Stone (UK Parliament constituency)

Stone is a constituency[n 1] in Staffordshire, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since its 1997 recreation by Sir Bill Cash, a Conservative.[n 2] On 9 June 2023, he announced his intention to stand down at the next general election.[2]

Stone
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Stone in Staffordshire
Outline map
Location of Staffordshire within England
CountyStaffordshire
Electorate66,729 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created1997
Member of ParliamentSir Bill Cash (Conservative)
SeatsOne
1918–1950
SeatsOne
Type of constituencyCounty constituency
Created fromNorth West Staffordshire, West Staffordshire, Leek and Burton
Replaced byStafford and Stone

The seat is due to be abolished for the next general election.[3]

Members of Parliament

MPs 1918–1950
ElectionMember[4] Party
1918 Sir Smith Child, Bt. Coalition Conservative
1922 Sir Joseph Lamb Conservative
1945 Hugh Fraser Conservative
1950 Constituency abolished

MPs since 1997
ElectionMember[4] Party
1997 Sir Bill Cash Conservative

Constituency profile

This is a mostly rural seat to the south of the Stoke-on-Trent conurbation. Electoral Calculus describes the seat as "Strong Right" characterised by retired, socially conservative voters who strongly supported Brexit.[5]

Boundaries

Stone is in the top decile in geographical size in England. It covers the area from Madeley in the north to the west of Newcastle-under-Lyme, then runs south and out to the outskirts of Market Drayton, running down to the northern edge of Newport. The boundary heads north alongside the western boundary of Stafford around the north of Stafford and down its eastern boundary. It runs across the north of Abbots Bromley before reaching its eastern end. It continues to the west of Uttoxeter in the Burton constituency. It then extends eastwards between the Burton constituency and up to Cheadle and to the south of Stoke-on-Trent. Currently within the constituency are the towns of Eccleshall, Cheadle and Stone.

2010–present: The Borough of Stafford wards of Barlaston and Oulton, Chartley, Church Eaton, Eccleshall, Fulford, Gnosall and Woodseaves, Milwich, St Michael's, Stonefield and Christchurch, Swynnerton, and Walton, the District of Staffordshire Moorlands wards of Cheadle North East, Cheadle South East, Cheadle West, Checkley, and Forsbrook, and the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme wards of Loggerheads and Whitmore, and Madeley.

1997–2010: The Borough of Stafford wards of Barlaston, Chartley, Church Eaton, Eccleshall, Fulford, Gnosall, Milwich, Oulton, St Michael's, Stonefield and Christchurch, Swynnerton, Walton, and Woodseaves, the District of Staffordshire Moorlands wards of Alton, Cheadle North East, Cheadle South East, Cheadle West, Checkley, Forsbrook, and Kingsley, and the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme wards of Loggerheads, Madeley, and Whitmore.

1918–1950: The Urban District of Stone, and the Rural Districts of Blore Heath, Cheadle, Mayfield, Newcastle-under-Lyme, and Stone.

There were various alterations to the constituency shape in boundary changes put in place for the 2010 general election. Stone took the areas covered by the Bradley, and Salt and Enson civil parish from the neighbouring Stafford constituency. In turn, the parishes of Hixon, Ellenhall, and Ranton, were moved back from Stone to Stafford. In the largest alteration, the north-eastern parishes covering Kingsley, Oakamoor, Alton, Farley, and Cotton, were all moved to the altered Staffordshire Moorlands.[6]

From the next general election, the constituency will be merged with parts of the current South Staffordshire and Dudley South constituencies to form the new constituency of Stone, Great Wyrely and Penkridge. Gavin Williamson, current MP for South Staffordshire, will stand as the Conservative candidate in place of Bill Cash who announced his retirement from the House of Commons in June 2023.[7][8]

History

The earlier constituency of the same name that existed 1918-1950 elected Conservatives, all three officers who had fought with some distinction in either of the two World Wars.

The current constituency was created for the 1997 general election, when Parliament approved for Staffordshire the additional seat proposed by the Boundary Commission. The constituency was formed from parts of the Stafford, Staffordshire Moorlands and Mid Staffordshire.

Presenting a safe seat for the Conservatives and proving to be one,[9] its creation reduced the Conservative majority in the Staffordshire Moorlands and Stafford constituencies,[9] both of which were gained by a Labour Party member at the 1997 general election.

Proposed abolition

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be abolished for the next general election, with its contents distributed to a newly created seat and four neighbouring constituencies:[3]

Elections

Elections in the 2010s
General election 2019: Stone[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bill Cash 31,687 63.6 +0.4
Labour Mike Stubbs 11,742 23.6 –4.6
Liberal Democrats Alec Sandiford 4,412 8.9 +4.5
Green Tom Adamson 2,002 4.0 +2.6
Majority 19,945 40.0 +5.0
Turnout 49,843 71.8 –2.0
Conservative hold Swing +2.6
General election 2017: Stone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bill Cash 31,614 63.2 +8.5
Labour Co-op Sam Hale 14,119 28.2 +8.0
Liberal Democrats Martin Lewis 2,222 4.4 –0.9
UKIP Edward Whitfield 1,370 2.7 –13.5
Green Sam Pancheri 707 1.4 –1.1
Majority 17,495 35.0 +0.5
Turnout 50,032 73.8 +3.7
Conservative hold Swing +0.2
General election 2015: Stone[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bill Cash 25,733 54.7 +4.1
Labour Sam Hale 9,483 20.2 –0.5
UKIP Andrew Illsley[12] 7,620 16.2 +10.9
Liberal Democrats Martin Lewis 2,473 5.3 –17.1
Green Wenslie Naylon 1,191 2.5 +1.5
Independent John Coutouvidis 531 1.1 New
Majority 16,250 34.5 +6.3
Turnout 47,031 70.1 –0.4
Conservative hold Swing
General election 2010: Stone[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bill Cash 23,890 50.6 +2.2
Liberal Democrats Christine Tinker 10,598 22.4 +3.8
Labour Joanne Lewis 9,770 20.7 –9.0
UKIP Andrew Illsley 2,481 5.3 +2.0
Green Damon Hoppe 490 1.0 New
Majority 13,292 28.2 +8.9
Turnout 47,229 70.5 +3.5
Conservative hold Swing –0.8

Elections in the 2000s
General election 2005: Stone[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bill Cash 22,733 48.3 –0.8
Labour Mark Davis 13,644 29.0 –6.8
Liberal Democrats Richard Stevens 9,111 19.4 +4.3
UKIP Mike Nattrass 1,548 3.3 New
Majority 9,089 19.3 +6.0
Turnout 47,036 66.9 +0.6
Conservative hold Swing +3.0
General election 2001: Stone[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bill Cash 22,395 49.1 +2.3
Labour John Palfreyman 16,359 35.8 –3.8
Liberal Democrats Brendan McKeown 6,888 15.1 +3.1
Majority 6,036 13.3 +6.1
Turnout 45,642 66.3 –12.5
Conservative hold Swing

Election in the 1990s
General election 1997: Stone[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bill Cash 24,859 46.8
Labour John Wakefield 21,041 39.6
Liberal Democrats Barry Stamp 6,392 12.0
Liberal Ann Winfield 545 1.0
Natural Law Dinah Grice 237 0.4
Majority 3,818 7.2
Turnout 53,074 77.8
Conservative win (new seat)

Election in the 1940s
General election 1945: Stone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hugh Fraser 20,279 42.9 -18.1
Labour W Simcock 18,173 38.4 -0.6
Liberal John Wedgwood 8,853 18.7 New
Majority 2,106 4.5 -17.5
Turnout 47,305 72.6 +6.3
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s
General election 1935: Stone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joseph Lamb 20,498 61.0 -1.1
Labour WI Simcock 13,099 39.0 +20.7
Majority 7,399 22.0 -20.5
Turnout 33,597 66.3 -8.3
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1931: Stone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joseph Lamb 20,327 62.1 +22.1
Liberal Walter Meakin 6,407 19.6 -8.7
Labour WI Simcock 5,993 18.3 -9.4
Majority 13,920 42.5 +26.8
Turnout 32,727 74.6 -2.3
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1920s
General election 1929: Stone [17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Joseph Lamb 13,965 44.0 −13.3
Liberal Walter Meakin 8,975 28.3 +4.5
Labour George Belt 8,792 27.7 +8.8
Majority 4,990 15.7 −17.8
Turnout 31,732 76.9 +2.0
Registered electors 41,268
Unionist hold Swing −8.9
General election 1924: Stone [17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Joseph Lamb 12,856 57.3 +6.5
Liberal Walter Meakin 5,351 23.8 −25.4
Labour C.A. Brook 4,245 18.9 New
Majority 7,505 33.5 +31.9
Turnout 22,452 74.9 +7.4
Registered electors 29,994
Unionist hold Swing +16.0
General election 1923: Stone [17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Joseph Lamb 10,001 50.8 +12.5
Liberal Walter Meakin 9,687 49.2 +13.5
Majority 314 1.6 −1.0
Turnout 19,688 67.5 −3.9
Registered electors 29,151
Unionist hold Swing −0.5
General election 1922: Stone [17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Joseph Lamb 7,742 38.3 −8.4
Liberal George Townsend 7,198 35.7 +1.3
Agriculturalist W.L. Steel 5,243 26.0 +7.1
Majority 544 2.6 −9.7
Turnout 20,183 71.4 +9.4
Registered electors 28,273
Unionist hold Swing −4.9

Election in the 1910s
General election 1918: Stone [17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Smith Child 7,568 46.7
Liberal George Townsend 5,573 34.4
Agriculturalist Joseph Lamb 3,056 18.9
Majority 1,995 12.3
Turnout 16,197 62.0
Registered electors 26,113
Unionist 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 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. Castle, Richard (9 June 2023). "Stone MP Sir Bill Cash announces retirement after 40 years in Parliament". StokeonTrentLive. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  3. "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – West Midlands | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  4. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 5)
  5. Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Stone
  6. 2010 post-revision map non-metropolitan areas and unitary authorities of England
  7. "Sir Gavin to stand for Tories in new constituency". BBC News. 1 July 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  8. "Veteran Tory MP and arch Eurosceptic Sir Bill Cash to retire at next election". The Independent. 10 June 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  9. Almanac of British Politics, 5th ed, Robert Waller
  10. "Stone parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". Election 2019 selected. BBC. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  11. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. "UK Polling Report". ukpollingreport.co.uk.
  13. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  14. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Fred W. S. Craig Parliamentary Research Services, 1983

Sources
  • Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  • Iain Dale, ed. (2003). The Times House of Commons 1929, 1931, 1935. Politico's (reprint). ISBN 1-84275-033-X.
  • The Times House of Commons 1945. 1945.
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