock, the Urban Districts of Dawley, Newport, Oakengates, and Wellington, and the Rural Districts of Newport, and Shifnal and Wellington.

1950–1983: The Urban Districts of Dawley, Newport, Oakengates, and Wellington, and the Rural Districts of Shifnal and Wellington.

1983–1997: The District of The Wrekin wards of Arleston, Brookside, College, Cuckoo Oak, Dawley Magna, Donnington, Donnington Wood, Dothill, Ercall, Hadley, Haygate, Hollinswood/Randlay, Ironbridge (The Gorge), Ketley, Ketley Bank, Langley, Lawley, Leegomery, Lilleshall, Madeley, Malinslee, Park, Priorslee, Stirchley, Wombridge, Woodside, Wrockwardine, and Wrockwardine Wood.

1997–2010: The District of The Wrekin wards of Arleston, Church Aston, College, Donnington, Donnington Wood, Dothill and Park, Edgmond, Ercall, Ercall Magna, Hadley, Haygate, Ketley, Leegomery, Lilleshall, Newport East, Newport North, Newport West, and Wrockwardine, and the District of Bridgnorth wards of Albrighton, Idsall, Manor, and Sheriffhales.

2010–present: The Borough of Telford and Wrekin wards of Apley Castle, Arleston, Church Aston and Lilleshall, College, Donnington, Dothill, Edgmond, Ercall, Ercall Magna, Hadley and Leegomery, Haygate, Muxton, Newport East, Newport North, Newport South, Newport West, Park, Shawbirch, and Wrockwardine, and the District of Bridgnorth wards of Albrighton South, Donington and Albrighton North, Shifnal Idsall, Shifnal Manor, and Shifnal Rural.

When originally constituted, the constituency, with a population of 71,352, was the largest division of Shropshire created in the 1918 boundary changes.[2]

In the Third Periodical Review of the Boundary Commission, which took effect for the 1983 general election, the constituency was redefined after major local government changes. This redefinition resulted in a quarter of the electorate being removed to Shropshire North and Ludlow.[3]

Parliament approved major boundary changes which took effect at the 1997 general election, which created a new constituency containing and named after the town of Telford, before which Telford had been one of the largest elements of The Wrekin. The new Telford constituency took 62.9% of the electorate of The Wrekin leaving the remaining 37.1% to constitute a revised constituency of The Wrekin that incorporated areas previously within Shropshire North and Ludlow from two sides.[4]

The area almost encircles Telford, a 'New Town', encompassing much of the rural parts of the Telford and Wrekin borough, in which most of the constituency is. Its major settlements include: Wellington, Newport and Shifnal, as well as the suburban northern reaches of Telford (including Donnington). A small but significant area relates to the former Bridgnorth local government district (now part of the unitary Shropshire) and contains RAF Cosford and a number of commuter villages along the M54 motorway: the civil parishes of Sheriffhales, Shifnal, Tong, Boscobel, Albrighton, Donington and Boningale make up the non-Telford and The Wrekin-administered portion. Boundary changes to realign the constituency boundaries to fit with the borough's most recent ward revisions resulted in the removal of Ketley (to the constituency of Telford) for the 2010 general election.[5]

Future proposals: Under constituency boundary proposals announced in September 2016 this constituency was proposed to lose the Donnington and Hadley and Leegomery wards to Telford constituency, while the remainder would be merged into a new seat called Bridgnorth, Wellington and the Wrekin.[6]

In June 2021 the boundary commission put forward a new name for the constituency of "Wellington and Newport" and that the wards of Hodnet and Cheswardine would be added from the North Shropshire constituency. The suggested name change has met with opposition locally.[7]

Profile

The constituency is in the east of Shropshire, specifically around The Wrekin hill, therefore in undulating country within fast road (and some rail) commuters' reach of the West Midlands, Stafford and Stoke on Trent.

Unemployment claimants were in November 2012 lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 3.1% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[8]

Members of Parliament
YearMember[9]WhipNotes
1918 Sir Charles Henry Coalition Liberal MP for Wellington to 1918
Feb 1920 Charles Palmer Independent Unionist
1920 Independent Parliamentary Group
Nov 1920 Sir Charles Townshend Independent Parliamentary Group
1922 Howard Stransom Button Unionist
1923 Henry Nixon Labour
1924 Thomas Oakley Unionist
1929 Edith Picton-Turbervill Labour
1931 James Baldwin-Webb Conservative
1941 Arthur Colegate Conservative MP for Burton 1950-55
1945 Ivor Owen Thomas Labour
1955 William Yates Conservative MP for Holt in the Australian House of Representatives 1975–80
1966 Gerald Fowler Labour
1970 Anthony Trafford Conservative
1974 Gerald Fowler Labour
1979 Warren Hawksley Conservative MP for Halesowen and Stourbridge 1992-97
1987 Bruce Grocott Labour MP for Telford 1997–2001
1997 Peter Bradley Labour
2005 Mark Pritchard Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s
General election 2019: The Wrekin[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Pritchard 31,029 63.5 +8.1
Labour Dylan Harrison 12,303 25.2 –10.9
Liberal Democrats Thomas Janke 4,067 8.3 +5.6
Green Tim Dawes 1,491 3.0 +1.4
Majority 18,726 38.3 +19.0
Turnout 48,890 69.2 –3.0
Conservative hold Swing +9.5
General election 2017: The Wrekin[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Pritchard 27,451 55.4 Increase 5.7
Labour Dylan Harrison 17,887 36.1 Increase 10.1
UKIP Denis Allen 1,656 3.3 Decrease 13.5
Liberal Democrats Rod Keyes 1,345 2.7 Decrease 1.6
Green Pat McCarthy 804 1.6 Decrease 1.6
Independent Fay Easton 380 0.8 New
Majority 9,564 19.3 Decrease 4.4
Turnout 49,523 72.2 Increase 3.3
Conservative hold Swing Decrease 2.2
General election 2015: The Wrekin[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Pritchard 22,579 49.7 Increase 2.0
Labour Katrina Gilman 11,836 26.0 Decrease 1.1
UKIP Jill Seymour 7,620 16.8 Increase 12.3
Liberal Democrats Rod Keyes 1,959 4.3 Decrease 13.1
Green Cath Edwards[13] 1,443 3.2 New
Majority 10,743 23.7 Increase 3.1
Turnout 45,437 68.9 Decrease 1.2
Conservative hold Swing Increase 1.55
General election 2010: The Wrekin[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Pritchard 21,922 47.7 Increase 5.6
Labour Co-op Paul Kalinauckas 12,472 27.1 Decrease 12.4
Liberal Democrats Alyson Cameron-Daw 8,019 17.4 Increase 2.4
UKIP Malcolm Hurst 2,050 4.5 Increase 0.9
BNP Susan Harwood 1,505 3.3 New
Majority 9,450 20.6 Increase 18.6
Turnout 45,968 70.1 Increase 3.1
Conservative hold Swing Increase 8.9

Elections in the 2000s
General election 2005: The Wrekin[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Pritchard 18,899 41.9 Increase 3.5
Labour Peter Bradley 17,957 39.9 Decrease 7.2
Liberal Democrats Bill Tomlinson 6,608 14.7 Increase 3.3
UKIP Bruce Lawson 1,590 3.5 Increase 0.4
Majority 942 2.0 N/A
Turnout 45,054 67.0 Increase 3.9
Conservative gain from Labour Swing Increase 5.4
General election 2001: The Wrekin[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Bradley 19,532 47.1 Increase 0.2
Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg 15,945 38.4 Decrease 1.8
Liberal Democrats Ian Jenkins 4,738 11.4 Decrease 1.4
UKIP Denis Brookes 1,275 3.1 New
Majority 3,587 8.7 Increase2.0
Turnout 41,490 63.1 Decrease 13.5
Labour hold Swing Increase 0.95

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1997: The Wrekin[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Bradley 21,243 46.9
Conservative Peter Bruinvels 18,218 40.2
Liberal Democrats Ian Jenkins 5,807 12.8
Majority 3,025 6.7 N/A
Turnout 45,268 76.6
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Note: although The Wrekin was a Labour-held seat in the previous Parliament, boundary changes removed many Labour-leaning areas that now fall in the neighbouring seat of Telford, which Bruce Grocott decided to contest in 1997 instead of the new Wrekin seat. These changes made it notionally a Conservative seat, hence this is a gain rather than a hold.

General election 1992: The Wrekin[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bruce Grocott 33,865 48.3 Increase 5.5
Conservative Elizabeth Holt 27,217 38.8 Decrease 1.8
Liberal Democrats Anthony West 8,032 11.5 Decrease 5.1
Green Robert Saunders 1,008 1.4 New
Majority 6,648 9.5 Increase 7.3
Turnout 70,122 77.1 Decrease 1.2
Labour hold Swing Increase 3.6

Elections in the 1980s
General election 1987: The Wrekin[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bruce Grocott 27,681 42.8 Increase 6.1
Conservative Warren Hawksley 26,225 40.6 Increase 1.6
SDP George Cook 10,737 16.6 Decrease 7.8
Majority 1,456 2.2 N/A
Turnout 64,643 78.3 Increase 2.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Increase 2.3
General election 1983: The Wrekin[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Warren Hawksley 22,710 39.0 Decrease 6.6
Labour Bruce Grocott 21,379 36.7 Decrease 7.5
SDP Mark Biltcliffe 14,208 24.4 New
Majority 1,331 2.3 Increase0.9
Turnout 58,297 75.5 Decrease 2.9
Conservative hold Swing Increase 0.45

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1979: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Warren Hawksley 32,672 45.6 +7.8
Labour Gerald Fowler 31,707 44.2 -4.5
Liberal R. Yarnell 7,331 10.2 -3.3
Majority 965 1.4 N/A
Turnout 71,710 78.4 +3.9
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election October 1974: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gerald Fowler 30,385 48.7 +2.4
Conservative Philip Banks 23,547 37.8 +1.4
Liberal Wally Dewsnip 8,442 13.5 -3.8
Majority 6,838 10.9 +1.0
Turnout 62,374 74.5 -6.3
Labour hold Swing
General election February 1974: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gerald Fowler 30,642 46.3 -3.2
Conservative Anthony Trafford 24,121 36.4 -14.1
Liberal Ian George Powney 11,487 17.3 New
Majority 6,521 9.9 N/A
Turnout 66,250 80.8 +2.0
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General election 1970: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Anthony Trafford 26,282 50.5 +1.4
Labour Gerald Fowler 25,764 49.5 -1.4
Majority 518 1.0 N/A
Turnout 52,046 78.8 -2.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1966: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gerald Fowler 23,692 50.9 +8.2
Conservative William Yates 22,846 49.1 +0.4
Majority 846 1.8 N/A
Turnout 46,538 81.3 -0.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General election 1964: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Yates 21,765 48.7 -4.9
Labour Donald Bruce 19,078 42.7 -3.7
Liberal John Nicholas Davies 3,839 8.6 New
Majority 2,687 6.0 -1.2
Turnout 44,682 82.0 -2.2
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1959: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Yates 22,030 53.6 +3.0
Labour Donald Bruce 19,052 46.4 -3.0
Majority 2,978 7.2 +6.0
Turnout 41,082 84.20 +4.1
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Yates 19,019 50.6 +3.9
Labour Ivor Owen Thomas 18,541 49.4 -3.0
Majority 478 1.2 N/A
Turnout 37,560 80.1 -3.0
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election 1951: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ivor Owen Thomas 20,109 52.4 -1.3
Conservative John Cordle 18,305 46.7 +0.4
Majority 1,804 4.7 -2.7
Turnout 38,414 83.1 +1.8
Labour hold Swing
General election 1950: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ivor Owen Thomas 19,730 53.7 -2.6
Conservative F.G. Bibbings 17,039 46.3 +2.6
Majority 2,691 7.4 -5.2
Turnout 36,769 81.3 +9.0
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s
General election 1945: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ivor Owen Thomas 22,453 56.3 +14.2
Conservative Arthur Colegate 17,422 43.7 -14.2
Majority 5,031 12.6 N/A
Turnout 39,875 72.3 -6.2
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
1941 The Wrekin by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Arthur Colegate 9,946 53.2 Decrease 4.7
Ind. Conservative Noel Pemberton Billing 7,121 38.1 New
Independent Arthur Patrick Kennedy 1,638 8.8 New
Majority 2,825 15.1 Decrease 0.7
Turnout 18,705
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1939/40:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1935: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Baldwin-Webb 20,665 57.9 -3.2
Labour Geoffrey Garratt 15,040 42.1 +3.2
Majority 5,625 15.8 -6.4
Turnout 35,705 78.5 -4.7
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1931: The Wrekin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Baldwin-Webb 22,258 61.1 +25.5
Labour Edith Picton-Turbervill 14,162 38.9 -4.5
Majority 8,096 22.2 N/A
Turnout 36,420 83.2 +6.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1920s
General election 1929: The Wrekin[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Edith Picton-Turbervill 14,569 44.4 Steady0.0
Unionist Thomas Oakley 11,707 35.6 Decrease 20.1
Liberal W. E. Boyes 6,575 20.0 New
Majority 2,862 8.8 N/A
Turnout 32,851 76.7 Increase 2.5
Registered electors 42,823
Labour gain from Unionist Swing Increase 10.1
General election 1924: The Wrekin[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Thomas Oakley 14,003 55.7 Increase 8.9
Labour Henry Nixon 11,132 44.4 Decrease 8.8
Majority 2,871 11.3 N/A
Turnout 25,135 74.2 Increase 8.2
Registered electors 33,866
Unionist gain from Labour Swing Increase 2.5
General election 1923: The Wrekin[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Henry Nixon 11,657 53.2 Increase 5.6
Unionist Arthur Nicholas Fielden 10,274 46.8 Decrease 5.6
Majority 1,383 6.4 N/A
Turnout 21,931 66.0 Decrease 1.8
Registered electors 33,253
Labour gain from Unionist Swing Increase 5.6
General election 1922: The Wrekin[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Howard Button 11,652 52.4 New
Labour Richard Edward Jones 10,603 47.6 N/A
Majority 1,049 4.8 N/A
Turnout 22,255 67.8 N/A
Registered electors 32,844
Unionist gain from Ind. Parliamentary Group Swing N/A
Townshend
The Wrekin by-election, November 1920[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ind. Parliamentary Group Charles Townshend 14,565 57.9 Increase 17.2
Labour Charles Duncan 10,600 42.1 Increase 3.7
Majority 3,965 15.8 Increase 13.5
Turnout 25,165 78.3 Increase 7.3
Registered electors 32,053
Ind. Parliamentary Group hold Swing Steady
The Wrekin by-election, February 1920[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ind. Parliamentary Group Charles Palmer 9,267 40.7 New
Labour Charles Duncan 8,729 38.4 New
C Liberal John Bayley 4,750 20.9 N/A
Majority 538 2.3 N/A
Turnout 22,746 71.0 N/A
Ind. Parliamentary Group gain from Liberal Swing N/A
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1910s
Henry
General election 1918: The Wrekin[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Liberal Charles Henry Unopposed
Liberal win (new seat)
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

See also

Notes
  1. A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. As with all British constituencies, it 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. "31. County of Salop" in "Report of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission (England and Wales)" Cd. 8756.
  3. "BBC/ITN Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies", 1983, p. 143, 230.
  4. "Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies", BBC/ITN/PA News/Sky, 1995, p. 181, 267.
  5. "2010 post-revision map non-metropolitan areas and unitary authorities of England" (PDF).
  6. "It's All Change For MPs, Political map to be transformed". Shropshire Star. 13 September 2016. p. 1. Report by Mark Andrews.
  7. "MP in campaign to save landmark boundary name". Shropshire Star. 16 June 2021. p. 2. Report by Lisa O'Brien. Mark Pritchard being the MP indicated by the headline.
  8. Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  9. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 5)
  10. "Wrekin, The Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  11. "Shrewsbury & Atcham Parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
  12. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. "Telford & Wrekin Green Party - People". greenparty.org.uk.
  14. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  15. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  19. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  22. The Constitutional Year Book, 1929
  23. The Constitutional Year Book, 1925
  24. Debretts House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1922

52.716°N 2.454°W / 52.716; -2.454

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