Runcorn (UK Parliament constituency)

Runcorn
Runcorn
Former county constituency; for the House of Commons
	Boundary of Runcorn in Cheshire, boundaries 1974-83
County	Cheshire
1950–1983
Created from	Bucklow, Eddisbury, Knutsford and Northwich
Replaced by	Warrington South, Halton, Eddisbury and Tatton

Runcorn was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Runcorn in Cheshire. It 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 system.

History

Runcorn was created for the 1950 general election from parts of several constituencies.

It was abolished following the reorganisation of local authorities in 1974 by the Third Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for the 1983 general election, when it was divided primarily between the re-established constituency of Eddisbury and the new constituencies of Halton and Warrington South.

Boundaries

For its entire existence the constituency consisted of the Urban Districts of Runcorn and Lymm, and the Rural District of Runcorn.^[2]

The Urban District of Runcorn was transferred from Northwich and Lymm was previously part of the abolished constituency of Bucklow. The Rural District of Runcorn (including Frodsham, Helsby, Grappenhall and Stockton Heath) was previously split between Knutsford, Northwich and the abolished Eddisbury constituency.

From local government boundary changes on 1 April 1974 until the constituency was abolished at the next parliamentary boundary review which came into effect for the 1983 general election, the constituency comprised parts of the expanded Borough of Warrington and the newly formed Borough of Halton, and the District of Vale Royal, but its boundaries were unchanged.

On abolition, the western half of Runcorn was included in the new constituency of Halton along with the town of Widnes (on the northern side of the River Mersey). The eastern half of the town formed part of the Weaver Vale constituency, along with Northwich, Frodsham, Helsby and surrounding areas.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	1950	Dennis Vosper	Conservative
	1964	Mark Carlisle	Conservative
1983		constituency abolished: see Halton & Warrington South

Elections

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950:Runcorn ^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Dennis Vosper	22,145	54.04
	Labour	L H Wharrad	14,063	34.32
	Liberal	Harold Griffiths	4,768	11.64
Majority			8,082	19.72
Turnout			40,976
	Conservative win (new seat)

General election 1951: Runcorn ^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dennis Vosper	24,821	62.36	+8.32
	Labour	John Hindle	14,980	37.64	+3.32
Majority			9,841	24.72	+5.00
Turnout			39,801
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.5

General election 1955: Runcorn ^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dennis Vosper	24,682	64.05	+1.69
	Labour	David Barker	13,852	35.95	−1.69
Majority			10,830	28.10	+3.38
Turnout			38,534
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1959: Runcorn ^[6]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dennis Vosper	26,615	65.79	+1.74
	Labour	Joel Barnett	13,837	34.21	−1.74
Majority			12,778	31.58	+3.48
Turnout			40,452
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Runcorn ^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Mark Carlisle	21,586	49.00	−16.79
	Labour	Paul Lyall Jackson	14,127	32.07	−2.14
	Liberal	Robert Walter Jordan	8,343	18.94	New
Majority			7,459	16.93	−14.65
Turnout			44,056
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1966: Runcorn ^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Mark Carlisle	21,472	48.40	−0.60
	Labour	Michael J E Taylor	16,290	36.72	+4.65
	Liberal	Terence Anthony Maher	6,606	14.89	−4.05
Majority			5,182	11.68	−5.25
Turnout			44,368
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Runcorn ^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Mark Carlisle	25,272	53.52	+5.12
	Labour	Michael J E Taylor	16,204	34.32	−2.40
	Liberal	Christopher K Sumner	5,741	12.16	−2.73
Majority			9,068	19.20	+7.44
Turnout			47,217
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election February 1974: Runcorn
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Mark Carlisle	26,374	45.87	−7.65
	Labour	Michael John Ellerington Taylor	19,106	33.23	−1.09
	Liberal	Peter Michael Brenton	12,020	20.90	+8.74
Majority			7,268	12.64	−6.56
Turnout			57,500
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election October 1974: Runcorn
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Mark Carlisle	25,047	46.15	+0.28
	Labour	Anthony John Eccles	19,579	36.07	+2.84
	Liberal	David Sanders	9,188	16.93	−3.97
	Independent	Noel Dobson	464	0.85	New
Majority			5,468	10.08	−2.56
Turnout			54,278	77.62
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1979: Runcorn
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Mark Carlisle	32,907	51.48	+5.33
	Labour	George Joseph Maudsley	22,226	34.77	−1.30
	Liberal	Richard Charles Kemp	8,783	13.74	−3.19
Majority			10,681	16.71	+6.64
Turnout			63,916	77.83
	Conservative hold		Swing

References

^ "'Runcorn', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 24 March 2016.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Craig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0-900178-09-4. OCLC 539011.
^ British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
^ British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
^ British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
^ F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
^ F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
^ British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
^ British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig

Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 2)

[ElectionWeb74-1] "'Runcorn', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 24 March 2016.^{[permanent dead link]}

[2] Craig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0-900178-09-4. OCLC 539011.

[3] British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig

[4] British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig

[5] British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig

[6] F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973

[7] F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973

[8] British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig

[9] British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig

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