Wakefield (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1832–2024

Wakefield

Former county constituency
for the House of Commons

2010–2024 boundary of Wakefield in West Yorkshire

Location of West Yorkshire within England

County| West Yorkshire
Electorate| 70,509 (December 2019)[1]
Major settlements| Wakefield, Ossett
1885–2024
Seats| One
Replaced by| Ossett and Denby Dale, Wakefield and Rothwell
1832–1885
Seats| One
Type of constituency| Borough constituency
Created from| Yorkshire

Wakefield was a constituency in West Yorkshire, England. It was created as a borough constituency in 1832 and reformed as a county constituency in 1885.

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished. Its area was split between the new seats of Wakefield and Rothwell and Ossett and Denby Dale, first contested at the 4 July 2024 general election.[2]

## Boundaries

[edit]

Map of 2010-2024 boundaries 2010-2024

1885-1918: The existing parliamentary borough, and so much of the parish of Sandal Magna as lies to the north-east of the Great Northern and Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway, being the portion known as Belle Vue.[3]

1918–1950: The County Borough of Wakefield.

1950–1955: The County Borough of Wakefield, the Urban District of Horbury, and part of the Rural District of Wakefield.[4]

1955–1983: The County Borough of Wakefield, the Urban Districts of Horbury and Royston, and part of the Rural District of Wakefield.[5]

1983–1997: The City of Wakefield wards of Horbury, Wakefield Central, Wakefield East, Wakefield North, Wakefield Rural, and Wakefield South.

1997–2010: The City of Wakefield wards of Wakefield Central, Wakefield East, Wakefield North, and Wakefield Rural, and the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees wards of Denby Dale and Kirkburton.

2010–2024: The City of Wakefield wards of Horbury and South Ossett, Ossett, Wakefield East, Wakefield North, Wakefield Rural, and Wakefield West.

### 2010 boundary changes

[edit]

Parliament accepted the Boundary Commission's Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which altered this constituency for the 2010 general election, removing all three rural wards from the neighbouring borough of Kirklees that reached far to the south-west[n 1] and instead adding wards from the abolished Normanton constituency to the immediate west. Since 2010 the seat comprised three-quarters of the City of Wakefield along with Ossett, Horbury and small outlying settlements.

The far eastern suburbs of the city and its southern part fell within the Wakefield South ward, which was in the Hemsworth seat. Its largest towns were, by a small margin, the towns of South Elmsall and South Kirkby, which form a contiguous settlement 7 miles (11 km) to the east.[6][7]

### 2024 boundary changes

[edit]

Parliament accepted the Boundary Commission's 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which dissolved this constituency for the 2024 general election. The constituency was split between newly created Ossett and Denby Dale and Wakefield and Rothwell constituencies, with latter receiving wards of Wakefield.

## History

[edit]

### Predecessor seats

[edit]

Electors of the area, since five years before the Model Parliament of 1295 until 1826 had entitlement to vote for the two representatives for Yorkshire, the largest county in the country. Parliament legislated for, from an unusual disfranchisement in 1826 of a Cornish rotten borough, two additional MPs.[n 2] From April 1784 until September 1812, one of the two members elected was William Wilberforce, internationally recognised as a leading figure in abolitionism (the anti-slavery movement). The large county was given far greater representation by the Reform Act 1832: Belle Vue's electors until 1885, alongside other Forty Shilling Freeholders non-resident in the Parliamentary Borough of Wakefield itself but owning such property in any part of the county division could elect the two members for that division: this became the West Riding of Yorkshire from 1832 until 1865 (which had its polling place in this city), after which, the relevant county subdivision became the Southern West Riding until 1885.

### Creation

[edit]

Wakefield became a county division under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, drawing in, as an extension, the Belle Vue area of the parish of Sandal Magna.[8]

### Summary of results

[edit]

Wakefield returned Labour MPs from 1932 to 2017. The size of majority had fluctuated between absolute and marginal.[n 3] The 2015 result gave the seat the 27th-smallest majority of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.[9] In 2019, Wakefield lost the Labour majority and returned the first Conservative MP in 87 years.

The seat was represented from 2019 to 2022 by Imran Ahmad Khan, who was elected as a member of the Conservative Party. Ahmad Khan was found guilty in 2022 of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy in 2008 serving an 18 month jail term[10] resulting in his resignation as an MP. This triggered a by-election. His resignation became effective on 3 May 2022, when he was appointed Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds.[11] A by-election was held on 23 June to replace him. Looked on as a key "Red Wall" seat, Labour regained the constituency with a substantial 12.7% swing.

### Opposition parties

[edit]

From 1923 until 2019 the runner-up candidate was a Conservative. Six non-Labour candidates stood in 2015 of whom two, those which were Conservative and from UKIP won more than 5% of the vote, keeping their deposits.

### Prominent frontbenchers

[edit]

Rt Hon Arthur Greenwood was succeeded by Clement Attlee as leader of the Opposition in 1945, a few months before the party's landslide election victory. He had been from 1929 to 1931 the Minister of Health in the Second MacDonald ministry. In this role he successfully steered the Housing Act 1930 through both Houses of Parliament under the minority government, which expended more significant subsidies for slum clearance, allowing more affordable, spacious housing to be built for residents of slums. When the wartime coalition government was formed, Winston Churchill appointed him to the British War Cabinet as Minister without Portfolio in 1940. He was generally seen in such a role as of little wartime legislative effect, but in May 1940 he emerged as Churchill's strongest and most vocal supporter in the lengthy War Cabinet debates on whether to accept or reject a peace offer from Germany.[12] Without the vote in favour of fighting on by Greenwood and Clement Attlee, Churchill would not have had the slim majority he needed to do so.[13]

Rt Hon Arthur Creech Jones was Secretary of State for the Colonies from October 1946 until February 1950, appropriately given that in June 1936 he pressed the Government, who were encouraging Colonies to set up memorials to King George V, to follow the example of Uganda and set up a technical educational institution.[14] The Labour Party nominated him to the Colonial Office's Educational Advisory Committee in 1936, on which he served for nine years. In 1937, he was a founding member of the Trades Union Congress Colonial Affairs Committee, and in 1940 he founded the Fabian Colonial Bureau.

Mary Creagh held various shadow cabinet posts between 2010 and 2015.[15] She resigned her post following the election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour party leader.[16]

### Abolition

[edit]

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished prior to the 2024 general election, with its contents split in two:[2]

* The urban areas of Wakefield itself (Wakefield East, Wakefield North and Wakefield West wards) to be included in the newly created constituency of Wakefield and Rothwell
* The majority of the electorate, comprising the outlying towns and rural areas (Horbury and South Ossett, Ossett and Wakefield Rural wards) will be part of the new constituency of Ossett and Denby Dale

## Constituency profile

[edit]

The constituency contained a rolling landscape with villages surrounding the city of Wakefield which is well connected to West Yorkshire, in particular Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield, however also via two junctions of the M1 to the west, to South Yorkshire such as Barnsley, Rotherham and Sheffield. The small city itself has a large central trading and industrial estate, a central park, Clarence Park which includes a national athletics training squad, a Rugby League major team, Wakefield Trinity and its own Cathedral. Wakefield Europort employs approximately 3,000 people, a major rail-motorway hub for Northern England imports and exports with EU countries. Horbury and Ossett and towns in the low foothills of the Pennines. In the far west of the constituency, there was the National Coal Mining Museum for England, on the site of the old Caphouse Colliery.

Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 slightly higher than the regional average of 4.9%, at 5.3% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian, which is also higher than the national average of 3.8%.[17]

Of the council wards, the Wakefield East and Wakefield North areas regularly return Labour councillors, whereas the others are marginal. The Ossett ward is particularly unpredictable, and has elected Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and UKIP councillors since 2005. The other wards are contested between Labour and Conservative. Between 1997 and 2010 the constituency included the wards of Denby Dale and Kirkburton, generally Conservative-voting suburbs of Huddersfield in the neighbouring Kirklees borough. These joined Dewsbury, in the same borough, in 2010.

### Turnout

[edit]

Turnout in general elections since 1918 has ranged between 54.5% in 2001 and 87.3% in 1950.

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

Election | Member[18] | Party

|
|

| 1832 | Daniel Gaskell | Radical[19]
| 1837 | William Lascelles | Conservative[19]
| 1841 | Joseph Holdsworth | Whig[19][20][21]
| 1842 by-election  | William Lascelles | Conservative[19]
| 1847 | George Sandars | Conservative
| 1857 | John Charlesworth | Conservative
| 1859 | William Henry Leatham | Liberal
| 1862 by-election  | John Dalrymple-Hay | Conservative
| 1865 | William Henry Leatham | Liberal
| 1868 | Somerset Beaumont | Liberal
| 1874 | Edward Green | Conservative
| 1874 by-election | Thomas Kemp Sanderson | Conservative
| 1880 | Robert Bownas Mackie | Liberal
| 1885 by-election  | Edward Green | Conservative
| 1892 | Albany Charlesworth | Conservative
| 1895 | William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam | Conservative
| 1902 by-election  | Edward Brotherton | Conservative
| 1910 (December) | Arthur Marshall | Liberal
| 1918 | Edward Brotherton | Conservative
| 1922 | Robert Ellis | Conservative
| 1923 | George Sherwood | Labour
| 1924 | Geoffrey Ellis | Conservative
| 1929 | George Sherwood | Labour
| 1931 | George Hillman | Conservative
| 1932 by-election | Arthur Greenwood | Labour
| 1954 by-election | Arthur Creech Jones | Labour
| 1964 | Walter Harrison | Labour
| 1987 | David Hinchliffe | Labour
| 2005 | Mary Creagh | Labour
| 2019 | Imran Ahmad Khan | Conservative
| June 2021[22] | Independent
| 2022 by-election | Simon Lightwood | Labour
| 2024 | Constituency abolished

## Elections

[edit]

This graph was using the legacy Graph extension, which is no longer supported. It needs to be converted to the new Chart extension.

|

Results over time

### Elections in the 2020s

[edit]

2022 Wakefield by-election[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Simon Lightwood | 13,166  | 47.9  | +8.1
| Conservative | Nadeem Ahmed  | 8,241  | 30.0  | −17.3
| Independent | Akef Akbar  | 2,090  | 7.6  | N/A
| Yorkshire | David Herdson  | 1,182  | 4.3  | +2.4
| Green | Ashley Routh  | 587  | 2.1  | New
| Reform UK | Chris Walsh  | 513  | 1.9  | New
| Liberal Democrats | Jamie Needle  | 508  | 1.8  | −2.1
| Britain First | Ashlea Simon  | 311  | 1.1  | New
| Freedom Alliance | Mick Dodgson  | 187  | 0.7  | New
| Monster Raving Loony | Sir Archibald Stanton Earl 'Eaton  | 171  | 0.6  | New
| CPA | Paul Bickerdike  | 144  | 0.5  | New
| English Democrat | Therese Hirst  | 135  | 0.5  | New
| UKIP | Jordan Gaskell  | 124  | 0.5  | New
| NIP | Christopher Jones  | 84  | 0.3  | New
| Independent | Jayda Fransen | 23  | 0.1  | N/A
Majority | 4,925  | 17.9  | N/A
Turnout | 27,466  | 39.5  | −24.6
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +12.7  |

### Elections in the 2010s

[edit]

General election 2019: Wakefield[24] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Imran Ahmad Khan | 21,283  | 47.3  | +2.3
| Labour | Mary Creagh | 17,925  | 39.8  | −9.9
| Brexit Party | Peter Wiltshire  | 2,725  | 6.1  | New
| Liberal Democrats | Jamie Needle  | 1,772  | 3.9  | +1.9
| Yorkshire | Ryan Kett  | 868  | 1.9  | −0.6
| Independent | Stephen Whyte  | 454  | 1.0  | N/A
Majority | 3,358  | 7.5  | N/A
Turnout | 45,027  | 64.1  | −1.7
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +6.1  |
General election 2017: Wakefield[25][26] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Mary Creagh | 22,987  | 49.7  | +9.4
| Conservative | Antony Calvert  | 20,811  | 45.0  | +10.8
| Yorkshire | Lucy Brown  | 1,176  | 2.5  | New
| Liberal Democrats | Finbarr Cronin  | 943  | 2.0  | −1.5
| Independent | Wajid Ali  | 367  | 0.8  | New
Majority | 2,176  | 4.7  | −1.4
Turnout | 46,284  | 65.8  | +4.9
| Labour hold | Swing | −0.7  |
General election 2015: Wakefield[27] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Mary Creagh | 17,301  | 40.3  | +1.0
| Conservative | Antony Calvert  | 14,688  | 34.2  | −1.4
| UKIP | Alan Hazelhurst  | 7,862  | 18.3  | New
| Liberal Democrats | Finbarr Cronin  | 1,483  | 3.5  | −12.8
| Green | Rebecca Thackray  | 1,069  | 2.5  | +0.5
| TUSC | Mick Griffiths  | 287  | 0.7  | New
| CISTA | Elliot Barr  | 283  | 0.7  | New
Majority | 2,613  | 6.1  | +2.4
Turnout | 42,973  | 60.9  | −1.8
| Labour hold | Swing | +1.3  |
General election 2010: Wakefield[28][29] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Mary Creagh | 17,454  | 39.3  | −4.8
| Conservative | Alex Story | 15,841  | 35.6  | +9.1
| Liberal Democrats | David Smith  | 7,256  | 16.3  | −2.5
| BNP | Ian Senior  | 2,581  | 5.8  | +2.7
| Green | Miriam Hawkins  | 873  | 2.0  | −1.0
| Independent | Mark Harrop  | 439  | 1.0  | New
Majority | 1,613  | 3.7  | −8.6
Turnout | 44,444  | 62.7  | +1.3
| Labour hold | Swing | −6.9  |

### Elections in the 2000s

[edit]

General election 2005: Wakefield[30] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Mary Creagh | 18,802  | 43.3  | −6.6
| Conservative | Alec Shelbrooke | 13,648  | 31.5  | +0.9
| Liberal Democrats | David Ridgway  | 7,063  | 16.3  | +3.9
| BNP | Grant Rowe  | 1,328  | 3.1  | New
| Green | Derek Hardcastle  | 1,297  | 3.0  | +0.4
| UKIP | John Upex  | 467  | 1.1  | −0.5
| English Democrat | Adrian McEnhill  | 356  | 0.8  | New
| Socialist Alternative | Mick Griffiths  | 319  | 0.7  | New
| Socialist Labour | Linda Sheridan  | 101  | 0.2  | −1.3
Majority | 5,154  | 11.8  | −7.5
Turnout | 43,381  | 59.3  | +4.8
| Labour hold | Swing | −3.7  |
General election 2001: Wakefield[31] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | David Hinchliffe | 20,592  | 49.9  | −7.5
| Conservative | Thelma Karran  | 12,638  | 30.6  | +2.1
| Liberal Democrats | Dale Douglas  | 5,097  | 12.4  | +1.2
| Green | Sarah Greenwood  | 1,075  | 2.6  | New
| UKIP | Janice Cannon  | 677  | 1.6  | New
| Socialist Labour | Abdul Aziz  | 634  | 1.5  | New
| Socialist Alliance | Mick Griffiths  | 541  | 1.3  | New
Majority | 7,954  | 19.3  | −9.6
Turnout | 41,254  | 54.5  | −14.6
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1990s

[edit]

General election 1997: Wakefield[32] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | David Hinchliffe | 28,977  | 57.4  | +6.8
| Conservative | Jonathan Peacock  | 14,373  | 28.5  | −9.8
| Liberal Democrats | Douglas Dale  | 5,656  | 11.2  | +0.1
| Referendum | Simon Shires  | 1,480  | 2.9  | New
Majority | 14,604  | 28.9  | +16.6
Turnout | 50,486  | 68.9  | −7.3
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1992: Wakefield[33][34] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | David Hinchliffe | 26,964  | 50.6  | +4.0
| Conservative | David P. Fanthorpe  | 20,374  | 38.3  | −3.0
| Liberal Democrats | Tim J. Wright  | 5,900  | 11.1  | −1.0
Majority | 6,590  | 12.3  | +7.0
Turnout | 53,238  | 76.2  | +0.6
| Labour hold | Swing | +3.5  |

### Elections in the 1980s

[edit]

General election 1987: Wakefield[35] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | David Hinchliffe | 24,509  | 46.6  | +4.2
| Conservative | Norman Hazell  | 21,720  | 41.3  | +1.3
| SDP | Lutfe Kamal  | 6,350  | 12.1  | −7.2
Majority | 2,789  | 5.3  | +4.9
Turnout | 52,579  | 75.6  | +6.3
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1983: Wakefield[36] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Walter Harrison | 19,166  | 40.4  |
| Conservative | Norman Hazell  | 18,806  | 40.0  |
| SDP | David Carlton  | 9,166  | 19.3  |
| BNP | V Parker  | 295  | 0.6  | New
Majority | 360  | 0.4  |
Turnout | 47,433  | 69.33  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1970s

[edit]

General election 1979: Wakefield  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Walter Harrison | 27,124  | 50.90  |
| Conservative | J Sheard  | 19,571  | 36.73  |
| Liberal | N Collins-Tooth  | 6,059  | 11.37  |
| National Front | A Cooper  | 530  | 0.99  | New
Majority | 7,553  | 14.17  |
Turnout | 53,284  | 75.57  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election October 1974: Wakefield  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Walter Harrison | 25,616  | 54.82  |
| Conservative | EJL Koops  | 12,810  | 27.41  |
| Liberal | A Fussey  | 8,304  | 17.77  |
Majority | 12,806  | 27.41  |
Turnout | 46,730  | 70.23  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election February 1974: Wakefield  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Walter Harrison | 27,032  | 51.34  |
| Conservative | EJL Koops  | 15,614  | 29.65  |
| Liberal | A Fussey  | 10,009  | 19.01  |
Majority | 11,418  | 21.69  |
Turnout | 52,655  | 79.87  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1970: Wakefield  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Walter Harrison | 27,352  | 58.08  |
| Conservative | Dale Smith  | 15,668  | 33.27  |
| Liberal | Nancy Seear | 4,071  | 8.64  | New
Majority | 11,684  | 24.81  |
Turnout | 47,081  | 72.65  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1960s

[edit]

General election 1966: Wakefield  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Walter Harrison | 28,907  | 65.39  |
| Conservative | Ron Benson | 15,299  | 34.61  |
Majority | 13,608  | 30.78  |
Turnout | 44,206  | 73.38  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1964: Wakefield  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Walter Harrison | 26,315  | 55.45  |
| Conservative | John Spence | 14,385  | 30.31  |
| Liberal | John M. Collins  | 6,753  | 14.23  | New
Majority | 11,930  | 25.14  |
Turnout | 47,453  | 77.97  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1950s

[edit]

General election 1959: Wakefield  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Arthur Creech Jones | 29,705  | 59.63  |
| Conservative | Michael Jopling | 20,114  | 40.37  |
Majority | 9,591  | 19.26  |
Turnout | 49,819  | 81.95  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1955: Wakefield  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Arthur Creech Jones | 28,180  | 60.45  |
| Conservative | Denton Hinchcliffe  | 18,435  | 39.55  |
Majority | 9,745  | 20.90  |
Turnout | 46,615  | 77.92  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
By-election 21 October 1954: Wakefield Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Arthur Creech Jones | 21,822  | 58.14  | −0.14
| Conservative | Maurice Macmillan | 15,714  | 41.86  | +0.14
Majority | 6,108  | 16.28  | −0.28
Turnout | 37,536  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1951: Wakefield  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Arthur Greenwood | 27,100  | 58.28  |
| Conservative | Maurice Grant  | 19,398  | 41.72  |
Majority | 7,702  | 16.56  |
Turnout | 46,498  | 85.27  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
General election 1950: Wakefield  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Arthur Greenwood | 25,996  | 55.38  |
| Conservative | Harry Watson  | 15,925  | 33.92  |
| Liberal | Stanley Berwin | 5,022  | 10.70  |
Majority | 10,071  | 21.46  |
Turnout | 46,943  | 87.31  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

### Election in the 1940s

[edit]

General election 1945: Wakefield  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Arthur Greenwood | 14,378  | 54.75  |
| Conservative | Harry Watson  | 8,268  | 31.49  |
| Liberal | George Leonard Jack Oliver  | 3,613  | 13.76  | New
Majority | 6,110  | 23.26  |
Turnout | 26,259  | 80.37  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1930s

[edit]

General election 1935: Wakefield  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Arthur Greenwood | 15,804  | 56.03  |
| Conservative | AE Greaves  | 12,400  | 43.97  |
Majority | 3,404  | 12.06  |
Turnout | 28,204  | 84.91  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
1932 Wakefield by-election Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Arthur Greenwood | 13,586  | 50.6  | +8.0
| Conservative | A. E. Greaves  | 13,242  | 49.4  | −8.0
Majority | 344  | 1.2  | N/A
Turnout | 26,828  | 83.0  | −2.5
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |  |
General election 1931: Wakefield  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Hillman | 15,881  | 57.43  |
| Labour | George Sherwood | 11,774  | 42.57  |
Majority | 4,107  | 14.86  | N/A
Turnout | 27,655  | 85.53  |
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1920s

[edit]

General election 1929: Wakefield [37] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | George Sherwood | 13,393  | 48.8  | +0.9
| Unionist | Geoffrey Ellis | 10,180  | 37.1  | −15.0
| Liberal | Leonard Parish  | 3,875  | 14.1  | New
Majority | 3,213  | 11.7  | N/A
Turnout | 27,448  | 85.6  | +0.8
| Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +7.9  |
General election 1924: Wakefield[37] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | Geoffrey Ellis | 11,086  | 52.1  | +15.3
| Labour | George Sherwood | 10,192  | 47.9  | +8.0
Majority | 894  | 4.2  | N/A
Turnout | 21,278  | 84.8  | +3.9
| Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | +3.6  |
General election 1923: Wakefield [37] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | George Sherwood | 7,966  | 39.9  | −8.6
| Unionist | Geoffrey Ellis | 7,345  | 36.8  | −14.7
| Liberal | Eric John Lassen  | 4,640  | 23.3  | New
Majority | 621  | 3.1  | N/A
Turnout | 19,951  | 80.9  | −3.5
| Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +3.0  |
General election 1922: Wakefield[37] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | Geoffrey Ellis | 10,416  | 51.5  | −0.8
| Labour | Albert Bellamy | 9,798  | 48.5  | +14.8
Majority | 618  | 3.0  | −15.6
Turnout | 20,214  | 84.4  | +12.3
| Unionist hold | Swing | −7.8  |

### Elections in the 1910s

[edit]

General election 1918: Wakefield[37] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

C | Unionist | Edward Brotherton | 9,128 | 52.3 |
| Labour | Albert Bellamy | 5,882  | 33.7  | New
| Liberal | Arthur Marshall | 2,448  | 14.0  |
Majority | 3,246  | 18.6  | N/A
Turnout | 17,458  | 72.1  |
| Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing |  |
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

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;

* Liberal: Arthur Marshall
* Unionist: Edward Brotherton

Arthur Marshall General election December 1910: Wakefield[38] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Arthur Marshall | 2,837  | 51.7  | New
| Conservative | Edward Brotherton | 2,651  | 48.3  | −6.2
Majority | 186  | 3.4  | N/A
Turnout | 5,488  |  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing |  |
General election January 1910: Wakefield[38] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Edward Brotherton | 3,121  | 54.5  | +13.7
| Labour | Stanton Coit | 2,602  | 45.5  | +8.6
Majority | 519  | 9.0  | +5.1
Turnout | 5,723  | 90.5  | +2.0
| Conservative hold | Swing | +2.5  |

### Elections in the 1900s

[edit]

Coit General election 1906: Wakefield[38] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Edward Brotherton | 2,285  | 40.8  | N/A
| Labour Repr. Cmte. | Stanton Coit | 2,068  | 36.9  | N/A
| Liberal | Thomas Snape | 1,247  | 22.3  | New
Majority | 217  | 3.9  | N/A
Turnout | 5,600  | 88.5  | N/A
Registered electors | 6,326  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
1902 Wakefield by-election[39][38] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Edward Brotherton | 2,960  | 59.9  | N/A
| Labour Repr. Cmte. | Philip Snowden | 1,979  | 40.1  | New
Majority | 981  | 19.8  | N/A
Turnout | 4,939  | 80.9  | N/A
Registered electors | 6,103  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
General election 1900: Wakefield[38][40] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Unionist | William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam | Unopposed
| Liberal Unionist hold

### Elections in the 1890s

[edit]

General election 1895: Wakefield[40][41] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam | 2,864  | 56.9  | +2.7
| Liberal | Henry Smithson Lee Wilson  | 2,165  | 43.1  | −2.7
Majority | 699  | 13.8  | +5.4
Turnout | 5,029  | 87.5  | −2.8
Registered electors | 5,748  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +2.7  |
General election 1892: Wakefield[40][41] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Albany Charlesworth | 2,582  | 54.2  | +0.5
| Liberal | Thomas Young Strachan[42] | 2,178  | 45.8  | −0.5
Majority | 404  | 8.4  | +1.0
Turnout | 4,199  | 90.3  | +2.8
Registered electors | 5,274  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.5  |

### Elections in the 1880s

[edit]

General election 1886: Wakefield[40][41] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Edward Green | 2,253  | 53.7  | 0.0
| Liberal | John James Cousins[43] | 1,946  | 46.3  | 0.0
Majority | 307  | 7.4  | 0.0
Turnout | 4,199  | 87.5  | −4.6
Registered electors | 4,801  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | 0.0  |
General election 1885: Wakefield[40][41] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Edward Green | 2,374  | 53.7  | +8.7
| Liberal | Wentworth Beaumont[44] | 2,049  | 46.3  | −8.7
Majority | 325  | 7.4  | N/A
Turnout | 4,423  | 92.1  | +2.0
Registered electors | 4,801  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +8.7  |
By-election, 4 July 1885: Wakefield [45] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Edward Green | 1,918  | 53.6  | +8.6
| Liberal | William Hartley Lee[46] | 1,661  | 46.4  | −8.6
Majority | 257  | 7.2  | N/A
Turnout | 3,579  | 88.9  | −1.2
Registered electors | 4,026  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +8.6  |

* Caused by Mackie's death.

General election 1880: Wakefield [45] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Robert Bownas Mackie | 2,194  | 55.0  | +7.6
| Conservative | Thomas Kemp Sanderson | 1,796  | 45.0  | −7.6
Majority | 398  | 10.0  | N/A
Turnout | 3,990  | 90.1  | +3.2
Registered electors | 4,430  |  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +7.6  |

### Elections in the 1870s

[edit]

By-election, 6 May 1874: Wakefield [45] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Thomas Kemp Sanderson | 1,814  | 52.7  | +0.1
| Liberal | Robert Bownas Mackie | 1,627  | 47.3  | −0.1
Majority | 187  | 5.4  | +0.2
Turnout | 3,441  | 88.5  | +1.6
Registered electors | 3,889  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.1  |

* Caused by the previous election being declared void on petition, on account of corruption.[47]

General election 1874: Wakefield [45] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Edward Green | 1,779  | 52.6  | +3.3
| Liberal | Robert Bownas Mackie | 1,600  | 47.4  | −3.3
Majority | 179  | 5.2  | N/A
Turnout | 3,379  | 86.9  | +2.3
Registered electors | 3,889  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +3.3  |

### Elections in the 1860s

[edit]

General election 1868: Wakefield [45] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | Somerset Beaumont | 1,557  | 50.7  | −1.9
| Conservative | Thomas Kemp Sanderson | 1,512  | 49.3  | +1.9
Majority | 45  | 1.4  | −3.8
Turnout | 3,069  | 84.6  | −4.2
Registered electors | 3,627  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | −1.9  |
General election 1865: Wakefield [45] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | William Henry Leatham | 507  | 52.6  | +2.4
| Conservative | John Dalrymple-Hay | 457  | 47.4  | −2.4
Majority | 50  | 5.2  | +4.8
Turnout | 964  | 88.8  | −2.9
Registered electors | 1,086  |  |
| Liberal hold | Swing | +2.4  |
By-election, 28 February 1862: Wakefield [45] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | John Dalrymple-Hay | 455  | 51.6  | +1.8
| Liberal | Richard Smethurst[48] | 426  | 48.4  | −1.8
Majority | 29  | 3.2  | N/A
Turnout | 881  | 85.5  | −6.2
Registered electors | 1,086  |  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.8  |

* The writ, which had been suspended on 27 July 1859 with Leatham unseated due to being guilty of bribery via his agents,[49] was restored and a by-election was called.

### Elections in the 1850s

[edit]

General election 1859: Wakefield [45] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal | William Henry Leatham | 406  | 50.2  | New
| Conservative | John Charlesworth | 403  | 49.8  | N/A
Majority | 3  | 0.4  | N/A
Turnout | 809  | 91.7  | N/A
Registered electors | 882  |  |
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A |
General election 1857: Wakefield [45] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | John Charlesworth | Unopposed
Registered electors | 906  |  |
| Conservative hold
General election 1852: Wakefield [45] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Sandars | 359  | 52.4  | −7.9
| Whig | William Henry Leatham[50] | 326  | 47.6  | +7.9
Majority | 33  | 4.8  | −15.8
Turnout | 685  | 89.4  | −5.9
Registered electors | 766  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | −7.9  |

### Elections in the 1840s

[edit]

General election 1847: Wakefield [45] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | George Sandars | 392  | 60.3  | +12.5
| Radical | George William Alexander[51][52] | 258  | 39.7  | −12.5
Majority | 134  | 20.6  | N/A
Turnout | 650  | 95.3  | +11.6
Registered electors | 682  |  |
| Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +12.5  |

On petition, Holdsworth was disqualified due to also being the returning officer at the election, and Lascelles was declared elected on 21 April 1842.[53]

General election 1841: Wakefield [45] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Whig | Joseph Holdsworth | 328  | 52.2  | N/A
| Conservative | William Lascelles | 300  | 47.8  | −4.4
Majority | 28  | 4.4  | N/A
Turnout | 628  | 83.7  | −0.1
Registered electors | 750  |  |
| Whig gain from Conservative | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1830s

[edit]

General election 1837: Wakefield [45][19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | William Lascelles | 307  | 52.2  | +7.9
| Radical | Daniel Gaskell | 281  | 47.8  | −7.9
Majority | 26  | 4.4  | N/A
Turnout | 588  | 83.8  | +3.2
Registered electors | 702  |  |
| Conservative gain from Radical | Swing | +7.9  |
General election 1835: Wakefield [45][19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Radical | Daniel Gaskell | 277  | 55.7
| Conservative | William Lascelles | 220  | 44.3
Majority  | 57  | 11.4
Turnout | 497  | 80.6
Registered electors | 617  |
| Radical hold
General election 1832: Wakefield [45][19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Radical | Daniel Gaskell | Unopposed
Registered electors | 726  |
| Radical win (new seat)

## See also

[edit]

* List of parliamentary constituencies in West Yorkshire

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ The wards of: Denby Dale and large parts of Almondbury, and Kirkburton
2. ^ This Cornish seat was a 19th-century byword for corruption, Grampound.
3. ^ The Labour majority in 1966 was the greatest at 30.8% of the vote; that in 1983 was the narrowest since 1932, at 360 votes, see incumbent MP Walter Harrison (Lab) who did not stand for re-election in 1987.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Constituency data: electorates – House of Commons Library". Parliament UK. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
2. ^ a b "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – Yorkshire and the Humber | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
3. ^ "Chap. 23. Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885". The Public General Acts of the United Kingdom passed in the forty-eighth and forty-ninth years of the reign of Queen Victoria. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode. 1885. pp. 111–198.
4. ^ "Representation of the People Act 1948: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1948 c. 65 (sch. 1), retrieved 23 July 2023
5. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Wakefield and Hemsworth) Order 1955. SI 1955/175". Statutory Instruments 1955. Part II. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1956. pp. 2177–2178.
6. ^ 2010 post-revision map Greater London and metropolitan areas of England
7. ^ Grid Reference Finder distance tools
8. ^ Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. Schedule 5. Contents and Boundaries of Boroughs with altered Boundaries
9. ^ "Labour Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018.
10. ^ "Imran Ahmad Khan: MP guilty of sex assault on 15-year-old boy". BBC News. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
11. ^ Hughes, David; Blewett, Sam; Prest, Victoria (3 May 2022). "Disgraced Imran Ahmad Khan formally quits as Wakefield MP". YorkshireLive. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
12. ^ Jenkins, Roy, Churchill: A Biography (London, Macmillan, 2001), page 601
13. ^ Marr, Andrew: A History of Modern Britain (2009 paperback), page xvii
14. ^ "Parliament", The Times, 18 June 1936.
15. ^ "Parliamentary career for Mary Creagh". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
16. ^ "Andy Burnham and John McDonnell get top jobs in Corbyn's shadow cabinet". The Daily Telegraph. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
17. ^ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
18. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 1)
19. ^ a b c d e f g Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. p. 171. Retrieved 21 December 2018 - via Google Books.
20. ^ "The General Election". The Spectator. 26 June 1841. p. 6. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
21. ^ "Election Prospects". Morning Post. 16 June 1841. pp. 5–6. Retrieved 21 December 2018 - via British Newspaper Archive.
22. ^ "Tory MP faces trial over alleged 2008 assault on 15-year-old boy". The Guardian. 18 June 2021.
23. ^ "Wakefield Constituency Parliamentary by Election – Thursday, 23 June 2022". Wakefield Council. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
24. ^ "Wakefield Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
25. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
26. ^ "Wakefield". BBC News. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
27. ^ "Wakefield parliamentary constituency – Election 2017 – BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
28. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
29. ^ "UK > England > Yorkshire & the Humber > Wakefield". Election 2010. BBC. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
30. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
31. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
32. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
33. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
34. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
35. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
36. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
37. ^ a b c d e British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, FWS Craig
38. ^ a b c d e British parliamentary election results, 1885–1918 (Craig)
39. ^ "Election intelligence". The Times. No. 36725\. London. 26 March 1902. p. 10.
40. ^ a b c d e "Election intelligence". The Times. No. 36697\. London. 21 February 1902. p. 8.
41. ^ a b c d Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885–1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
42. ^ "Strachan, Thomas Young". The Times. 1 July 1892. p. 6. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
43. ^ "Yesterday's Nominations". London Evening Standard. 2 July 1886. p. 3. Retrieved 14 December 2017 - via British Newspaper Archive.
44. ^ "Liberal Meeting at Wakefield. Adoption of Candidate". Barnsley Chronicle. 31 October 1885. p. 8. Retrieved 14 December 2017 - via British Newspaper Archive.
45. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
46. ^ "Summary of News". Sheffield Independent. 3 July 1885. p. 2. Retrieved 14 December 2017 - via British Newspaper Archive.
47. ^ "Wakefield Election Petition". Londonderry Sentinel. 25 April 1874. p. 2. Retrieved 21 January 2018 - via British Newspaper Archive.
48. ^ "Wakefield Election". Nottinghamshire Guardian. 28 February 1862. p. 8. Retrieved 21 March 2018 - via British Newspaper Archive.
49. ^ "Imperial Parliament". North Wales Chronicle. 30 July 1859. pp. 6–7. Retrieved 21 March 2018 - via British Newspaper Archive.
50. ^ "The Elections". Leeds Intelligencer. 10 July 1852. p. 3. Retrieved 15 July 2018 - via British Newspaper Archive.
51. ^ "English Cities and Boroughs". Globe. 20 August 1847. p. 1. Retrieved 21 December 2018 - via British Newspaper Archive.
52. ^ "Leeds Intelligencer". 31 July 1847. p. 5. Retrieved 21 December 2018 - via British Newspaper Archive.
53. ^ "Election Committees". Royal Cornwall Gazette. 29 April 1842. p. 2. Retrieved 21 December 2018 - via British Newspaper Archive.

## External links

[edit]

* Wakefield UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
* Wakefield UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK

* v
* t
* e

Wakefield

West Yorkshire

Areas|

* Eastmoor
* Outwood
* Sandal
* Stanley
* Wrenthorpe

Buildings and structures|

* ABC Cinema
* The Art House
* Belle Vue Stadium
* Chantry Chapel of St Mary the Virgin, Wakefield
* Clayton Hospital
* Elizabethan Gallery
* Sandal Castle
* St Austin's Church
* St John the Baptist Church
* The Hepworth Wakefield
* Theatre Royal
* Wakefield Cathedral
* Wakefield County Hall
* Wakefield Court House
* Wakefield Exchange
* Wakefield Mechanics' Institute
* Wakefield Museum
* Wakefield Old Town Hall
* Wakefield One
* Wakefield Town Hall
* West Yorkshire History Centre

Education|

* Wakefield College

Political divisions|

* Wakefield and Rothwell (UK Parliament constituency)
* Ossett and Denby Dale (UK Parliament constituency)
* City of Wakefield

Politicians|

* Arthur Creech Jones (Lab)
* Walter Harrison (Lab)
* David Hinchliffe (Lab)
* Mary Creagh (Lab)
* Imran Ahmad Khan (Con/Ind)
* Simon Lightwood (Lab)

Railway stations|

* Wakefield Westgate railway station
* Wakefield Kirkgate railway station
* Outwood railway station
* Sandal and Agbrigg railway station

Retail|

* The Ridings Centre
* Trinity Walk

Sport|

* Wakefield Trinity

Other information|

* Wakefield bus station

* Category listings

Authority control databases: People |

* UK Parliament

|

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