Barrow and Furness (UK Parliament constituency)

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Barrow and Furness
County constituency
for the House of Commons
120px
Boundary of Barrow and Furness in Cumbria for the 2007 general election.
120px
Location of Cumbria within England.
County Cumbria
(Lancashire until 1974)
Population 88,826 (2011 census)[1]
Electorate 69,148 (December 2010)[2]
Major settlements Barrow-in-Furness, Ulverston
Current constituency
Created 1885
Member of parliament John Woodcock (Labour Co-op)
Number of members One
Created from North Lancashire
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency North West England

Barrow and Furness (previously Barrow-in-Furness) is a constituency[n 1] in Cumbria represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by John Woodcock of the Labour Party who is also a member of the Co-operative Party.[n 2]

History and profile

The seat of Barrow and Furness was established by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 and is located in the SW of Cumbria beyond the Lake District, the location for one of Britain's most important industrial centres. The largest town in the constituency, Barrow-in-Furness, grew on the back of the shipbuilding industry and is now the site of the BAE Systems nuclear submarine and shipbuilding operation. This reliance on a single industry associated with controversial defence policies has, in the past, proved politically volatile in a constituency the Labour Party would consider its own backyard. Labour Cabinet member Albert Booth represented Barrow from 1966 for many years but was defeated in 1983, in the aftermath of the Falklands War, by a Manchester lawyer, Cecil Franks of the Conservative Party, who retained the seat until 1992. Local media attributed this to widespread fears of job losses because the Labour Party was then signed up to doing away with all its nuclear capabilities including the submarines.[n 3]

As Labour reverted its policies towards the retention of Britain's nuclear capability, and following massive job losses in the town's shipbuilding industry, Labour's fortunes revived in Barrow. John Hutton took the seat back for Labour in 1992 and retained it until the 2010 General Election, when he was replaced by John Woodcock, also of Labour. In 2001 Hutton had the support of more than half of all those who voted. Other industries in the constituency currently include engineering and chemicals and more than a quarter of all jobs are in manufacturing. Surrounding this industrial mass is some wild and beautiful countryside, a sweeping mix of moors, hills, mountains and coast, including the towns of Ulverston and Dalton-in-Furness.

Boundaries

This constituency contains the southern half of the Furness peninsula, South Cumbria in the north-west of England.

The newly shaped seat is formed from the following electoral wards, were first contested in 2010:

  • From South Lakeland: Broughton, Crake Valley, Low Furness & Swarthmoor, Ulverston Central, Ulverston East, Ulverston North, Ulverston South, Ulverston Town and Ulverston West
  • The entire district of Barrow-in-Furness

Members of Parliament

The current MP is John Woodcock of the Labour and Co-operative Parties. He replaced John Hutton, a former lecturer. Hutton had taken the seat from Cecil Franks of the Conservative Party in the 1992 general election. He held the cabinet posts of Secretary of State for Defence, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Election Member[3] Party
1885 David Duncan Liberal
1886 by-election William Sproston Caine Liberal
1886 Liberal Unionist
1890 by-election James Duncan Liberal
1892 Sir Charles Cayzer, Bt Conservative
1906 Charles Duncan Labour
1918 Robert Chadwick Conservative
1922 Daniel Somerville Conservative
1924 John Bromley Labour
1931 Sir Jonah Walker-Smith Conservative
1945 Walter Monslow Labour
1966 Albert Booth Labour
1983 Constituency renamed "Barrow and Furness"
1983 Cecil Franks Conservative
1992 John Hutton Labour
2010 John Woodcock Labour Co-operative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Barrow and Furness[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op John Woodcock 18,320 42.3 -5.8
Conservative Simon Fell 17,525 40.5 +4.2
UKIP Nigel Cecil 5,070 11.7 +9.8
Liberal Democrat Clive Peaple 1,169 2.7 -7.3
Green Rob O'Hara 1,061 2.5 +1.3
Independent Ian Jackson 130 0.3 N/A
Majority 795 1.8
Turnout 43,275 63.3
Labour hold Swing -5.0
General Election 2010: Barrow and Furness[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op John Woodcock 21,226 48.1 +2.9
Conservative John Gough 16,018 36.3 +3.7
Liberal Democrat Barry Rabone 4,424 10.0 −7.9
UKIP John Smith 841 1.9 −0.2
BNP Mike Ashburner 840 1.9 N/A
Green Chris Loynes 530 1.2 N/A
Independent Brian Greaves 245 0.6 N/A
Majority 5,208 11.8
Turnout 44,124 63.7 +4.8
Labour hold Swing −0.4

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Barrow and Furness
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Hutton 17,360 47.6 −8.1
Conservative William Dorman 11,323 31.0 +0.7
Liberal Democrat Barry Rabone 6,130 16.8 +4.6
UKIP Alan Beach 758 2.1 +0.3
Build Duddon and Morecambe Bridges Timothey Bell 409 1.1 +1.1
Veritas Brian Greaves 306 0.8 +0.8
Independent Helene Young 207 0.6 +0.6
Majority 6,037 16.5
Turnout 36,493 59.0 −1.3
Labour hold Swing −4.4
General Election 2001: Barrow and Furness
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Hutton 21,724 55.7 −1.6
Conservative James Airey 11,835 30.3 +3.1
Liberal Democrat Barry Rabone 4,750 12.2 +3.3
UKIP John Smith 711 1.8 N/A
Majority 9,889 25.4
Turnout 39,020 60.3 −11.7
Labour hold Swing −2.4

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Barrow and Furness
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Hutton 27,630 57.3 +9.6
Conservative Richard Hunt 13,133 27.2 −14.1
Liberal Democrat Anne A. Metcalfe 4,264 8.8 −2.1
Independent Jim Hamezeian 1,995 4.1 N/A
Referendum David Y. Mitchell 1,208 2.5 N/A
Majority 14,497 30.1
Turnout 48,230 72.0 −10.1
Labour hold Swing +11.9
General Election 1992: Barrow and Furness[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Hutton 26,568 47.7 +8.5
Conservative Cecil Franks 22,990 41.3 −5.1
Liberal Democrat Clive J. Crane 6,089 10.9 −3.3
Majority 3,578 6.4 −0.7
Turnout 55,647 82.0 +3.0
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +6.8

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Barrow and Furness
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Cecil Franks 25,431 46.5 +2.9
Labour Peter Phizacklea 21,504 39.3 +4.6
Social Democratic Richard Wintour Phelps 7,799 14.3 −7.4
Majority 3,927 7.2
Turnout 54,731 79.0 +3.8
Conservative hold Swing -0.9
General Election 1983: Barrow and Furness
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Cecil Franks 22,284 43.6
Labour Albert Booth 17,707 34.7
Social Democratic D. Cottier 11,079 21.7
Majority 4,577 9.0
Turnout 51,070 75.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Barrow in Furness
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Booth 22,687 53.24
Conservative Patrick Thompson 14,946 35.07
Liberal G. Thompson 4,983 11.69
Majority 7,741 18.16
Turnout 78.26
Labour hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Barrow in Furness
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Booth 21,607 51.41
Conservative Lord Richard Cecil 14,253 33.91
Liberal M.A. Benjamin 5,788 13.77
Independent V. Moore 384 0.91
Majority 7,354 17.50
Turnout 77.06
Labour hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Barrow in Furness
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Booth 19,925 46.11
Conservative D.G.P. Bloomer 14,818 34.29
Liberal M. Benjamin 8,470 19.60
Majority 5,107 11.82
Turnout 79.97
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1970: Barrow in Furness
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Booth 22,400 56.09
Conservative Hal Miller 17,536 43.91
Majority 4,864 12.18
Turnout 73.69
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Barrow in Furness
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Albert Booth 23,485 60.31
Conservative R.W. Rollins 15,453 39.69
Majority 8,032 20.63
Turnout 76.78
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1964: Barrow in Furness
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Walter Monslow 22,197 55.13
Conservative P. Davies 18,068 44.87
Majority 4,129 10.25
Turnout 78.03
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Barrow in Furness
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Walter Monslow 23,194 54.68
Conservative M. Metcalf 19,220 45.32
Majority 3,974 9.37
Turnout 81.72
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1955: Barrow in Furness
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Walter Monslow 22,792 53.22
Conservative Edward du Cann 20,033 46.78
Majority 2,759 6.44
Turnout 80.69
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1951: Barrow in Furness
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Walter Monslow 26,709 56.91
Conservative K.F. Lawton 20,225 43.09
Majority 6,484 13.82
Turnout 86.18
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1950: Barrow in Furness
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Walter Monslow 26,342 56.27
Conservative Sir Wilfrid Hart Sugden 16,793 35.87
Liberal Herbert Alexander Anderson Jardine 3,678 7.86
Majority 9,549 20.40
Turnout 87.83
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Barrow in Furness
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Walter Monslow 25,939 65.5
Conservative Sir Jonah Walker-Smith 13,648 34.5
Majority 12,291 31.0
Turnout 79.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935: Barrow in Furness
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir Jonah Walker-Smith 18,136 50.30
Labour P.G. Barstow 17,919 49.70
Majority 217 0.60
Turnout 85.41
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1931: Barrow in Furness
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir Jonah Walker-Smith 20,794 56.8
Labour D Adams 15,835 43.2
Majority 4,959 13.5
Turnout
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Barrow-in-Furness [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Bromley 19,798 56.0
Unionist Kenneth McDonald Cameron 15,551 44.0
Majority 4,247 12.0
Turnout 35,349
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1923: Barrow-in-Furness [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Daniel Gerald Somerville 13,996
Labour John Bromley 13,576 46.0
Liberal William Hood Wandless 1,931 6.5
Majority 420 1.5
Turnout 86.3
Unionist hold Swing

See also

Notes and references

Notes
  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.
  3. ↑ See Labour Party and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
References
  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 1)[self-published source][better source needed]
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  8. ↑ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
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