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Weaver Vale (UK Parliament constituency)

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Weaver Vale was a constituency[n 1] in Cheshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.[n 2]

Weaver Vale
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Weaver Vale in Cheshire
Outline map
Location of Cheshire within England
CountyCheshire
Electorate70,129 (2018)[1]
Major settlementsNorthwich, Runcorn and Frodsham
1997–2024
SeatsOne
Created fromEddisbury, Tatton, Halton, and Warrington South
Replaced byRuncorn and Helsby, Mid Cheshire, Chester South and Eddisbury, and Tatton

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished at the 2024 general election. Just over half the seat became part of the new Runcorn and Helsby seat, with other areas moved to the new constituencies of Mid Cheshire and Chester South and Eddisbury, and a very small part joined the existing constituency of Tatton.[2]

Constituency profile

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The constituency took its name from the River Weaver, which flows through the area, and much of the area was part of the former district of Vale Royal. The constituency covered the northern part of the Cheshire West and Chester unitary authority in Cheshire, including the towns of Northwich and Frodsham and the villages of Helsby and Weaverham. It also included part of the Borough of Halton, covering the eastern half of Runcorn.

The area has economic sectors as diverse as plastics and chemicals to construction. Other areas include telecommunications/bank communication centres, with in addition, a large national bakery and a supermarket distribution centre. Salt used to comprise a major mining industry of the area, much more of which is extracted today from large reserves in Northern Ireland. Workless claimants who were registered jobseekers were in November 2012 slightly higher than the national average of 3.8%, at 4.1% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian. This was, however, lower than the regional average of 4.4%.[3] Northwich and the wards from Halton are inclined to vote Labour, whereas Frodsham, Helsby and the smaller rural villages are more Conservative.

Creation

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Weaver Vale was created for the 1997 general election from parts of Eddisbury, Tatton, Halton, and Warrington South, when the number of constituencies in Cheshire was increased from 10 to 11.

Boundaries

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Map of boundaries 2019-2024

1997–2010: The District of Vale Royal wards of Castle, Church, Forest, Frodsham East, Frodsham North West, Frodsham South, Gorst Wood, Hartford, Helsby Central, Helsby North, Helsby South and Alvanley Ward, Kingsley, Milton, Northwich, Weaver, Winnington, Witton North, and Witton South, and the Borough of Halton wards of Brookfields, Castlefields, Clough, Daresbury, Murdishaw, and Norton.[4]

Norton and Daresbury were transferred from Warrington South, with other parts of Halton coming from the constituency thereof. Frodsham, Helsby and Weaverham were transferred from Eddisbury and Northwich had previously been part of Tatton.

2010–2019: The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007 defined the boundaries as:

The Borough of Halton wards of Beechwood, Daresbury, Halton Lea, Norton North, Norton South, and Windmill Hill, and the Borough of Vale Royal wards of Forest, Frodsham North, Frodsham South, Hartford & Whitegate, Helsby, Kingsley, Leftwich & Kingsmead, Milton Weaver, Northwich Castle, Northwich Winnington, Northwich Witton, and Weaverham.[5]

Halton Borough ward of Castlefields transferred to Halton constituency. Other minor changes due to revision of ward boundaries.

However, before the new boundaries came into force for the 2010 election, the districts making up the county of Cheshire were abolished on 1 April 2009, being replaced by four unitary authorities. Consequently, the constituency's boundaries became:

The Cheshire West and Chester wards of Davenham & Moulton (part), Frodsham, Gowy (part), Hartford & Greenbank, Helsby, Kingsley, Weaver & Cuddington (part), Winsford Over & Verdin (part), Winnington & Castle, and Witton & Rudheath (part), and the Borough of Halton wards of Beechwood, Daresbury, Halton Lea, Norton North, Norton South, and Windmill Hill.

2019–2024: Following a further local government ward boundary review in 2019, the boundaries were:

The Cheshire West and Chester wards of Davenham, Moulton & Kingsmead (part), Frodsham, Hartford & Greenbank, Helsby, Marbury (part), Northwich Leftwich, Northwich Winnington & Castle, Northwich Witton, Rudheath (part), Sandstone (part), Weaver & Cuddington (part), and Winsford Over & Verdin (part), and the Borough of Halton wards of Beechwood, Daresbury, Halton Lea, Norton North, Norton South, and Windmill Hill.[6]

Abolition

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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 distributed to three new constituencies and one existing one:[2]

Political history

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From the 1997 general election, the new seat was held by the Labour Party's Mike Hall, who had first entered Parliament in 1992 for Warrington South. Labour held the seat relatively easily in the succeeding two general elections. In February 2010 Hall announced that he was standing down at the 2010 election for health reasons.[7] Graham Evans (Conservative) gained the seat at the 2010 election on a swing of 8.15% with minor boundary changes mentioned as likely affecting this swing.

Mike Amesbury regained the seat for Labour at the 2017 general election and was returned again, with a reduced majority, in 2019.

Weaver Vale was one of seven seats won (held or gained) by a Labour candidate in 2017 from a total of 11 covering its county. Amesbury's 2017 win was one of 30 net gains of the Labour Party, three of which came from the county of Cheshire.

The seat was considered a marginal seat from 2010 onwards, as its winner's majority did not exceed 7.8% of the vote in any of the four elections held from then onwards, and it changed hands twice in that time.

Members of Parliament

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Election Member[8] Party
1997 Mike Hall Labour
2010 Graham Evans Conservative
2017 Mike Amesbury Labour

Elections

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Elections in the 2010s

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General election 2019: Weaver Vale[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mike Amesbury 22,772 44.9 ―6.6
Conservative Adam Wordsworth 22,210 43.8 +0.1
Liberal Democrats Daniela Parker 3,300 6.5 +3.3
Brexit Party Nicholas Goulding 1,380 2.7 New
Green Paul Bowers 1,051 2.1 +0.5
Majority 562 1.1 ―6.7
Turnout 50,713 71.9 ―1.4
Labour hold Swing
General election 2017: Weaver Vale[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mike Amesbury 26,066 51.5 +10.1
Conservative Graham Evans 22,138 43.7 +0.5
Liberal Democrats Paul Roberts 1,623 3.2 +0.2
Green Chris Copeman 786 1.6 ―0.9
Majority 3,928 7.8 N/A
Turnout 50,613 73.3 +4.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +4.25
General election 2015: Weaver Vale[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Graham Evans 20,227 43.2 +4.7
Labour Julia Tickridge 19,421 41.4 +5.1
UKIP Amos Wright 4,547 9.7 +7.4
Liberal Democrats Mary Di Mauro 1,395 3.0 ―15.6
Green Chris Copeman 1,183 2.5 +1.7
TUSC Joseph Whyte 94 0.2 New
Majority 806 1.8 ―0.4
Turnout 46,867 68.5 +2.4
Conservative hold Swing
General election 2010: Weaver Vale[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Graham Evans 16,953 38.5 +6.9
Labour John Stockton 15,962 36.3 ―9.4
Liberal Democrats Peter Hampson 8,196 18.6 ―1.1
BNP Colin Marsh 1,063 2.4 New
UKIP Paul Remfry 1,018 2.3 ―0.5
Green Howard Thorp 338 0.8 New
Independent Mike Cooksley 270 0.6 New
Independent Tom Reynolds 133 0.3 New
Independent Will Charlton 57 0.1 New
Majority 991 2.2 N/A
Turnout 43,990 66.1 +10.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +8.15

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2005: Weaver Vale[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mike Hall 18,759 47.6 ―4.9
Conservative Jonathan Mackie 11,904 30.2 +2.3
Liberal Democrats Trevor Griffiths 7,723 19.6 +5.2
UKIP Brenda Swinscoe 1,034 2.6 +1.2
Majority 6,855 17.4 ―7.2
Turnout 39,420 57.1 ―0.5
Labour hold Swing
General election 2001: Weaver Vale[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mike Hall 20,611 52.5 ―3.9
Conservative Carl Cross 10,974 27.9 ―0.7
Liberal Democrats Trevor Griffiths 5,643 14.4 +2.1
Independent Mike Cooksley 1,484 3.8 New
UKIP Jim Bradshaw 559 1.4 New
Majority 9,637 24.6 ―3.2
Turnout 39,271 57.6 ―15.4
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

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General election 1997: Weaver Vale[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mike Hall 27,244 56.4
Conservative James Byrne 13,796 28.6
Liberal Democrats Trevor Griffiths 5,949 12.3
Referendum Roger Cockfield 1,312 2.7
Majority 13,448 27.8
Turnout 48,301 73.0
Labour win (new seat)

See also

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Notes

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

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  1. ^ "England Parliamentary electorates 2010-2018". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  2. ^ a b "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – North West | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  3. ^ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  4. ^ "Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995".
  5. ^ "Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007".
  6. ^ "Ellesmere Port and Neston: Seat, Ward and Prediction Details". Electoral Calculus. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  7. ^ "BBC News – Weaver Vale MP Mike Hall steps down for health reasons". bbc.co.uk. 2 February 2010.
  8. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 2)
  9. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated 2019" (PDF).
  10. ^ "Weaver Vale parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
  11. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
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53°15′36″N 2°31′52″W / 53.260°N 2.531°W / 53.260; -2.531

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