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Halifax (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 53°43′N 1°53′W / 53.717°N 1.883°W / 53.717; -1.883
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Halifax
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Halifax in West Yorkshire
Outline map
Location of West Yorkshire within England
County1832–1974: West Riding of Yorkshire
1974–present: West Yorkshire
Electorate69,126 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsHalifax, Sowerby Bridge
Current constituency
Created1832
Member of ParliamentHolly Lynch (Labour)
Seats1832–1918: Two
1918–present: One
Created fromYorkshire

Halifax is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Holly Lynch of the Labour Party.[n 2]

The Conservative Party launched their election manifesto at Dean Clough Mill, Halifax prior to the 2017 general election.

Boundaries

1918–1983: The County Borough of Halifax.

1983–2010: The Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale wards of Illingworth, Mixenden, Northowram and Shelf, Ovenden, St John's, Skircoat, Sowerby Bridge, Town, and Warley.

2010–present: The Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale wards of Illingworth and Mixenden, Northowram and Shelf, Ovenden, Park, Skircoat, Sowerby Bridge, Town, and Warley.

This constituency covers the large town of Halifax in West Yorkshire and includes the smaller town of Sowerby Bridge which adjoins Halifax but until 1974 was a separate Urban District.

History

The parliamentary borough was granted in the Great Reform Act 1832 and returned from that year until 1918 two members. A county borough recognized the density of the developed area in 1888 which provided most functions for inhabitants, retaining the West Yorkshire ceremonial county. The municipal or county borough was under a mayor, five aldermen and 45 councillors and had an area of 13,967 acres (56.52 km2).[2]

At the time of the Norman Conquest, Halifax formed part of the extensive manor of Wakefield, which belonged to the king, but in the 13th century was in the hands of John Earl de Warrenne aka. Earl of Surrey (1231–1304).[n 3] The prosperity of the town began with the first woollen products workshop established here in 1414, when there are said to have been only thirteen houses, which before the end of the 16th century had increased to 520.[2] Camden, about the end of the 17th century, wrote that "the people are very industrious, so that though the soil about it be barren and improfitable, not fit to live on, they have so flourished ... by the clothing trade that they are very rich and have gained a reputation for it above their neighbours."[citation needed] The manufacturing standards and trade were improved by the arrival of certain merchants and clothworkers driven from the Spanish Netherlands by the persecution by the Duke of Alva.

Halifax was a borough by prescription[n 4] rather than a medieval parliamentary borough, its privileges[n 5] growing up with the increased prosperity brought by the cloth trade, but it was not incorporated until 1848. From 1832 until 1918 the town's property-qualifying residents paying scot and lot returned two members to parliament.[n 6]

Constituency profile

As of 2001, the town in the Pennines was relatively affluent, not afflicted by the high levels of unemployment, underemployment and crime seen in a few wards of the Yorkshire and Humber region but most constituents had modest incomes and there was some social housing in certain wards.[3] Since 1987 the MP has been in the Labour Party; before that date for four years it was held by a Conservative MP, but generally since the Second World War it has been a Labour seat.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1832–1918

Election 1st Member[4] 1st Party 2nd Member[4] 2nd Party
1832 style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | Rawdon Briggs Liberal rowspan="6" style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | Sir Charles Wood Liberal
1835 style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | James Archibald Stuart-Wortley Conservative
1837 style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | Edward Davis Protheroe Liberal
1847 style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | Henry Edwards Conservative
1852 style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | Sir Francis Crossley Liberal
1859 rowspan="6" style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | Sir James Stansfeld Liberal
1865 style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | Edward Akroyd Liberal
1874 style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | John Crossley Liberal
1877 by-election style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | John Dyson Hutchinson Liberal
1882 by-election style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | Thomas Shaw Liberal
1893 by-election rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | William Rawson Shaw Liberal
1895 rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | Alfred Arnold Conservative
1897 by-election style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | Alfred Billson Liberal
1900 style="background-color: Template:Liberal Unionist Party/meta/color" | Sir Savile Crossley Liberal Unionist rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" | John Henry Whitley Liberal
1906 style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | James Parker Labour

MPs since 1918

Representation reduced to one member, 1918

Election Member[4] Party
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color"| 1918 John Henry Whitley Liberal
style="background-color: Template:/meta/color" | 1921 Speaker
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1928 by-election Arthur Longbottom Labour
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1931 Gilbert Gledhill Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1945 Dryden Brook Labour
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1955 Maurice Macmillan Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1964 Shirley Summerskill Labour
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1983 Roy Galley Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | 1987 Alice Mahon Labour
style="background-color: Template:Labour Co-operative/meta/color" | 2005 Linda Riordan Labour
style="background-color: Template:Labour Co-operative/meta/color" | 2015 Holly Lynch Labour

Elections

1910s – 1920s – 1930s – 1940s – 1950s – 1960s – 1970s – 1980s – 1990s – 2000s – 2010s

Elections in the 2010s

Holly Lynch
General Election 2017: Halifax[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Holly Lynch 25,507 52.7 +12.7
Conservative Chris Pearson 20,131 41.6 +2.6
UKIP Mark Weedon 1,568 3.2 −9.6
Liberal Democrats James Baker 1,070 2.2 −1.5
Majority 5,376 11.1 +10.1
Turnout 48,375 67.9 +5.8
Labour hold Swing +5.0
See also: Opinion polling in United Kingdom constituencies, 2010–15 § Halifax
General Election 2015: Halifax[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Holly Lynch 17,506 40.0 +2.6
Conservative Philip Allott 17,078 39.0 +5.0
UKIP Liz Phillips 5,621 12.8 +11.3
Liberal Democrats Mohammad Ilyas 1,629 3.7 −15.4
Green Gary Scott 1,142 2.6 N/A
Respect Asama Javed 465 1.1 N/A
Christian Trevor Bendrien 312 0.7 N/A
Majority 428 1.0 −2.4
Turnout 43,753 62.1 +0.2
Labour hold Swing
General Election 2010: Halifax[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Linda Riordan 16,278 37.4 −4.4
Conservative Philip Allott 14,806 34.0 +0.8
Liberal Democrats Elisabeth Wilson 8,335 19.1 +1.2
BNP Tom Bates 2,760 6.3 −0.3
Independent Voice for Halifax Diane Park 722 1.7 N/A
UKIP Jay Sangha 654 1.5 N/A
Majority 1,472 3.4 −5.4
Turnout 43,555 61.9 +0.9
Labour hold Swing -2.6

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Halifax[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Linda Riordan 16,579 41.8 −7.2
Conservative Kris Hopkins 13,162 33.2 −0.6
Liberal Democrats Michael Taylor 7,100 17.9 +3.3
BNP Geoff Wallace 2,627 6.6 N/A
National Front Tom Holmes 191 0.5 N/A
Majority 3,417 8.6
Turnout 39,659 61.1 +3.3
Labour Co-op hold Swing −3.3
General Election 2001: Halifax[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alice Mahon 19,800 49.0 −5.3
Conservative James Walsh 13,671 33.8 +1.7
Liberal Democrats John Durkin 5,878 14.6 +2.6
UKIP Helen Martinek 1,041 2.6 +1.0
Majority 6,129 15.2
Turnout 40,390 57.8 −12.7
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Halifax[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alice Mahon 27,465 54.3 +10.8
Conservative Robert Light 16,253 32.1 −10.6
Liberal Democrats Edgar Waller 6,059 12.0 −0.7
UKIP Constance Whittaker 779 1.5 N/A
Majority 11,212 22.2 +21.4
Turnout 50,556 70.5
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1992: Halifax[13][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alice Mahon 25,115 43.5 +0.1
Conservative TR Martin 24,637 42.7 +1.4
Liberal Democrats Ian R. Howell 7,364 12.7 −2.6
Ind. Nationalist Ron Pearson 649 1.1 +1.1
Majority 478 0.8 −1.3
Turnout 57,765 78.7 +1.0
Labour hold Swing −0.6

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Halifax[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alice Mahon 24,741 43.38
Conservative Roy Galley 23,529 41.26
SDP Laurence Cockcroft 8,758 15.36
Majority 1,212 2.13
Turnout 77.70
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 1983: Halifax[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roy Galley 22,321 40.85
Labour Shirley Summerskill 20,452 37.43
SDP F. Cockroft 11,868 21.72
Majority 1,869 3.42
Turnout 75.11
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Shirley Summerskill 21,416 43.79
Conservative J. Ford 20,182 41.27
Liberal Allen Clegg 6,853 14.01
National Front B. Wadsworth 455 0.93
Majority 1,234 2.52
Turnout 76.69
Labour hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Shirley Summerskill 20,976 44.27
Conservative S.R. Lyons 16,798 35.45
Liberal Allen Clegg 8,693 18.35
Powellite R.S. Pearson 919 1.94
Majority 4,178 8.82
Turnout 74.55
Labour hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Shirley Summerskill 20,970 40.93
Conservative S.R. Lyons 17,967 35.07
Liberal Allen Clegg 12,300 24.01
Majority 3,003 5.86
Turnout 81.27
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1970: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Shirley Summerskill 24,026 49.33
Conservative G Anthony Turner 23,828 48.93
Ind. Labour Party Alistair Graham 847 1.74
Majority 198 0.41
Turnout 73.51
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Shirley Summerskill 25,391 50.28
Conservative G Anthony Turner 19,689 38.99
Liberal Derek Arthur Carlin 5,423 10.74
Majority 5,702 11.29
Turnout 80.48
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1964: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Shirley Summerskill 23,143 43.76
Conservative Maurice Macmillan 22,085 41.75
Liberal James Francis Crossley 7,664 14.49
Majority 1,058 2.00
Turnout 82.06
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Maurice Macmillan 29,212 52.25
Labour Peter Shore 26,697 47.75
Majority 2,515 4.50
Turnout 83.26
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1955: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Maurice Macmillan 28,306 51.39
Labour Dryden Brook 26,771 48.61
Majority 1,535 2.79
Turnout 80.15
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General Election 1951: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dryden Brook 30,433 50.63
Conservative Charles Henry Lucas 29,670 49.37
Majority 763 1.27
Turnout 84.25
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1950: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dryden Brook 28,800 47.70
Conservative Charles Henry Lucas 20,456 33.88
Liberal Arthur Pickles 9,573 15.85
National Liberal R.H. Blackburn 1,551 2.57
Majority 8,344 13.82
Turnout 85.09
Labour hold Swing
  • Blackburn was a vice-president of the Bradford Conservative Association. He was nominated after the Conservative and Liberal associations in the division had failed to reach agreement on the proposal for a joint anti-Labour candidate.[17]

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dryden Brook 25,605 46.5 +7.0
Conservative Gilbert Gledhill 14,824 26.9 −17.5
Liberal Arnold Gelder 14,631 26.6 +10.5
Majority 10,781 19.6 +14.7
Turnout 55,060 77.4 +0.5
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +11.3

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gilbert Gledhill 24,103 44.4 −21.3
Labour Arthur Longbottom 21,471 39.5 +9.8
Liberal Ashley Mitchell 8,736 16.1 N/A
Majority 2,632 4.9 −31.1
Turnout 54,310 76.9 −3.6
Conservative hold Swing −15.6
General Election 1931: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gilbert Gledhill 36,731 65.7 +36.0
Labour Arthur Longbottom 16,601 29.7 −12.5
Independent Liberal Frank Sykes[18] 2,578 4.6 N/A
Majority 20,130 36.0 +23.5
Turnout 80.5 −0.8
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +24.2

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Arthur Longbottom 22,776 42.2 −0.6
Unionist Gilbert Gledhill 16,713 29.7 +3.3
Liberal Elliott Dodds 15,823 28.1 −2.8
Majority 7,063 12.5 +0.5
Turnout 55,312 81.3 +2.6
Labour hold Swing
Harry Barnes
Halifax by-election, 1928
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Arthur Longbottom 17,536 42.8
Liberal Harry Barnes 12,585 30.8
Unionist Francis Crossley 10,804 26.4
Majority 4,951 12.0
Turnout 40,925 78.7 +24.3
Labour gain from Liberal Swing
General Election 1924: Halifax
John Henry Whitley (Speaker) returned unopposed
General Election 1923: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Speaker J. H. Whitley unopposed n/a n/a
Speaker hold Swing n/a
General Election 1922: Halifax
John Henry Whitley (Speaker) returned unopposed

Elections in the 1910s

J.H. Whitley
General Election 1918: Halifax
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal J. H. Whitley 22,136 84.6 N/A
Socialist Labour Party Arthur McManus 4,046 15.4 N/A
Majority 18,100 69.2 N/A
Turnout 16,172 53.4
Liberal hold Swing
General Election December 1910 : Halifax[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal J. H. Whitley 8,778 33.4
Labour James Parker 8,511
Conservative John Herbert Lacy Baldwin 4,602
Conservative James Francis Wallace Galbraith 4,420
Majority
Turnout 87.0
Liberal hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
General Election January 1910 : Halifax[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal J. H. Whitley 9,504
Labour James Parker 9,093
Conservative James Francis Wallace Galbraith 4,754
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1900s

Crossley, Whitley and Parker
General Election 1906 : Halifax[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal J. H. Whitley 9,354
Labour Repr. Cmte. James Parker 8,937
Liberal Unionist Savile Crossley 5,041
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing
Labour Repr. Cmte. gain from Liberal Unionist Swing
James Parker
General Election 1900 : Halifax[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Savile Crossley 5,931 29.6
Liberal J. H. Whitley 5,543
Liberal Alfred Billson 5,325
Ind. Labour Party James Parker 3,276
Majority
Turnout 86.7
Liberal Unionist hold Swing
Liberal hold Swing

See also

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ^ A borough 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.
  3. ^ See Sandal Castle and Wakefield Castle
  4. ^ Legally, the doctrine of prescription (law), as opposed to "by grant", means obtained by long use
  5. ^ Among the curious customs of Halifax was the Gibbet Law, which was probably established by a prescriptive right to protect the wool trade, and gave the inhabitants the power of executing any one taken within their liberty, who, when tried by a jury of sixteen of the frith-burgesses, was found guilty of the theft of any goods of the value of more than 13d. The executions took place on market days on a hill outside the town, the gibbet somewhat resembling a guillotine. The first execution recorded under this law took place in 1541, and the right was exercised in Halifax longer than in any other town, the last execution taking place in 1650. In 1635 the king granted the inhabitants of Halifax licence to found a workhouse in a large house given to them for that purpose by Nathaniel Waterhouse, and incorporated them under the name of the master and governors. Nathaniel Waterhouse was appointed the first master, his successors being elected every year by the twelve governors from among themselves.
  6. ^ In 1607 David Waterhouse, lord of the manor of Halifax, obtained a grant of two markets there every week on Friday and Saturday and two fairs every year, each lasting three days, one beginning on 24 June, the other on 11 November. Later these fairs and markets were confirmed with the addition of an extra market on Thursday to Sir William Ayloffe, baronet, who had succeeded David Waterhouse as lord of the manor. The market rights were sold to the Markets Company in 1810 and purchased from them by the corporation in 1853.

References

  1. ^ "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ^ a b Lewis, Samuel (1848). "Halifax". A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  3. ^ 2001 Census
  4. ^ a b c Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 1)
  5. ^ "Parliamentary General Election 2017 - 08/06/2017". Election results. Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  6. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  7. ^ "Halifax". BBC News. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  8. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  9. ^ http://www.calderdale.gov.uk/council/democracy/election-information/halifax-constituency/halifax.html
  10. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  11. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  12. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  15. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. ^ The Times House of Commons, 1950
  18. ^ At the 1931 general election, the local Liberal Association chose not to field a candidate against the National Government; Sykes stood as an "Independent Liberal" candidate
  19. ^ a b c d British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)

Sources

  • Public Domain This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Victoria County History, Yorkshire
  • T. Wright, The Antiquities of the Town of Halifax (Leeds, 1738)
  • John Watson, The History and Antiquities of the Parish of Halifax (London, 1775)
  • John Crabtree, A Concise History of the Parish and Vicarage of Halifax (Halifax and London, 1836).
  • Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Constituency represented by the Speaker
1921–1928 		Succeeded by

53°43′N 1°53′W / 53.717°N 1.883°W / 53.717; -1.883

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