Wikipedia

Bootle (UK Parliament constituency)

Bootle is a constituency[n 1] which has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament, since 2015 by Peter Dowd of the Labour Party.[n 2]

Bootle
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Map of constituency
Boundary of Bootle in North West England
CountyMerseyside
Population98,449 (2011 census)[1]
Electorate75,194 (2023)[2]
Major settlementsBootle, Crosby, Waterloo, Seaforth, Litherland, Netherton, Orrell and Ford.
Current constituency
Created1885
Member of ParliamentPeter Dowd (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created fromSouth West Lancashire

History

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From 1885 to 1935, the constituency returned Conservative MPs, with its most notable MP being Conservative Party leader Bonar Law from 1911 to 1918, when property qualifications for the vote were abolished. Bonar Law would later serve as UK prime minister from 1922 to 1923, though at that point he no longer represented Bootle in the House of Commons. James Burnie of the Liberal Party held the seat from 1922 to 1924, and the seat was briefly held by John Kinley from the Labour Party from 1929 to 1931 and became a Conservative–Labour marginal seat in the 1930s when the mainstream Labour party formed the National Government. The Labour Party has held it continuously since the 1945 general election; this period saw two decades of steep decline in the profitability of Liverpool Docks, manufacturing and shipbuilding, which employed many constituents. At the three general elections from 1997, Bootle was the safest seat for any party in the United Kingdom by percentage of majority.

In 1990, two by-elections were held in Bootle. The first followed the death of Allan Roberts on 21 February, and was held on 24 May. Jack Holmes, the candidate of the continuing Social Democratic Party (representing the faction of the party which did not merge with the Liberal Democrats) was beaten by Screaming Lord Sutch of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, contributing to the end of the SDP. The victorious Labour candidate, Michael Carr unexpectedly died on 20 July 1990 after just 57 days in office.

The second by-election, held on 8 November 1990, was won by the Labour candidate, Joe Benton. Benton retained Bootle at the next four general elections with large majorities. At the 2005 general election, the seat was the safest seat by percentage of majority and had the highest winning share of the vote.[3] In June 2014, Benton announced that he would retire at the 2015 general election.

The 2015 result made the seat the fifth-safest of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority (with a winning vote share of 74.5% and a majority of 63.6%).[4][5] Bootle remained a safe seat into the 2020s, becoming the safest seat for Labour by this metric in 2024 (despite a decrease of the vote share by 10.7%) with a winning vote share of 68.7%; this gave Labour a 56.5% majority over Reform UK.

Constituency profile

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Though the seat has some small neighbourhoods with middle-to-high incomes, residents generally have some of the lowest UK incomes and there is a higher-than-average proportion of social housing.[6] The Bootle constituency has long been one of the safest seats in the United Kingdom and since 1945, has given a majority of votes cast to the Labour Party at each general election. Since 1964, the size of the majority (by vote share) has been in double digits; since 1992, it has been over 50%, peaking at 74.4% in the 1997 Blair landslide election. However, the Labour vote share was at its highest in 2017, when Peter Dowd received 84% of votes cast. Both the size of the majority and the share of the vote represent an unbeaten record for this constituency.

Boundaries

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Map of boundaries from 2010
 
Bootle in Lancashire, boundaries used 1974-83

1885–1918: The Boroughs of Bootle-cum-Linacre and Liverpool, the parishes of Childwall, Fazakerley, Walton-on-the-Hill, and Wavertree, and parts of the parishes of Toxteth Park and West Derby.

1918–1950: The County Borough of Bootle.

1950–1955: The County Borough of Bootle, and the Urban District of Litherland.

1955–1974: The County Borough of Bootle.[7]

1974–1983: The County Borough of Bootle, and the Urban District of Litherland.[8]

1983–1997: The Metropolitan Borough of Sefton wards of Church, Derby, Ford, Linacre, Litherland, Netherton, Orrell, and St Oswald.

1997–2010: As above less Church ward.

2010–present: The Metropolitan Borough of Sefton wards of Church, Derby, Ford, Linacre, Litherland, Netherton and Orrell, St Oswald, and Victoria.

Boundary changes that came into force as a result of the 2010 general election being called saw the constituency grow to also include parts of the old Crosby constituency, with the electoral wards of Church and Victoria being added. Although these areas are more affluent than some parts of Bootle, it has not made the seat any less safe for Labour.

The 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies left the boundaries unchanged.[9]

The constituency covers the southern part of the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside. This comprises Bootle itself plus other localities including Crosby, Waterloo, Seaforth, Litherland, Netherton, Orrell and Ford.

Members of Parliament

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Election Member[10] Party
1885 Thomas Sandys Conservative
1911 by-election Bonar Law Conservative
1918 Sir Thomas Royden, Bt. Coalition Conservative
1922 James Burnie Liberal
1924 Vivian Henderson Conservative
1929 John Kinley Labour
1931 Chichester Crookshank Conservative
1935 Eric Errington Conservative
1945 John Kinley Labour
1955 Simon Mahon Labour
1979 Allan Roberts Labour
1990 by-election (May) Michael Carr Labour
1990 by-election (Nov) Joe Benton Labour
2015 Peter Dowd Labour

Elections

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Elections in the 2020s

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General election 2024: Bootle[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Dowd 26,729 68.7 −10.7
Reform UK Darren Burns 4,746 12.2 +6.9
Green Neil Doolin 3,904 10.0 +7.6
Conservative Rowena Bass 1,674 4.3 −4.9
Liberal Democrats John Gibson 1,301 3.3 −0.4
Workers Party Ian Smith 526 1.4 N/A
Majority 21,983 56.5 −13.7
Turnout 38,880 53.2 −12.2
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 2010s

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General election 2019: Bootle[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Dowd 39,066 79.4 ―4.6
Conservative Tarsilo Onuluk 4,510 9.2 ―2.8
Brexit Party Kim Knight 2,610 5.3 New
Liberal Democrats Rebecca Hanson 1,822 3.7 +2.0
Green Mike Carter 1,166 2.4 +1.0
Majority 34,556 70.2 ―1.8
Turnout 49,174 65.7 ―3.5
Labour hold Swing ―0.85
General election 2017: Bootle[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Dowd 42,259 84.0 +9.5
Conservative Charles Fifield 6,059 12.0 +3.9
Liberal Democrats David Newman 837 1.7 ―0.5
Green Alison Gibbon 709 1.4 ―1.9
Socialist Labour Kim Bryan 424 0.8 New
Majority 36,200 72.0 +8.4
Turnout 50,288 69.2 +4.8
Labour hold Swing +2.8
General election 2015: Bootle[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Peter Dowd 33,619 74.5 +8.0
UKIP Paul Nuttall 4,915 10.9 +4.8
Conservative Jade Marsden 3,639 8.1 ―0.8
Green Lisa Tallis 1,501 3.3 New
Liberal Democrats David Newman 978 2.2 ―12.9
TUSC Peter Glover 500 1.1 0.0
Majority 28,704 63.6 +12.2
Turnout 45,152 64.4 +6.6
Labour hold Swing +1.6
General election 2010: Bootle[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joe Benton 27,426 66.5 ―9.0
Liberal Democrats James Murray 6,245 15.1 +3.5
Conservative Sohail Qureshi 3,678 8.9 +2.8
UKIP Paul Nuttall 2,514 6.1 +2.8
BNP Charles Stewart 942 2.3 New
TUSC Peter Glover 472 1.1 New
Majority 21,181 51.4 ―12.4
Turnout 41,227 57.8 +7.0
Labour hold Swing ―1.6

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2005: Bootle[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joe Benton 19,345 75.5 ―2.1
Liberal Democrats Chris Newby 2,988 11.7 +3.2
Conservative Wafik Moustafa 1,580 6.2 ―1.8
UKIP Paul Nuttall 1,054 4.1 New
Socialist Alternative Peter Glover 655 2.6 +0.2
Majority 16,357 63.8 ―5.3
Turnout 25,622 47.7 ―2.1
Labour hold Swing ―2.6
General election 2001: Bootle[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joe Benton 21,400 77.6 ―5.3
Liberal Democrats Jim Murray 2,357 8.5 +2.8
Conservative Judith Symes 2,194 8.0 ―0.5
Socialist Labour Dave Flynn 971 3.5 +2.4
Socialist Alliance Peter Glover 672 2.4 New
Majority 19,043 69.1 ―5.3
Turnout 27,594 49.8 ―16.9
Labour hold Swing ―5.3

Elections in the 1990s

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General election 1997: Bootle[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joe Benton 31,668 82.9 +8.3
Conservative Rupert Matthews 3,247 8.5 ―7.5
Liberal Democrats Kiron Reid 2,191 5.7 ―0.9
Referendum James Elliot 571 1.5 New
Socialist Labour Peter Glover 420 1.1 New
Natural Law Simon Cohen 126 0.3 ―0.2
Majority 28,421 74.4 +15.8
Turnout 38,223 66.7 ―5.8
Labour hold Swing +6.0
General election 1992: Bootle[21][22][23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joe Benton 37,464 74.6 +7.7
Conservative Christopher J. Varley 8,022 16.0 ―4.1
Liberal Democrats John Cunningham 3,301 6.6 ―6.4
Liberal Medina Hall 1,174 2.3 New
Natural Law Thomas Haynes 264 0.5 New
Majority 29,442 58.6 +11.8
Turnout 50,225 72.5 ―0.4
Labour hold Swing +5.9
By-election November 1990: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joe Benton 22,052 78.2 +2.8
Conservative James Clappison 2,587 9.2 +0.1
Liberal Democrats John Cunningham 2,216 7.9 ―1.0
Green Sean Brady 557 2.0 ―1.6
Monster Raving Loony Screaming Lord Sutch 310 1.1 ―0.1
Liberal Kevin White 291 1.0 ―0.3
Christian Alliance David Black 132 0.5 New
Majority 19,465 69.0 +2.7
Turnout 28,145 39.7 ―10.9
Labour hold Swing +1.5
By-election May 1990: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Carr 26,737 75.4 +8.5
Conservative James Clappison 3,220 9.1 ―11.0
Liberal Democrats John Cunningham 3,179 8.9 ―4.1
Green Sean Brady 1,269 3.6 New
Liberal Kevin White 474 1.3 New
Monster Raving Loony Screaming Lord Sutch 418 1.2 New
SDP Jack Holmes 155 0.4 New
Independent T. J. Schofield 27 0.1 New
Majority 23,517 66.3 +19.5
Turnout 35,477 50.6 ―22.3
Labour hold Swing +9.8

Elections in the 1980s

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General election 1987: Bootle[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Allan Roberts 34,975 66.9 +13.9
Conservative Peter Papworth 10,498 20.1 ―3.5
SDP Paul Denham 6,820 13.0 ―10.4
Majority 24,477 46.8 +17.4
Turnout 52,293 72.9 +4.6
Labour hold Swing +8.7
General election 1983: Bootle[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Allan Roberts 27,282 53.0 ―8.0
Conservative Ronald Watson 12,143 23.6 ―3.0
SDP John Wall 12,068 23.4 +13.1
Majority 15,139 29.4 ―5.0
Turnout 51,493 68.3 ―2.1
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

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General election 1979: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Allan Roberts 26,900 61.0 −3.0
Conservative Ronald Watson 11,741 26.6 +1.7
Liberal D.L. Mahon 4,531 10.3 +0.4
Independent Liberal H.I. Fjortoft 911 2.1 New
Majority 15,159 34.4 −4.7
Turnout 44,083 70.4 +3.2
Labour hold Swing -2.4
General election October 1974: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Simon Mahon 27,633 64.0 +5.4
Conservative J F Borrows 10,743 24.9 −1.7
Liberal H.I. Fjortoft 4,266 9.9 −3.6
Communist R. Morris 512 1.2 −0.1
Majority 16,890 39.1 +7.1
Turnout 43,158 67.2 −6.1
Labour hold Swing +3.6
General election February 1974: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Simon Mahon 27,301 58.6 −5.0
Conservative J.F. Borrows 12,366 26.6 −9.8
Liberal H.I. Fjortoft 6,258 13.5 New
Communist R. Morris 586 1.3 New
Majority 14,935 32.0 +4.8
Turnout 46,511 73.3 +8.1
Labour hold Swing +2.4
General election 1970: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Simon Mahon 20,101 63.6 +3.2
Conservative G. Halliwell 11,496 36.4 +2.8
Majority 8,614 27.2 +0.4
Turnout 31,633 65.2 −3.0
Labour hold Swing +0.2

Elections in the 1960s

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General election 1966: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Simon Mahon 19,412 60.4 −1.6
Conservative George Halliwell 10,813 33.6 −4.4
Independent Labour William Grant 1,931 6.0 New
Majority 8,599 26.8 +2.8
Turnout 32,156 68.2 −2.7
Labour hold Swing +1.4
General election 1964: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Simon Mahon 21,677 62.0 +8.3
Conservative George Halliwell 13,285 38.0 −8.3
Majority 8,392 24.0 +16.6
Turnout 34,962 70.9 −7.4
Labour hold Swing +8.3

Elections in the 1950s

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General election 1959: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Simon Mahon 21,294 53.7 +1.7
Conservative Harry O Cullen 18,379 46.3 −1.7
Majority 2,915 7.4 +3.4
Turnout 39,673 78.3 +2.6
Labour hold Swing +1.7
General election 1955: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Simon Mahon 19,020 52.0 −0.7
Conservative Herbert W Jones 17,582 48.0 +3.3
Majority 1,438 4.0 −4.0
Turnout 36,602 75.7 −5.5
Labour hold Swing −2.0
General election 1951: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Kinley 26,597 52.7 −0.1
Conservative A Owen Hughes 22,535 44.7 −0.2
Anti-Partition Harry McHugh 1,340 2.7 +0.4
Majority 4,062 8.0 +0.1
Turnout 50,472 81.2 −0.9
Labour hold Swing +0.2
General election 1950: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Kinley 25,472 52.8 −5.8
Conservative W. Hill 21,673 44.9 +3.5
Anti-Partition Bernard McGinnity 1,029 2.3 New
Majority 3,799 7.9 −9.3
Turnout 48,174 82.1 +12.4
Labour hold Swing −4.7

Elections in the 1940s

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General election 1945: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Kinley 15,823 58.6 +19.8
Conservative Eric Errington 11,180 41.4 −7.2
Majority 4,643 17.2 N/A
Turnout 27,003 69.7 −1.6
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1930s

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General election 1935: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Eric Errington 16,653 48.6 −13.3
Labour John Kinley 13,285 38.8 +0.7
Liberal James Burnie 4,319 12.6 New
Majority 3,368 9.8 −14.0
Turnout 34,257 71.3 −7.6
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1931: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Chichester Crookshank 22,966 61.9 +21.2
Labour John Kinley 14,160 38.1 −5.5
Majority 8,806 23.8 N/A
Turnout 37,126 78.9 +1.0
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1920s

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General election 1929: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Kinley 15,294 43.6 +8.9
Unionist Vivian Henderson 14,263 40.7 −4.8
Liberal Ernest Eric Edwards 5,523 15.7 −4.1
Majority 1,031 2.9 N/A
Turnout 35,080 77.9 +0.9
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +6.8
General election 1924: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Vivian Henderson 12,361 45.5 +3.4
Labour John Kinley 9,427 34.7 +20.9
Liberal James Burnie 5,386 19.8 −24.3
Majority 2,934 10.8 N/A
Turnout 27,174 77.0 +8.9
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing
General election 1923: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Burnie 10,444 44.1 −12.2
Unionist Vivian Henderson 9,991 42.1 +0.2
Labour John Kinley 3,272 13.8 New
Majority 453 2.0 −12.4
Turnout 23,707 68.1 −3.0
Liberal hold Swing -6.2
General election 1922: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Burnie 13,276 56.3 New
Unionist Alexander Bicket 9,867 41.9 −21.1
Independent J E Burke 425 1.8 New
Majority 3,409 14.4 N/A
Turnout 23,568 71.1 +12.6
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing

Elections in the 1910s

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General election 1918: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Thomas Royden 12,312 63.0 N/A
Sailors' Union Edmund Cathery 7,235 37.0 New
Majority 5,077 26.0 N/A
Turnout 19,547 58.5 N/A
Unionist hold Swing
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.
 
Bonar Law

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;

1911 Bootle by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bonar Law 9,976 56.2 N/A
Liberal Max Muspratt 7,782 43.8 New
Majority 2,194 12.4 N/A
Turnout 17,758 69.7 N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election December 1910: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Sandys Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election January 1910: Bootle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Sandys 9,954 52.9 +1.8
Liberal William Permewan 8,869 47.1 −1.8
Majority 1,085 5.8 +3.6
Turnout 18,823 78.7 +4.9
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1900s

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General election 1906: Bootle[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Sandys 7,821 51.1 N/A
Liberal Alfred Patten Thomas 7,481 48.9 New
Majority 340 2.2 N/A
Turnout 15,302 73.8 N/A
Registered electors 20,721
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1900: Bootle[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Sandys Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s

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General election 1895: Bootle[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Sandys Unopposed
Conservative hold
 
Sandys
General election 1892: Bootle[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Sandys 6,532 59.4 N/A
Liberal Alexander McDougall 4,460 40.6 New
Majority 2,072 18.8 N/A
Turnout 10,992 69.7 N/A
Registered electors 15,772
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1880s

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General election 1886: Bootle[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Sandys Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1885: Bootle[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Sandys 6,715 63.1
Liberal Samuel Whitbread 3,933 36.9
Majority 2,782 26.2
Turnout 10,648 72.6
Registered electors 14,663
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

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Notes

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  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.

References

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  1. ^ "Bootle: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  2. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – North West". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  3. ^ report, p14
  4. ^ "Majority by Constituency | General Elections Online". Archived from the original on 23 May 2015.
  5. ^ "Labour Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Local statistics - Office for National Statistics". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 11 February 2003. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  7. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Liverpool and South-West Lancashire) Order 1955. SI 1955/15". Statutory Instruments 1955. Part II. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1956. pp. 2144–2147.
  8. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1970/1674, retrieved 23 July 2023
  9. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 5 North West region.
  10. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 4)
  11. ^ Bootle
  12. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll" (PDF). Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  13. ^ "Bootle Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  14. ^ "General Election 2017: who is standing for election". Liverpool Echo. 11 May 2017.
  15. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Bootle". BBC News. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  17. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ^ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  23. ^ The changes and swing are calculated relative to the 1987 general election, not to either of the 1990 by-elections.
  24. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  25. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  26. ^ a b c d e f Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.

Sources

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53°26′46″N 2°59′20″W / 53.446°N 2.989°W / 53.446; -2.989

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