Shrewsbury and Atcham (UK Parliament constituency)

Shrewsbury and Atcham was a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.[n 2]

Shrewsbury and Atcham
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
2010–2024 boundary of Shrewsbury and Atcham in Shropshire
Outline map
Location of Shropshire within England
CountyShropshire
Electorate82,238 (2019)
Major settlementsShrewsbury
19832024
SeatsOne
Created fromShrewsbury
Replaced byShrewsbury

Under the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the constituency was subjected to minor boundary changes, and reverted to the name of Shrewsbury - dropping the "and Atcham" to reflect the abolition in 2009 of the Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council. The re-established constituency was first contested at the 2024 general election.[1]

Boundaries

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Map of boundaries 1983-2024

The constituency lay at the centre of Shropshire, a large inland county of England, bordering Wales.

The constituency was coextensive with that of the Central area of Shropshire Council (the same area as the former Borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham, after which the constituency was originally named).

Constituency profile

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At its heart lay the town of Shrewsbury (2011 population 71,715), which is the county town of Shropshire. It was otherwise a rural constituency. Villages such as Bayston Hill, Ford, Dorrington, Condover, Minsterley, Pontesbury, Bomere Heath, Wroxeter and Atcham were included. Its southern edge was the northern side of the Shropshire Hills AONB. The landscape of the constituency featured many small rivers which drain the fields and coppices into the upper plain of the River Severn, which cut straight through the area. The main roads through the area were the A5 and A49, providing links to nearby Telford as well as North Wales and the cities of Birmingham and Manchester. The total population of the area was around 105,000.

History

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The constituency was established in 1983, replacing the Shrewsbury constituency, although this change was in name only and not in its boundaries.

On 10 December 2001, following his demand for a parliamentary debate before military intervention in Afghanistan, the incumbent Labour member, Paul Marsden, left the government's benches to join the Liberal Democrats; he remained there until 5 April 2005, when he sought to show strong solidarity with Labour Stop the War MPs by returning to his old party, becoming the first politician to cross the floor twice since Winston Churchill.[2] During much of his time with the Liberal Democrats, Marsden was a senior health spokesman, shadowing the Secretary of State for Health and ministers.

Shrewsbury and Atcham was part of the Shropshire region for the purpose of reporting the results of the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum; the region voted 56.9% in favour of leaving the European Union on a turnout of 77.5%.[3][4]

Members of Parliament

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Constituency created from Shrewsbury

Election Member Party
1983 Derek Conway[5] Conservative
1997 Paul Marsden[6] Labour
2001 Liberal Democrats
2005 Labour
2005 Daniel Kawczynski[7] Conservative
2024 Constituency abolished: see Shrewsbury

Election results 1983-2024

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General election results in Shrewsbury & Atcham, from its creation in 1983 up to the 2019 election.

Elections in the 1980s

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General election 1983: Shrewsbury and Atcham[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Derek Conway 24,397 49.5   0.9
Alliance Anthony Bowen 15,773 32.0   4.4
Labour Alan Mosley 9,080 18.4   5.5
Majority 8,624 17.5 N/A
Turnout 49,250 74.0   2.7
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1987: Shrewsbury and Atcham[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Derek Conway 26,027 47.8   1.7
Alliance Robert Hutchison 16,963 31.1   0.9
Labour Liz Owen 10,797 19.8   1.4
Green Geoff Hardy 660 1.2 New
Majority 9,064 16.7   1.2
Turnout 54,447 77.0   3.0
Conservative hold Swing   1.6

Elections in the 1990s

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General election 1992: Shrewsbury and Atcham[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Derek Conway 26,681 45.8   2.0
Liberal Democrats Kenneth Hemsley 15,716 27.0   4.1
Labour Liz Owen 15,157 26.0   6.2
Green Geoff Hardy 677 1.2  
Majority 10,965 18.8   2.1
Turnout 58,231 82.5   5.5
Conservative hold Swing   4.1
General election 1997: Shrewsbury and Atcham[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Marsden 20,484 37.0   11.0
Conservative Derek Conway 18,814 34.0   11.8
Liberal Democrats Anne Woolland 13,838 25.0   2.0
Referendum Dylan Barker 1,346 2.4 New
UKIP David Rowlands 477 0.9 New
Country, Field and Shooting Sports Alan Dignan 257 0.5 New
People's Party Alan Williams 128 0.2 New
Majority 1,670 3.0 N/A
Turnout 55,344 75.3   7.2
Labour gain from Conservative Swing   11.4

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2001: Shrewsbury and Atcham[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Marsden 22,253 44.6   7.6
Conservative Anthea McIntyre 18,674 37.4   3.4
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Rule 6,173 12.4   12.6
UKIP Henry Curteis 1,620 3.2   2.4
Green Emma Bullard 931 1.9 New
Independent James Gollins 258 0.5 New
Majority 3,579 7.2   4.2
Turnout 49,909 66.6   8.7
Labour hold Swing   2.1
General election 2005: Shrewsbury and Atcham[14][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Daniel Kawczynski 18,960 37.7   0.3
Labour Michael Ion 17,152 34.1   10.5
Liberal Democrats Richard Burt 11,487 22.8   10.4
UKIP Peter Lewis 1,349 2.7   0.5
Green Emma Bullard 1,138 2.3   0.4
Independent James Gollins 126 0.3   0.2
World Nigel Harris 84 0.2 New
Majority 1,808 3.6 N/A
Turnout 50,296 68.7   2.1
Conservative gain from Labour Swing   5.4

Elections in the 2010s

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General election 2010: Shrewsbury and Atcham[16][17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Daniel Kawczynski 23,313 43.9   6.3
Liberal Democrats Charles West 15,369 29.0   6.1
Labour Jon Tandy 10,915 20.6   13.5
UKIP Peter Lewis 1,627 3.1   0.4
BNP James Whittall 1,168 2.2 New
Green Alan Whittaker 565 1.1   1.2
Impact James Gollins 88 0.2 New
Majority 7,944 15.0   11.4
Turnout 53,045 70.3   1.0
Conservative hold Swing   0.1
General election 2015: Shrewsbury and Atcham[19][20][21][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Daniel Kawczynski 24,628 45.5   1.6
Labour Laura Davies 15,063 27.8   7.3
UKIP Suzanne Evans 7,813 14.4   11.4
Liberal Democrats Christine Tinker 4,268 7.9   21.1
Green Emma Bullard 2,247 4.2   3.1
Children of the Atom Stirling McNeillie 83 0.2 New
Majority 9,565 17.7   2.7
Turnout 54,102 70.8   0.5
Conservative hold Swing   2.9
General election 2017: Shrewsbury and Atcham[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Daniel Kawczynski 29,073 50.0   4.4
Labour Laura Davies 22,446 38.6   10.7
Liberal Democrats Hannah Fraser 4,254 7.3   0.6
UKIP Edward Higginbottom 1,363 2.3   12.1
Green Emma Bullard 1,067 1.8   2.3
Majority 6,627 11.4   6.3
Turnout 58,203 73.6   2.8
Conservative hold Swing   3.1
General election 2019: Shrewsbury and Atcham[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Daniel Kawczynski 31,021 52.5   2.6
Labour Julia Buckley 19,804 33.5   5.1
Liberal Democrats Nat Green 5,906 10.0   2.7
Green Julian Dean 1,762 3.0   1.2
Independent Hannah Locke 572 1.0 New
Majority 11,217 19.0   7.6
Turnout 59,065 71.8   1.8
Conservative hold Swing   3.9

See also

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Notes

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  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

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  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – West Midlands | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Paul Marsden Political Profile". BBC News. 16 October 2002. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  3. ^ "EU referendum results by region: West Midlands". The Electoral Commission. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  4. ^ "EU Referendum Results". BBC News. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Derek Conway - Parliamentary career - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  6. ^ "Mr Paul Marsden - Parliamentary career - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". UK Parliament. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  7. ^ "Daniel Kawczynski - Parliamentary career - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". UK Parliament. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  8. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  9. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  10. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  11. ^ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  12. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Shrewsbury and Atcham 2005 General Election". UK Parliament. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  16. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  17. ^ "Election 2010 - Shrewsbury and Atcham". BBC News. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  18. ^ "Shrewsbury and Atcham 2010 General Election". UK Parliament. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  19. ^ a b "Shrewsbury & Atcham Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  20. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  21. ^ "UK parliamentary election 2015 results". Shropshire Council. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015.
  22. ^ "Shrewsbury and Atcham 2015 General Election". UK Parliament. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  23. ^ "Shrewsbury and Atcham 2017 General Election". UK Parliament. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
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