Congleton (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983 onwards

Congleton

County constituency
for the House of Commons

Interactive map of boundaries from 2024

Boundary of Congleton in North West England

County| Cheshire
Major settlements| Congleton, Sandbach, and Alsager
Current constituency
Created| 1983
Member of Parliament| Sarah Russell (Labour Party)
Seats| One
Created from| Crewe, Macclesfield, Knutsford and Nantwich[1]

Congleton is a parliamentary constituency in Cheshire, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Sarah Russell of the Labour Party.[n 1][n 2]

## Constituency profile

[edit]

The constituency adjoins the Stoke-on-Trent urban area and rural areas in all other directions, including the Peak District to the East, Staffordshire Moorlands to the South and Cheshire Plain to the West.

Congleton was considered a stronghold for the Conservative Party as the seat had elected a Conservative MP since its creation in 1983, with a majority of 32% in the 2019 general election. However, the constituency was won by Labour in the 2024 United Kingdom general election.[n 3]

The constituency consists mainly of rural areas of south-east Cheshire, with the only four towns being – in descending order of population – Congleton, Sandbach, Middlewich and Alsager. The seat is also home to the large village of Holmes Chapel, as well as many much smaller villages and settlements, such as Church Lawton, Rode Heath and Goostrey.

## Creation

[edit]

The constituency was created for the 1983 general election following the major reorganisation of local authorities under the Local Government Act 1972, which came into effect on 1 April 1974. It comprises parts of Macclesfield and the abolished constituencies of Crewe, Knutsford and Nantwich.

## Boundaries

[edit]

1983–1997: The Borough of Congleton, and the Borough of Crewe and Nantwich ward of Haslington.[2]

The town of Congleton was previously in the constituency of Macclesfield; Alsager, Sandbach and Haslington, came from Crewe; Middlewich from Nantwich; and rural areas comprising the former Rural District of Congleton were previously part of Knutsford.

1997–2010: The Borough of Congleton.[3]

Haslington was transferred to Crewe and Nantwich.

The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007 made no changes to Congleton.[4] However, before this came into force for the 2010 election, the Borough of Congleton was abolished on 1 April 2009, becoming part of the new unitary authority of Cheshire East. Consequently, the constituency's boundaries were revised to:

2010–2024: The Borough of Cheshire East wards of Alsager, Brereton Rural (most), Congleton East, Congleton West, Dane Valley, Middlewich, Odd Rode, Sandbach Elworth, Sandbach Ettiley Heath and Wheelock, Sandbach Heath and East, and Sandbach Town.

2024–present: The Borough of Cheshire East wards of Alsager, Brereton Rural (most), Congleton East, Congleton West, Dane Valley, Odd Rode, Sandbach Elworth, Sandbach Ettiley Heath and Wheelock, Sandbach Heath and East, and Sandbach Town.[5][6]

To bring the electorate within the permitted range, Middlewich was transferred to the new constituency of Mid Cheshire.

## Political history

[edit]

Congleton was a stronghold for the Conservative Party, electing a Conservative MP from its creation in 1983 until 2024, with a majority of 32% in the 2019 UK General Election.[n 4]

The seat was held comfortably from 1983 until 2010 by the Conservative Ann Winterton, the wife of Sir Nicholas Winterton, the MP for the adjacent Macclesfield constituency. Both stood down at the 2010 general election; their joint statement cited the hectic life of politics as part of their reason for standing down,[7] in addition to an investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, who concluded that they misused their MPs' expenses to pay rent for a flat that they had already bought outright.[7]

Ann Winterton was succeeded by Fiona Bruce at the 2010 general election. Fiona Bruce held the seat until the 2024 General Election when she was unseated by the current MP Sarah Russell.

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

Election | Member[8][9] | Party

|
|

| 1983 | Ann Winterton | Conservative
| 2010 | Fiona Bruce
| 2024 | Sarah Russell | Labour

## Elections

[edit]

### Elections in the 2020s

[edit]

General election 2024: Congleton[8][10][11] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Sarah Russell | 18,875  | 37.7  | +13.6
| Conservative | Fiona Bruce | 15,488  | 30.9  | −29.7
| Reform UK | Martin York  | 8,245  | 16.4  | N/A
| Liberal Democrats | Paul Duffy  | 2,785  | 5.6  | −5.5
| Independent | Rob Moreton  | 2,181  | 4.4  | N/A
| Green | Richard McCarthy  | 2,007  | 4.0  | +1.1
| Women's Equality | Kay Wesley  | 544  | 1.1  | N/A
Rejected ballots  | 153  |  |
Majority  | 3,387  | 6.8  | N/A
Turnout | 50,125  | 67.5  | −3.8
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +21.6  |

Changes are from the notional 2019 results on the 2024 boundaries.[12]

### Elections in the 2010s

[edit]

2019 notional result[13]

Party  | Vote  | %
| Conservative | 30,207 | 60.6
| Labour | 12,004 | 24.1
| Liberal Democrats | 5,521 | 11.1
| Green | 1,423 | 2.9
| Others | 658 | 1.3
Turnout | 49,813  | 71.3
Electorate | 69,836
General election 2019: Congleton[14] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Fiona Bruce | 33,747  | 59.0  | +2.4
| Labour | Jo Dale  | 15,186  | 26.5  | –7.7
| Liberal Democrats | Paul Duffy  | 6,026  | 10.5  | +5.3
| Green | Richard McCarthy  | 1,616  | 2.8  | +1.0
| Animal Welfare | Jane Smith  | 658  | 1.1  | N/A
Majority  | 18,561  | 32.5  | +10.1
Turnout | 57,233  | 70.7  | –2.6
| Conservative hold | Swing | +5.0  |
General election 2017: Congleton[15] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Fiona Bruce | 31,830  | 56.6  | +3.3
| Labour | Sam Corcoran  | 19,211  | 34.2  | +13.8
| Liberal Democrats | Peter Hirst  | 2,902  | 5.2  | –3.9
| UKIP | Mark Davies  | 1,289  | 2.3  | –11.3
| Green | Alec Heath  | 999  | 1.8  | –1.9
Majority  | 12,619  | 22.4  | –10.5
Turnout | 56,231  | 73.3  | +2.9
| Conservative hold | Swing | –5.2  |
General election 2015: Congleton[16][17] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Fiona Bruce | 27,164  | 53.3  | +7.5
| Labour | Darren Price  | 10,391  | 20.4  | +3.2
| UKIP | Lee Slaughter  | 6,922  | 13.6  | +9.4
| Liberal Democrats | Peter Hirst  | 4,623  | 9.1  | −22.8
| Green | Alec Heath  | 1,876  | 3.7  | N/A
Majority  | 16,773  | 32.9  | +19.0
Turnout | 50,976  | 70.4  | +1.5
| Conservative hold | Swing | 2.2  |
General election 2010: Congleton[18][19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Fiona Bruce | 23,250  | 45.8  | +0.4
| Liberal Democrats | Peter Hirst  | 16,187  | 31.9  | +5.0
| Labour | David Bryant  | 8,747  | 17.2  | −10.5
| UKIP | Lee Slaughter  | 2,147  | 4.2  | N/A
| Independent | Paul Edwards  | 276  | 0.5  | N/A
| Independent | Paul Rothwell  | 94  | 0.2  | N/A
| Independent | Adam Parton  | 79  | 0.2  | N/A
Majority  | 7,063  | 13.9  | −3.8
Turnout | 50,780  | 68.9  | +4.8
| Conservative hold | Swing | −2.3  |

### Elections in the 2000s

[edit]

General election 2005: Congleton[20] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Ann Winterton | 21,189  | 45.4  | −0.9
| Labour | Nicholas Milton  | 12,943  | 27.7  | −2.8
| Liberal Democrats | Eleanor Key  | 12,550  | 26.9  | +5.3
Majority  | 8,246  | 17.7  | −1.9
Turnout | 46,682  | 64.2  | +1.5
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.9  |
General election 2001: Congleton[21][22] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Ann Winterton | 20,872  | 46.3  | +5.1
| Labour | John Flanagan  | 13,738  | 30.5  | +2.9
| Liberal Democrats | David Lloyd-Griffiths  | 9,719  | 21.6  | −8.1
| UKIP | Bill Young  | 754  | 1.7  | +0.2
Majority  | 7,134  | 15.8  | +4.3
Turnout | 45,083  | 62.7  | −14.9
| Conservative hold | Swing | =1.1  |

### Elections in the 1990s

[edit]

General election 1997: Congleton[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Ann Winterton | 22,012  | 41.2  | −7.3
| Liberal Democrats | Joan Walmsley | 15,882  | 29.7  | −2.0
| Labour | Helen Scholey  | 14,713  | 27.6  | +8.4
| UKIP | John Lockett  | 811  | 1.5  | N/A
Majority  | 6,130  | 11.5  | −7.2
Turnout | 53,418  | 77.6  | −6.9
| Conservative hold | Swing | -3.6  |
General election 1992: Congleton[24][25] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Ann Winterton | 29,163  | 49.0  | +0.7
| Liberal Democrats | Iain Brodie-Browne  | 18,043  | 30.3  | −3.5
| Labour | Matthew Finnegan  | 11,927  | 20.0  | +2.1
| Natural Law | Peter Brown  | 399  | 0.7  | N/A
Majority  | 11,120  | 18.7  | +4.2
Turnout | 59,532  | 84.5  | +4.0
| Conservative hold | Swing | +2.1  |

### Elections in the 1980s

[edit]

General election 1987: Congleton[26] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Ann Winterton | 26,513  | 48.3  | −0.4
| Liberal | Iain Brodie-Browne  | 18,544  | 33.8  | +2.4
| Labour | Michael Knowles  | 9,810  | 17.9  | −2.0
Majority  | 7,969  | 14.5  | −2.8
Turnout | 54,867  | 80.5  | +3.6
| Conservative hold | Swing | −1.4  |
General election 1983: Congleton[27] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Ann Winterton | 23,895  | 48.7  |
| Liberal | Clive Smedley  | 15,436  | 31.4  |
| Labour | Eric Gill  | 9,783  | 19.9  |
Majority  | 8,459  | 17.3  |
Turnout | 49,114  | 76.9  |
| Conservative win (new seat)

## See also

[edit]

* Cheshire portal

* List of parliamentary constituencies in Cheshire
* History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Cheshire

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ 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.
2. ^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
3. ^ 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.
4. ^ 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

[edit]

1. ^ "'Congleton', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
2. ^ "Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 May 2021.
3. ^ "Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". Archived from the original on 6 November 2015.
4. ^ "Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". Archived from the original on 4 January 2011.
5. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 5 North West region.
6. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – North West | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
7. ^ a b "MP pair to step down at election". BBC News. 25 May 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
8. ^ a b "Congleton General Election 2024". Sky News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
9. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 5)
10. ^ "Congleton - General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
11. ^ "Congleton - Results of the 4 July 2024 Election". Cheshire East Borough Council.
12. ^ "Notional election for the constituency of Congleton". UK Parliament.
13. ^ "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
14. ^ "Congleton Parliamentary constituency", Election 2019, BBC News, retrieved 13 December 2019
15. ^ "Congleton Parliamentary constituency", Election 2017, BBC News, retrieved 9 June 2017
16. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
17. ^ "Congleton". BBC News. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
18. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
19. ^ "BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Congleton". BBC News.
20. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
21. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
22. ^ "Congleton CONSERVATIVE HOLD". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 27 May 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2009.
23. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
24. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
25. ^ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
26. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
27. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

## External links

[edit]

* Congleton UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
* Congleton UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
* Congleton UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK

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