Bradford Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Bradford Central | |
---|---|
Former borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | West Riding of Yorkshire |
Major settlements | Bradford |
1885–1955 | |
Seats | One |
Created from | Bradford |
Replaced by | Bradford North, Bradford East, Bradford South and Bradford West |
Bradford Central was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Elections were held under the first-past-the-post voting system.
The constituency was created for the 1885 general election, when the Redistribution of Seats Act split the two-member Bradford constituency into three single-seat divisions. It was abolished for the 1955 general election.
Political history
For most of its existence, Bradford Central was a marginal seat, initially between the Liberal Party and the Conservatives or their Liberal Unionist allies. The Liberals held it for all but eleven of the years from 1885 to 1918, after which it became a Labour-Conservative marginal. Control alternated between Labour and the Conservatives through the 1920s and 1930s, and in 1945 it became a safe seat for Labour.
Boundaries
1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Bradford wards of Exchange, Lister Hills, Little Horton, North, and West.
1918–1950: The County Borough of Bradford wards of East, Exchange, Manningham, North, South, and West.
1950–1955: The County Borough of Bradford wards of Bradford Moor, Exchange, Manningham, North East, and South.
Members of Parliament
Elections
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Bradford_West_election_results.png)
Elections in the 1880s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | William Edward Forster | 5,275 | 58.6 | ||
Conservative | George Motley Waud | 3,732 | 41.4 | ||
Majority | 1,543 | 17.2 | |||
Turnout | 9,007 | 79.7 | |||
Registered electors | 11,297 | ||||
Liberal win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | George Shaw-Lefevre | 4,407 | 54.9 | −3.7 | |
Conservative | Edward Hoare | 3,627 | 45.1 | +3.7 | |
Majority | 780 | 9.8 | −4.4 | ||
Turnout | 8,032 | 71.1 | −8.6 | ||
Registered electors | 11,297 | ||||
Liberal hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | George Shaw-Lefevre | 4,410 | 52.7 | −2.2 | |
Liberal Unionist | Charles Norwood | 3,951 | 47.3 | +2.2 | |
Majority | 459 | 5.4 | −4.4 | ||
Turnout | 8,361 | 74.0 | +2.9 | ||
Registered electors | 11,297 | ||||
Liberal hold |
Elections in the 1890s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | George Shaw-Lefevre | 4,710 | 52.6 | −0.1 | |
Liberal Unionist | Marquess of Lorne | 4,245 | 47.4 | +0.1 | |
Majority | 465 | 5.2 | −0.2 | ||
Turnout | 8,955 | 78.3 | +4.3 | ||
Registered electors | 11,434 | ||||
Liberal hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | George Shaw-Lefevre | Unopposed | |||
Liberal hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Unionist | James Wanklyn | 4,024 | 50.3 | +2.9 | |
Liberal | George Shaw-Lefevre | 3,983 | 49.7 | −2.9 | |
Majority | 41 | 0.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 7,917 | 77.6 | −0.7 | ||
Registered electors | 10,316 | ||||
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +2.9 |
Elections in the 1900s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Unionist | James Wanklyn | 4,634 | 53.6 | +3.3 | |
Liberal | A. Anderton | 4,007 | 46.4 | −3.3 | |
Majority | 627 | 7.2 | +6.6 | ||
Turnout | 8,641 | 82.8 | +5.2 | ||
Registered electors | 10,442 | ||||
Liberal Unionist hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Sir George Scott Robertson | 4,954 | 57.8 | +4.2 | |
Conservative | Vicary Gibbs[5] | 3,614 | 42.2 | −4.2 | |
Majority | 1,340 | 15.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 8,568 | 85.9 | +3.1 | ||
Registered electors | 9,978 | ||||
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist | Swing | 4.2 |
Elections in the 1910s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Sir George Scott Robertson | 5,249 | 59.3 | +1.5 | |
Liberal Unionist | Viscount Howick | 3,608 | 40.7 | −1.5 | |
Majority | 1,641 | 18.6 | +3.0 | ||
Turnout | 8,857 | 89.9 | +4.0 | ||
Registered electors | 9,848 | ||||
Liberal hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Sir George Scott Robertson | 4,677 | 58.0 | −1.3 | |
Conservative | G. H. R. Pauling | 3,381 | 42.0 | +1.3 | |
Majority | 1,296 | 16.0 | −2.6 | ||
Turnout | 8,058 | 81.8 | −8.1 | ||
Registered electors | 9,848 | ||||
Liberal hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Sir James Hill, Bt | Unopposed | |||
Liberal hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Unionist | Henry Butler Ratcliffe | 12,434 | 51.0 | +9.0 |
Labour | William Leach | 7,636 | 31.3 | New | |
Liberal | Sir James Hill, Bt | 4,304 | 17.7 | −40.3 | |
Majority | 4,798 | 19.7 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 24,374 | 54.7 | −27.1 | ||
Registered electors | 44,549 | ||||
Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +27.7 | |||
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. |
Elections in the 1920s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Leach | 14,296 | 42.4 | +11.1 | |
Unionist | Fred Denby Moore | 12,171 | 36.1 | −14.9 | |
Liberal | Rev. William Paxton | 7,250 | 21.5 | +3.8 | |
Majority | 2,125 | 6.3 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 33,717 | 75.4 | +20.7 | ||
Registered electors | 44,689 | ||||
Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +13.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Leach | 14,241 | 44.6 | +1.8 | |
Unionist | Jonas Pearson | 9,725 | 30.4 | −5.7 | |
Liberal | Rev. William Paxton | 7,973 | 25.0 | +3.5 | |
Majority | 4,516 | 14.2 | +7.9 | ||
Turnout | 31,939 | 71.0 | −4.4 | ||
Registered electors | 44,991 | ||||
Labour hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Anthony Gadie | 17,854 | 51.7 | +21.3 | |
Labour | William Leach | 16,652 | 48.3 | +3.7 | |
Majority | 1,202 | 3.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 34,506 | 76.5 | +5.5 | ||
Registered electors | 45,127 | ||||
Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | +8.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Leach | 24,876 | 59.0 | +10.7 | |
Unionist | Anthony Gadie | 17,265 | 41.0 | −10.7 | |
Majority | 7,611 | 18.9 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 42,141 | 80.0 | +3.5 | ||
Registered electors | 52,674 | ||||
Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +10.7 |
Elections in the 1930s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Eady | 24,986 | 61.4 | +20.4 | |
Labour | William Leach | 15,697 | 38.6 | −20.4 | |
Majority | 9,289 | 22.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 40,673 | 78.2 | −1.8 | ||
Registered electors | 51,996 | ||||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +20.4 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Leach | 16,397 | 51.8 | +13.2 | |
Conservative | George Eady | 15,241 | 48.2 | −13.2 | |
Majority | 1,156 | 3.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 31,638 | 66.0 | −12.2 | ||
Registered electors | 47,906 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +13.2 |
Elections in the 1940s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Maurice Webb | 16,764 | 57.5 | +6.7 | |
Conservative | T. L. Dallas | 7,776 | 26.6 | −21.6 | |
Liberal | Peter Edward Trench | 4,655 | 15.9 | New | |
Majority | 8,988 | 30.9 | +27.3 | ||
Turnout | 29,205 | 76.2 | +10.2 | ||
Registered electors | 38,331 | ||||
Labour hold |
Elections in the 1950s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Maurice Webb | 24,822 | 58.7 | +1.2 | |
Conservative | T. Boyce | 13,375 | 31.7 | +5.1 | |
Liberal | Charles Frederick Sarsby | 4,063 | 9.6 | −6.3 | |
Majority | 11,447 | 27.1 | −3.8 | ||
Turnout | 42,260 | 84.6 | +8.4 | ||
Registered electors | 49,935 | ||||
Labour hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Maurice Webb | 25,215 | 60.7 | +2.0 | |
Conservative | Arthur Tiley | 16,343 | 39.3 | +7.6 | |
Majority | 8,872 | 21.4 | −5.7 | ||
Turnout | 41,558 | 83.7 | −0.9 | ||
Registered electors | 49,625 | ||||
Labour hold |
References
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 4)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 79. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 99. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
- ^ The by-election in 1892 was caused by the appointment of George Shaw-Lefevre to the ministerial post of First Commissioner of Works. Until the 1920s, appointment as a minister required an MP to seek re-election.
- ^ Vicary Gibbs had been the MP for St Albans from 1892 to 1904
- ^ "UK General Election results February 1950, part 4". Richard Kimber's political science resources. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
- ^ "UK General Election results October 1951, part 4". Richard Kimber's political science resources. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
- British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (The Macmillan Press 1974)