Stratford-on-Avon (UK Parliament constituency)

Stratford-on-Avon is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Nadhim Zahawi, a member of the Conservative Party,[n 2] who briefly served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer in mid-2022. The constituency is in Warwickshire; as its name suggests, it is centred on the town of Stratford-on-Avon, birthplace of William Shakespeare, but also takes in the surrounding areas around the town, including the towns of Alcester and Henley-in-Arden.

Stratford-on-Avon
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Stratford-on-Avon in Warwickshire
Outline map
Location of Warwickshire within England
CountyWarwickshire
Electorate69,108 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created1950
Member of ParliamentNadhim Zahawi (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created fromWarwick and Leamington and Rugby
1885–1918
SeatsOne
Type of constituencyCounty constituency
Created fromSouth Warwickshire
Replaced byTamworth, Rugby and Warwick & Leamington

Members of Parliament

MPs 1885–1918
ElectionMember[2] Party
1885 Lord William Compton Liberal
1886 Frederick Townsend Conservative
1892 Algernon Freeman-Mitford Conservative
1895 Victor Milward Conservative
1901 by-election Philip Foster Conservative
1906 Thomas Kincaid-Smith Liberal
1909 by-election Philip Foster Conservative
1918 Constituency abolished

MPs since 1950
ElectionMember[2] PartyNotes
1950 John Profumo Conservative Secretary of State for War 1960–63; resigned
1963 by-election Angus Maude Conservative
1983 Alan Howarth Conservative
1995 Labour
1997 John Maples Conservative Previously MP for Lewisham West 1983–92
2010 Nadhim Zahawi Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer July–September 2022

Constituency profile

The seat includes the historic town itself, as with Warwick, a major place in England for international tourism with its buildings, museums and Royal Shakespeare Company theatre, surrounded by green belt villages southeast of Birmingham, with the next largest wards being Studley and Alcester each with just under 5,000 electors.

Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 1.4% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[3]

Boundaries

The constituency consists of relatively widely spaced rural villages, inhabited largely by commuters,[4] with its boundaries taking in the eponymous town and the south and west of the Stratford-on-Avon local government district.

2010–present: The District of Stratford-on-Avon wards of Alcester, Aston Cantlow, Bardon, Bidford and Salford, Brailes, Claverdon, Ettington, Henley, Kinwarton, Long Compton, Quinton, Sambourne, Shipston, Snitterfield, Stratford Alveston, Stratford Avenue and New Town, Stratford Guild and Hathaway, Stratford Mount Pleasant, Studley, Tanworth, Tredington, Vale of the Red Horse, and Welford.

1997–2010: All the wards of the District of Stratford-on-Avon except the wards of Henley, Tanworth, and Tanworth Earlswood.

1983–1997: The District of Stratford-on-Avon.

1974–1983: As 1950 but with redrawn boundaries.

1950–1974: The Borough of Stratford-upon-Avon, and the Rural Districts of Stratford-on-Avon, Alcester, Shipston-on-Stour, and Southam.

1885–1918: The Boroughs of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, and Leamington, the Sessional Divisions of Alcester, Brailes, Henley, Stratford, Snitterfield, and Warwick, and the part of the Sessional Division of Kenilworth in the Parliamentary Borough of Warwick and Leamington.

At the 2010 general election, following the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, this seat was reduced in size: a new constituency of Kenilworth and Southam was created, taking in much of the eastern half of the previous version of this constituency, along with parts of the abolished seat of Rugby and Kenilworth.

History since 1950

Since its recreation in 1950, the seat has elected only Conservatives. The earliest member, John Profumo, was noted for his personal life scandal; another MP, Alan Howarth, served on the benches of the Labour Party for two years, choosing to cross the floor.

Political history

With the exception of a relatively close 1963 by-election, the constituency has always returned majorities of over 20% for the Conservatives. Up until 1970, Labour always came second and the Liberals (when they stood) third; and the Liberal/Liberal Democratic parties came second and Labour third in every subsequent general election until 2010. The only occasion on which any other party has been in the top three (or managed to save their deposit) was in 2015, when UKIP came second with just over 13% of the vote. Since then, Labour has come second in 2017, and the Liberal Democrats in 2019.

Elections

Elections in the 2010s
General election 2019: Stratford-on-Avon[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nadhim Zahawi 33,343 60.6 -1.6
Liberal Democrats Dominic Skinner 13,371 24.3 +12.2
Labour Felix Ling 6,222 11.3 -11.0
Green David Passingham 2,112 3.8 +1.2
Majority 19,972 36.3 -3.6
Turnout 55,048 74.4 +2.1
Registered electors 74,038
Conservative hold Swing -6.9
General election 2017: Stratford-on-Avon[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nadhim Zahawi 32,657 62.2 +4.5
Labour Jeff Kenner 11,699 22.3 +9.3
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Adams 6,357 12.1 +0.1
Green Dominic Giles 1,345 2.6 -1.5
Independent Jandy Spurway 255 0.5 New
Independent Tom Darwood 219 0.4 New
Majority 20,958 39.9 -4.6
Turnout 52,532 72.3 -0.3
Conservative hold Swing -2.4
General election 2015: Stratford-on-Avon[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nadhim Zahawi 29,674 57.7 +6.2
UKIP Edward Fila 6,798 13.2 +9.5
Labour Jeff Kenner 6,677 13.0 +3.5
Liberal Democrats Elizabeth Adams 6,182 12.0 -17.1
Green Dominic Giles 2,128 4.1 +3.1
Majority 22,876 44.5 +22.1
Turnout 51,459 72.6 -0.1
Conservative hold Swing -1.75
General election 2010: Stratford-on-Avon[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nadhim Zahawi 26,052 51.5 +2.3
Liberal Democrats Martin Turner 14,706 29.1 +0.8
Labour Robert Johnston 4,809 9.5 -5.9
UKIP Brett Parsons 1,846 3.7 +0.9
BNP George Jones 1,097 2.2 New
Independent Neil Basnett 1,032 2.0 New
Green Karen Varga 527 1.0 -1.3
English Democrat Frederick Bishop 473 0.9 New
Majority 11,346 22.4 +1.5
Turnout 50,542 72.7 +3.5
Conservative hold Swing +0.7

Elections in the 2000s
General election 2005: Stratford-on-Avon[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Maples 28,652 49.2 -1.1
Liberal Democrats Susan Juned 16,468 28.3 -0.5
Labour Co-op Rachel Blackmore 10,145 17.4 +0.7
UKIP Harry Cottam 1,621 2.8 +0.6
Green Mick Davies 1,354 2.3 +0.2
Majority 12,184 20.9 -0.6
Turnout 58,240 68.8 +4.4
Conservative hold Swing -0.3
General election 2001: Stratford-on-Avon[12][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Maples 27,606 50.3 +2.0
Liberal Democrats Susan Juned 15,804 28.8 +3.3
Labour Mushtaq Hussain 9,164 16.7 -3.8
UKIP Ron A Mole 1,184 2.2 +1.3
Green Mick Davies 1,156 2.1 New
Majority 11,802 21.5 -1.3
Turnout 54,914 64.4 -11.9
Conservative hold Swing -0.6

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1997: Stratford-on-Avon[13][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Maples 29,967 48.3 -10.9
Liberal Democrats Susan Juned 15,861 25.5 ±0.0
Labour Stewart Stacey 12,754 20.5 +7.4
Referendum Adrian K Hilton 2,064 3.3 New
UKIP JEM Spilsbury 556 0.9 New
Natural Law James Brewster 307 0.5 +0.3
Stratford First Democratic Conservative Simon G Marcus 306 0.5 New
ProLife Alliance Sarah A Miller 284 0.5 New
Majority 14,106 22.8 -10.9
Turnout 62,099 76.3 -5.8
Conservative hold Swing -5.45
General election 1992: Stratford-on-Avon[14][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Howarth 40,251 59.2 -2.7
Liberal Democrats JN Fogg 17,359 25.5 -2.4
Labour SM Brookes 8,932 13.1 +2.9
Green RG Roughan 729 1.1 New
Ind. Conservative AJ Saunders 573 0.8 New
Natural Law MR Twite 130 0.2 New
Majority 22,892 33.7 -0.4
Turnout 67,974 82.1 +5.6
Conservative hold Swing -0.2

Elections in the 1980s
General election 1987: Stratford-on-Avon[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Howarth 38,483 61.9 +1.0
Liberal David Cowcher 17,318 27.9 -1.0
Labour Robert Rhodes 6,335 10.2 -0.1
Majority 21,165 34.1 +2.1
Turnout 62,136 76.5 +3.6
Conservative hold Swing +1.0
General election 1983: Stratford-on-Avon[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Howarth 34,041 60.9 +0.5
Liberal WJB Taylor 16,124 28.9 +8.9
Labour Frank Hooley 5,731 10.3 -7.4
Majority 17,917 32.0 -6.4
Turnout 55,896 72.9 -3.8
Conservative hold Swing -4.2

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1979: Stratford-on-Avon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Angus Maude 35,470 60.41 +9.4
Liberal J Taylor 12,916 22.00 -5.3
Labour CA Purnell 10,334 17.60 -4.1
Majority 22,554 38.41 +14.8
Turnout 58,720 76.67 +2.6
Conservative hold Swing +7.4
General election October 1974: Stratford-on-Avon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Angus Maude 27,123 50.96 -0.8
Liberal MJW Wright 14,555 27.34 -1.7
Labour DV Hunt 11,551 21.70 +2.5
Majority 12,568 23.62 + 0.9
Turnout 53,229 74.04 -7.0
Conservative hold Swing +0.4
General election February 1974: Stratford-on-Avon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Angus Maude 30,106 51.77 -6.3
Liberal MJW Wright 16,885 29.03 +10.7
Labour M Burton 11,165 19.20 -4.3
Majority 13,221 22.74 -11.8
Turnout 58,156 81.06 +7.0
Conservative hold Swing -8.5
General election 1970: Stratford-on-Avon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Angus Maude 28,106 58.08 +6.8
Labour Peter Eric Tombs 11,393 23.54 -6.2
Liberal David R Bruce 8,895 18.38 +3.4
Majority 16,713 34.54 +12.9
Turnout 48,394 74.08 -4.0
Conservative hold Swing +6.5

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1966: Stratford-on-Avon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Angus Maude 22,381 51.30 -2.5
Labour Vernon G Hale 12,954 29.69 +0.4
Liberal Gordon H Herringshaw 6,556 15.03 -1.9
Ind. Conservative Christopher G Clayton-Wright 1,733 3.97 New
Majority 9,427 21.61 -2.9
Turnout 43,624 78.03 -5.0
Conservative hold Swing -1.5
General election 1964: Stratford-on-Avon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Angus Maude 23,236 53.80 -14.7
Labour Andrew Faulds 12,646 29.28 -2.2
Liberal Derick Mirfin 7,307 16.92 New
Majority 10,590 24.52 -12.5
Turnout 43,189 83.07 + 6.2
Conservative hold Swing -6.3
Stratford by-election, 1963
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Angus Maude 15,846 43.61 -24.9
Labour Andrew Faulds 12,376 34.06 +2.6
Liberal Derick Mirfin 7,622 20.98 New
Independent MS Blair 281 0.77 New
Teenage Party David Sutch 209 0.58 New
Majority 3,470 9.55 -27.5
Turnout 36,334
Conservative hold Swing -13.7

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1959: Stratford-on-Avon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Profumo 26,146 68.5 -0.1
Labour Joseph Stretton 12,017 31.5 +0.1
Majority 14,129 37.0 -0.2
Turnout 38,163 76.9 +1.3
Conservative hold Swing -0.1
General election 1955: Stratford-on-Avon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Profumo 24,587 68.6 +4.1
Labour Thomas LK Locksley 11,275 31.4 -4.1
Majority 13,312 37.2 +8.2
Turnout 35,862 75.6 -4.3
Conservative hold Swing +4.1
General election 1951: Stratford-on-Avon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Profumo 24,041 64.5 +7.2
Labour Henry Hilditch 13,246 35.5 -3.5
Majority 10,795 29.0 +4.4
Turnout 37,287 79.9 -3.2
Conservative hold Swing +5.36
General election 1950: Stratford-on-Avon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Profumo 21,492 57.3
Labour RGM Brown 12,143 32.0
Liberal Hadleigh Sydney Seaborne 4,318 11.4
Majority 9,349 24.6
Turnout 37,953 83.1
Conservative win (new seat)

Election results 1885-1918

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1914–15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

General election December 1910: Stratford-on-Avon[19][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Foster 5,147 59.8 Increase 0.9
Liberal Walter King 3,462 40.2 Decrease 0.9
Majority 1,685 19.6 Increase 1.8
Turnout 8,609 79.5 Decrease 6.7
Registered electors 10,835
Conservative hold Swing Increase 0.9
General election January 1910: Stratford-on-Avon[19][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Foster 5,505 58.9 Increase 9.8
Liberal Oscar William Bowen 3,838 41.1 Decrease 9.8
Majority 1,667 17.8 N/A
Turnout 9,343 86.2 Increase 2.7
Registered electors 10,835
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing Increase 9.8

Elections in the 1900s
Martin
1909 Stratford-on-Avon by-election[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Foster 5,374 62.5 Increase 13.4
Liberal Joseph Martin 2,747 31.9 Decrease 19.0
Independent Thomas Kincaid-Smith 479 5.6 New
Majority 2,627 30.6 N/A
Turnout 8,600 80.9 Decrease 2.6
Registered electors 10,628
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing Increase 16.2
General election 1906: Stratford-on-Avon[19][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Kincaid-Smith 4,321 50.9 N/A
Conservative Philip Foster 4,173 49.1 N/A
Majority 148 1.8 N/A
Turnout 8,494 83.5 N/A
Registered electors 10,173
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A
1901 Stratford-on-Avon by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Foster 4,755 61.5 N/A
Liberal Bolton King 2,977 38.5 New
Majority 1,778 23.0 N/A
Turnout 7,732 76.8 N/A
Registered electors 10,063
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1900: Stratford-on-Avon[19][21][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Victor Milward Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s
General election 1895: Stratford-on-Avon[19][21][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Victor Milward 4,598 61.9 +6.1
Liberal Isaac Thomas Sadler 2,827 38.1 −6.1
Majority 1,771 23.8 +12.2
Turnout 7,425 76.2 −2.2
Registered electors 9,745
Conservative hold Swing +6.1
General election 1892: Stratford-on-Avon[19][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Algernon Freeman-Mitford 4,157 55.8 +2.4
Liberal George Septimus Warmington[23] 3,293 44.2 −2.4
Majority 864 11.6 +4.8
Turnout 7,450 78.4 +3.9
Registered electors 9,505
Conservative hold Swing +2.4

Elections in the 1880s
Compton
General election 1886: Stratford-on-Avon[19][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederick Townsend 3,833 53.4 Increase 8.8
Liberal William Compton 3,344 46.6 Decrease 8.8
Majority 489 6.8 N/A
Turnout 7,177 74.5 Decrease 12.5
Registered electors 9,631
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing Increase 8.8
General election 1885: Stratford-on-Avon[19][21][24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Compton 4,639 55.4
Conservative Sampson Lloyd 3,738 44.6
Majority 901 10.8
Turnout 8,377 87.0
Registered electors 9,631
Liberal 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. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 5)
  3. Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  4. "Local statistics - Office for National Statistics". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk.
  5. "Stratford-on-Avon Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  6. "Candidates confirmed for General Election". Stratford-upon-Avon Herald. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  7. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  8. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  9. "UK > England > West Midlands > Stratford-on-Avon". Election 2010. BBC. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  10. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  11. "News > Politics > Constituency > Stratford-on-Avon". The Guardian. Elections. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  12. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  16. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. Leamington Spa Courier 14 November 1913
  19. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. p. 410. ISBN 9781349022984.
  20. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  21. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  22. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  23. "Kentish Mail Greenwich And Deptford Observer Newspaper Archives". Kentish Mail, Greenwich and Deptford Observer. 7 August 1908. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  24. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886

52.15°N 1.70°W / 52.15; -1.70

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