Birkenhead West (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1918–1950

Birkenhead West

Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1918–1950
Seats| one
Created from| Birkenhead and Wirral
Replaced by| Birkenhead

Birkenhead West was a parliamentary constituency that returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

## History

[edit]

The constituency was created by the Representation of the People Act 1918 for the 1918 general election when the Parliamentary Borough of Birkenhead was split between the East and West Divisions.

It was abolished by the Representation of the People Act 1948 for the 1950 general election, when it was included in the reconstituted constituency of Birkenhead.

## Boundaries

[edit]

The County Borough of Birkenhead wards of Claughton, Cleveland, Grange, and Oxton.[1]

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

Election | Member | Party

|
|

| 1918 | Sir Henry Grayson | Coalition Conservative
| 1922 | William Henry Stott | Conservative
| 1923 | William Henry Egan | Labour
| 1924 | Ellis Nuttall | Conservative
| 1929 | William Henry Egan | Labour
| 1931 | John Sandeman Allen | Conservative
| 1945 | Percy Collick | Labour
1950 | constituency abolished: see Birkenhead

## Elections

[edit]

### Election in the 1910s

[edit]

General election 1918: Birkenhead West [2][3] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

C | Unionist | Henry Grayson | 10,881 | 59.43 |
| Labour | William Henry Egan | 5,673  | 30.98  |
| Liberal | Harold Bickersteth  | 1,755  | 9.59  |
Majority | 5,208  | 28.45  |
Turnout | 18,309  | 60.89  |
Registered electors | 30,068  |  |
| Unionist win (new seat)
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

### Elections in the 1920s

[edit]

General election 1922: Birkenhead West [2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | William Henry Stott | 12,176  | 54.00  | −5.43
| Labour | William Henry Egan | 10,371  | 46.00  | +15.02
Majority | 1,805  | 8.00  | −20.45
Turnout | 22,547  | 75.55  | +14.66
Registered electors | 29,843  |  |
| Unionist hold | Swing | −10.23  |
General election 1923: Birkenhead West [2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | William Henry Egan | 12,473  | 55.85  | +9.85
| Unionist | William Henry Stott | 9,862  | 44.15  | −9.85
Majority | 2,611  | 11.70  | N/A
Turnout | 22,335  | 72.42  | −3.13
Registered electors | 30,841  |  |
| Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +9.85  |
General election 1924: Birkenhead West [2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | Ellis Nuttall | 13,059  | 50.65  | +6.50
| Labour | William Henry Egan | 12,723  | 49.35  | −6.50
Majority | 336  | 1.30  | N/A
Turnout | 25,782  | 81.14  | +8.72
Registered electors | 31,774  |  |
| Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | +6.50  |
General election 1929: Birkenhead West [2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | William Henry Egan | 15,634  | 46.00  | −3.35
| Unionist | Ellis Nuttall | 13,410  | 39.45  | −11.20
| Liberal | RP Fletcher  | 4,946  | 14.55  | New
Majority | 2,224  | 6.55  | N/A
Turnout | 33,990  | 79.47  | −1.67
Registered electors | 42,773  |  |
| Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +3.93  |

### Elections in the 1930s

[edit]

General election 1931: Birkenhead West [2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | John Sandeman Allen | 22,336  | 63.78  | +24.33
| Labour | William Henry Egan | 12,682  | 36.22  | −9.78
Majority | 9,654  | 27.56  | N/A
Turnout | 35,018  | 82.20  | +2.73
Registered electors | 42,600  |  |
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +17.06  |
General election 1935: Birkenhead West [2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | John Sandeman Allen | 17,684  | 55.94  | −7.84
| Labour | C McVey  | 13,931  | 44.06  | +7.84
Majority | 3,753  | 11.88  | −15.72
Turnout | 31,615  | 74.71  | −7.49
Registered electors | 42,316  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | −7.84  |

### Election in the 1940s

[edit]

General election 1945: Birkenhead West [2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Percy Collick | 15,568  | 57.32  | +13.26
| Conservative | AR Moody  | 11,591  | 42.68  | −13.26
Majority | 3,977  | 14.64  | N/A
Turnout | 27,159  | 75.12  | +0.41
Registered electors | 36,156  |  |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +13.26  |

## See also

[edit]

* History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Cheshire

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Fraser, Hugh (1918). The Representation of the people act, 1918 : with explanatory notes. University of California Libraries. London : Sweet and Maxwell.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1969). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949. Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. p. 78. ISBN 0-900178-01-9.
3. ^ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1922

* Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 3)
* Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.