Wrexham (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 53°04′34″N 2°56′59″W / 53.07611°N 2.94972°W / 53.07611; -2.94972
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Wrexham (Senedd constituency).

Wrexham
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Wrexham in Wales
Preserved countyClwyd
Electorate53,733 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsWrexham, Gwersyllt, Llay, Gresford
Current constituency
Created1918
Member of ParliamentSarah Atherton (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created fromDenbigh Boroughs and East Denbighshire
Overlaps
SeneddWrexham, North Wales

Wrexham (Welsh: Wrecsam) is a parliamentary constituency[n 1] centred on the city of Wrexham in the preserved county of Clwyd, Wales in the United Kingdom. It was created in 1918, and is represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from December 2019 by Sarah Atherton of the Conservative Party.[n 2]

The constituency is to retain its name and gain wards, as part of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies and under the June 2023 final recommendations of the Boundary Commission for Wales for the next United Kingdom general election.[2]

History[edit]

Summary of results

Labour won the seat in all general elections from 1935 until 2019, when Conservative Sarah Atherton became the first woman elected to represent Wrexham.[3]

Tom Ellis, first elected in 1970, defected in 1981 to the newly founded Social Democratic Party. In 1983, he unsuccessfully stood for Clwyd South West instead.[4]

Turnout

Turnout has ranged between 59.5% in 2001 and 87.3% in 1950.

Boundaries[edit]

Map
Map of current boundaries

Until 1885, Wrexham was part of the Denbighshire parliamentary constituency, which elected one Member of Parliament until the Reform Act 1832 increased this to two members. In 1885 the Denbighshire constituency was split — the area covered today became part of East Denbighshire constituency.

In 1918 the Wrexham constituency was created, electing one Member of Parliament. For the 1983 general election, major boundary reorganisation saw large areas removed from the Wrexham constituency to form the new constituency of Clwyd South West (later to become Clwyd South).

Wrexham constituency consists of the following electoral wards: Acton, Borras Park, Brynyffynnon, Cartrefle, Erddig, Garden Village, Gresford East and West, Grosvenor, Gwersyllt East and South, Gwersyllt North, Gwersyllt West, Hermitage, Holt, Little Acton, Llay, Maesydre, Marford and Hoseley, Offa, Queensway, Rhosnesni, Rossett, Smithfield, Stansty, Whitegate, Wynnstay.

1918–1949: The Municipal Borough of Wrexham, and the Rural District of Wrexham, and part of Chirk.

1950–1983: The Municipal Borough of Wrexham, and part of the Rural Districts of Ceiriog, and Wrexham.[5]

Members of Parliament[edit]

Election Member[6] Party
1918 Sir Robert Thomas Coalition Liberal
1922 Robert Richards Labour
1924 Christmas Price Williams Liberal
1929 Robert Richards Labour
1931 Aled Roberts Liberal
1935 Robert Richards Labour
1955 Idwal Jones Labour
1970 Tom Ellis Labour
1981 SDP
1983 John Marek Labour
2001 Ian Lucas Labour
2019 Sarah Atherton Conservative

Elections[edit]

Elections in the 1910s[edit]

Robert Thomas
General election 1918: Wrexham[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Liberal Robert Thomas 20,874 76.3 N/A
Labour Hugh Hughes 6,500 23.7 N/A
Majority 14,374 52.6 N/A
Turnout 27,374 69.7 N/A
Registered electors 39,259
Liberal win (new seat)
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s[edit]

General election 1922: Wrexham[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Richards 11,940 35.8 +12.1
National Liberal E.R. Davies 10,842 32.6 ―43.7
Unionist R.C.G Roberts 10,508 31.6 N/A
Majority 1,098 3.2 N/A
Turnout 33,290 84.4 +14.7
Registered electors 39,446
Labour gain from Liberal Swing +27.9
General election 1923: Wrexham[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Richards 12,918 39.0 +3.2
Liberal Horace Alexander Morgan 11,037 33.4 +0.8
Unionist Edmund Fleming Bushby 9,131 27.6 ―4.0
Majority 1,881 5.6 +2.4
Turnout 33,086 81.1 ―3.3
Registered electors 40,789
Labour hold Swing +1.2
General election 1924: Wrexham[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Christmas Price Williams 19,154 55.6 +22.2
Labour Robert Richards 15,291 44.4 +5.4
Majority 3,863 11.2 N/A
Turnout 35,445 82.6 +1.5
Registered electors 41,686
Liberal gain from Labour Swing
General election 1929: Wrexham[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Richards 20,584 46.4 +2.0
Liberal Christmas Price Williams 13,997 31.5 ―24.1
Unionist Edmund Fleming Bushby 9,820 22.1 N/A
Majority 6,587 14.9 N/A
Turnout 44,401 84.9 +2.3
Registered electors 52,310
Labour gain from Liberal Swing +13.0

Elections in the 1930s[edit]

General election 1931: Wrexham[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Aled Roberts 22,474 52.1 +20.6
Labour Robert Richards 20,653 47.9 +1.5
Majority 1,821 4.2 N/A
Turnout 43,127 79.8 ―5.1
Registered electors 54,048
Liberal gain from Labour Swing
General election 1935: Wrexham[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Richards 23,650 56.3 +8.4
Liberal Aled Roberts 18,367 43.7 ―8.4
Majority 5,283 12.6 N/A
Turnout 42,017 75.5 +4.3
Registered electors 55,656
Labour gain from Liberal Swing

Election in the 1940s[edit]

General Election 1939–40: Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1945: Wrexham[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Richards 26,854 56.0 ―0.3
National Liberal David Leslie Milne 13,714 28.6 N/A
Liberal John David Williams 6,960 14.5 ―29.2
Independent (nationalist) John Rathbone Hayes-Jones 430 0.9 N/A
Majority 13,140 27.4 +14.8
Turnout 47,958 76.8 +1.3
Registered electors 62,446
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s[edit]

General election 1950: Wrexham[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Richards 32,042 57.8 +1.8
National Liberal Willoughby Gervase Cooper 14,117 25.5 ―3.1
Liberal Herbert Mostyn Lewis 8,287 15.0 +0.5
Plaid Cymru Geraint Bowen 960 1.7 N/A
Majority 17,925 32.3 +4.9
Turnout 55,406 87.3 +10.5
Registered electors 63,455
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Wrexham[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Richards 33,759 61.5 +3.7
National Liberal Willoughby Gervase Cooper 19,124 34.8 +9.3
Plaid Cymru A Daniel Thomas 1,997 3.6 +1.9
Majority 14,635 26.7 ―5.6
Turnout 54,880 84.8 ―2.5
Registered electors 64,736
Labour hold Swing
1955 Wrexham by-election[9][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Idwal Jones 23,402 57.9 ―3.6
National Liberal Griffith Winston Guthrie Jones 12,476 30.8 ―4.0
Plaid Cymru Elystan Morgan 4,572 11.3 +7.7
Majority 10,926 27.1 +0.4
Turnout 46,072 62.4 ―22.4
Registered electors 64,788
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Wrexham [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Idwal Jones 27,945 56.6 ―4.9
National Liberal Griffith Winston Guthrie Jones 16,286 33.0 ―1.8
Plaid Cymru Elystan Morgan 5,139 10.4 +6.8
Majority 11,659 23.6 ―3.1
Turnout 49,370 76.2 ―8.6
Registered electors 64,788
Labour hold Swing
General election 1959: Wrexham [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Idwal Jones 30,101 55.9 ―0.7
National Liberal Griffith Hughes Pierce 17,144 31.9 ―1.1
Plaid Cymru Elystan Morgan 6,579 12.2 +1.8
Majority 12,957 24.0 +0.4
Turnout 53,824 81.4 +5.2
Registered electors 66,150
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s[edit]

General election 1964: Wrexham [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Idwal Jones 30,478 58.2 +2.3
National Liberal Griffith Hughes Pierce 17,240 32.9 +1.0
Plaid Cymru John Richard Thomas 4,673 8.9 ―3.3
Majority 13,238 25.3 +1.3
Turnout 52,391 78.7 ―2.7
Registered electors 66,530
Labour hold Swing
General election 1966: Wrexham[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Idwal Jones 30,039 58.6 ―0.4
Conservative Griffith Hughes Pierce 12,596 24.6 ―8.3
Liberal Wilfred McBriar 6,351 12.4 N/A
Plaid Cymru John Richard Thomas 2,297 4.5 ―4.4
Majority 17,443 34.0 +8.7
Turnout 51,283 77.2 ―1.5
Registered electors 66,441
Labour hold Swing +4.3

Elections in the 1970s[edit]

General election 1970: Wrexham[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Ellis 31,089 56.8 ―1.8
Conservative Benjamin Patterson 15,649 28.6 +4.0
Liberal Wilfred McBriar 5,067 9.3 ―3.1
Plaid Cymru Cyril Golding 2,894 5.3 +0.8
Majority 15,440 28.2 ―5.8
Turnout 54,699 75.1 ―2.1
Registered electors 72,814
Labour hold Swing
General election February 1974: Wrexham[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Ellis 27,384 46.7 ―10.1
Conservative John Laurence Pritchard 14,301 24.4 ―4.2
Liberal Martin Thomas 14,297 24.4 +15.1
Plaid Cymru Hywel Wyn Roberts 2,624 4.5 ―0.8
Majority 13,083 22.3 ―5.9
Turnout 58,606 77.6 +2.5
Registered electors 75,492
Labour hold Swing
General election October 1974: Wrexham[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Ellis 28,885 51.1 +4.4
Liberal Martin Thomas 12,519 22.1 ―2.3
Conservative John Pritchard 12,251 21.7 ―2.7
Plaid Cymru Hywel Wyn Roberts 2,859 5.1 +0.6
Majority 16,366 29.0 +6.7
Turnout 56,514 74.3 ―3.3
Registered electors 76,106
Labour hold Swing
General election 1979: Wrexham[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Ellis 30,405 49.2 ―1.9
Conservative Roger Graham-Palmer 18,256 29.6 +7.9
Liberal Martin Thomas 11,389 18.4 ―3.7
Plaid Cymru Hywel Wyn Roberts 1,740 2.8 ―2.3
Majority 12,149 19.6 ―9.4
Turnout 56,514 78.4 +4.1
Registered electors 78,771
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s[edit]

General election 1983: Wrexham[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Marek 16,120 34.3 ―14.9
Conservative Cynthia Kay Wood 15,696 33.4 +3.8
Liberal Martin Thomas 13,974 29.7 +11.3
Plaid Cymru John Thomas 1,239 2.6 ―0.2
Majority 424 0.9 ―18.7
Turnout 47,029 77.5 ―0.9
Registered electors 60,707
Labour hold Swing ―10.5
General election 1987: Wrexham[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Marek 22,144 43.9 +9.6
Conservative Roger Graham-Palmer 17,992 35.6 +2.2
Liberal Martin Thomas 9,808 19.4 ―10.3
Plaid Cymru Dennis Watkins 539 1.1 ―1.5
Majority 4,152 8.3 +7.4
Turnout 50,483 80.9 +3.4
Registered electors 62,401
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s[edit]

General election 1992: Wrexham[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Marek 24,830 48.3 +4.4
Conservative Owen Paterson 18,114 35.2 ―0.4
Liberal Democrats Andrew Thomas 7,074 13.8 ―5.6
Plaid Cymru Gareth Wheatley 1,415 2.8 +1.7
Majority 6,716 13.1 +4.8
Turnout 51,433 80.7 ―0.2
Registered electors 63,720
Labour hold Swing +2.4
General election 1997: Wrexham[17][18][19][20][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Marek 20,450 56.1 +6.1
Conservative Stuart Andrew 8,688 23.9 ―8.5
Liberal Democrats Andrew Thomas 4,833 13.3 ―1.7
Referendum John Cronk 1,195 3.3 N/A
Plaid Cymru Kevin Plant 1,170 3.2 +0.5
Natural Law Nicholas Low 86 0.2 N/A
Majority 11,762 32.2 +14.7
Turnout 36,422 71.8 ―8.9
Registered electors 50,741
Labour hold Swing +7.4

Elections in the 2000s[edit]

General election 2001: Wrexham[22][23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Lucas 15,934 53.0 ―3.1
Conservative Felicity Elphick 6,746 22.5 ―1.4
Liberal Democrats Ronald Davies 5,153 17.1 +3.8
Plaid Cymru Malcolm Evans 1,783 5.9 +2.7
UKIP Jane Brookes 432 1.4 N/A
Majority 9,188 30.5 ―1.7
Turnout 30,048 59.5 ―12.3
Registered electors 50,465
Labour hold Swing ―0.8
General election 2005: Wrexham[24][25][26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Lucas 13,993 46.1 ―6.9
Liberal Democrats Tom Rippeth 7,174 23.6 +6.5
Conservative Thérèse Coffey 6,079 20.0 ―2.5
Plaid Cymru Sion Owen 1,744 5.7 ―0.2
BNP John Walker 919 3.0 N/A
Forward Wales Janet Williams 476 1.6 N/A
Majority 6,819 22.5 ―8.0
Turnout 30,385 63.3 +3.8
Registered electors 48,016
Labour hold Swing ―6.7

Elections in the 2010s[edit]

General election 2010: Wrexham[27][28][29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Lucas 12,161 36.9 ―9.2
Liberal Democrats Tom Rippeth 8,503 25.8 +2.2
Conservative Gareth Hughes 8,375 25.4 +5.4
Plaid Cymru Arfon Jones 2,029 6.2 +0.5
BNP Mel Roberts 1,134 3.4 +0.4
UKIP John Humberstone 774 2.3 N/A
Majority 3,658 11.1 ―11.4
Turnout 32,976 64.8 +1.5
Registered electors 50,872
Labour hold Swing ―5.7
General election 2015: Wrexham[30][31][32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Lucas 12,181 37.2 +0.3
Conservative Andrew Atkinson 10,350 31.6 +6.2
UKIP Niall Plevin-Kelly 5,072 15.5 +13.2
Plaid Cymru Carrie Harper 2,501 7.6 +1.4
Liberal Democrats Rob Walsh 1,735 5.3 ―20.5
Green David Munnerley 669 2.0 N/A
Independent Brian Edwards[33] 211 0.6 N/A
Rejected ballots 55
Majority 1,831 5.6 ―5.5
Turnout 32,719 64.2 ―0.6
Registered electors 50,992
Labour hold Swing ―2.9

Of the 55 rejected ballots:

  • 43 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.[31]
  • 12 voted for more than one candidate.[31]
General election 2017: Wrexham[34][35][36]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Lucas 17,153 48.9 +11.7
Conservative Andrew Atkinson 15,321 43.7 +12.1
Plaid Cymru Carrie Harper 1,753 5.0 ―2.6
Liberal Democrats Carole O’Toole 865 2.5 ―2.8
Rejected ballots 68
Majority 1,832 5.2 ―0.4
Turnout 35,092 69.6 +5.4
Registered electors 50,245
Labour hold Swing ―0.2

Of the 68 rejected ballots:

  • 53 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.[36]
  • 15 voted for more than one candidate.[36]
General election 2019: Wrexham[37][38][39]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sarah Atherton 15,199 45.3 +1.6
Labour Co-op Mary Wimbury 13,068 39.0 ―9.9
Plaid Cymru Carrie Harper 2,151 6.4 +1.4
Liberal Democrats Tim Sly 1,447 4.3 +1.8
Brexit Party Ian Berkeley-Hurst 1,222 3.6 N/A
Green Duncan Rees 445 1.3 N/A
Majority 2,131 6.3 N/A
Rejected ballots 70
Turnout 33,532 67.4 ―2.2
Registered electors 49,734
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +5.8

Of the 70 rejected ballots:

  • 57 were either unmarked or it was uncertain who the vote was for.[39]
  • 9 voted for more than one candidate.[39]
  • 4 had writing or mark by which the voter could be identified.[39]

Elections in the 2020s[edit]

Next General election: Wrexham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sarah Atherton[40]
Plaid Cymru Becca Martin
Labour Andrew Ranger
Green Duncan Rees
Majority
Rejected ballots
Turnout
Registered electors
Swing

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  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[edit]

  1. ^ "Beyond 20/20 WDS - Table view". 2011 Electorate Figures. StatsWales. 1 December 2010. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ^ 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies - The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in Wales (PDF). Boundary Commission for Wales. 28 June 2023.
  3. ^ Morris, Steven (13 December 2019). "'Things can't get worse': Wrexham turns Tory amid Welsh Labour losses". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  4. ^ Langdon, Julia (18 April 2010). "Tom Ellis obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  5. ^ Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1985-1972. Chichester, Sussex: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0-900178-09-4.
  6. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 5)
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Craig, F. W. S. (1969). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (1 ed.). Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0-900178-019. Page 531
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Craig, F. W. S. (1971). British parliamentary election results 1950-1970 (1 ed.). Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 9780900178023. Page 573
  9. ^ "British parliamentary by-elections: Wrexham 1955". Web Cite. Archived from the original on 31 August 2009. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
  10. ^ "Politics Resources". Election February 1974. Politics Resources. 28 February 1974. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  11. ^ "Politics Resources". Election October 1974. Politics Resources. 10 October 1974. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1979. Politics Resources. 3 May 1979. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  13. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  17. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1997. Politics Resources. 1 May 1997. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
  19. ^ C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.181 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
  20. ^ The 1997 election result is calculated relative to the notional, not the actual, 1992 result.
  21. ^ "BBC NEWS>VOTE 2001>Results and Constituencies>Wrexham". Vote 2001. BBC News. 1 May 1997. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  22. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  23. ^ "BBC NEWS > VOTE 2001 > RESULTS & CONSTITUENCIES > Wrexham". Vote 2001. BBC News. 7 June 2001. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  24. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  25. ^ "Wrexham: Constituency > Politics > guardian.co.uk". Election 2010. The Guardian. 5 May 2005. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  26. ^ "Wrexham parliamentary constituency - Election 2005" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  27. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  28. ^ "BBC NEWS - Election 2010 - Wrexham". BBC News Online. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  29. ^ "Results" (PDF). Wrexham County Borough Council. Wrexham County Borough Council. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  30. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  31. ^ a b c "Wrexham result" (PDF). DECLARATION OF RESULT OF POLL. Wrexham County Borough Council. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  32. ^ "Wrexham Parliamentary constituency". Election 2015 Results. BBC. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  33. ^ "Member of Parliament for Wrexham". YourNextMP. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  34. ^ "Full Candidate List for Wrexham & Clwyd South". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  35. ^ "Wrexham Constituency results". BBC. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  36. ^ a b c "2017 Results". Wrexham County Borough Council. Wrexham County Borough Council. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  37. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll - Wrexham Constituency" (PDF). Wrexham County Borough Council. 14 November 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  38. ^ "Wrexham parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  39. ^ a b c d "Election-Results/General-Election-2019" (PDF). Wrexham County Borough Council. Wrexham County Borough Council. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  40. ^ https://www.wrexham.com/news/general-election-candidates-announced-for-with-vote-due-inside-next-741-days-229300.html
  • Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.

External links[edit]

53°04′34″N 2°56′59″W / 53.07611°N 2.94972°W / 53.07611; -2.94972

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