Weaver Vale (UK Parliament constituency)

Weaver Vale is a constituency[n 1] in Cheshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Mike Amesbury, a member of the Labour Party.[n 2].

Weaver Vale
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of Weaver Vale in Cheshire
Location of Cheshire within England
CountyCheshire
Electorate70,129 (2018)[1]
Major settlementsNorthwich, Runcorn New Town and Frodsham
Current constituency
Created1997
Member of ParliamentMike Amesbury (Labour)
Number of membersOne
Created fromEddisbury, Tatton, Halton, and Warrington South

Constituency profile

The constituency takes 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. It covers 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 includes 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%.[2] Northwich and the wards from Halton are inclined to vote Labour, whereas Frodsham, Helsby and the smaller rural villages are more Conservative.

Creation

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

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.[3]

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.[4]

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-present: Following a further local government ward boundary review in 2019, the boundaries are currently:

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.[5]

Political history

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 due to health reasons.[6] Graham Evans (Conservative) gained the seat at the 2010 election on a swing of 8.15% with minor boundary changes mentioned likely affecting this swing.

The present MP, Mike Amesbury, regained the seat for Labour at the 2017 general election and was returned 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 Cheshire.

The seat has been considered relative to others a marginal seat, as well as a swing seat, since 2005 as its winner's majority has not exceeded 7.8% of the vote since the 17.4% majority won in 2005 and the seat has changed hands twice since that year.

Members of Parliament
ElectionMember[7] Party
1997 Mike Hall Labour
2010 Graham Evans Conservative
2017 Mike Amesbury Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2010s
General election 2019: Weaver Vale[8]
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 +2.7
Green Paul Bowers 1,051 2.1 +0.5
Majority 562 1.1 −6.7
Turnout 50,713 71.9 −1.5
Labour hold Swing
General election 2017: Weaver Vale[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mike Amesbury 26,066 51.5 +10.1
Conservative Graham Evans 22,138 43.7 +0.6
Liberal Democrats Paul Roberts 1,623 3.2 +0.2
Green Chris Copeman 786 1.6 −1.0
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[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Graham Evans 20,227 43.2 +4.6
Labour Julia Tickridge 19,421 41.4 +5.2
UKIP Amos Wright 4,547 9.7 +7.4
Liberal Democrats Mary Di Mauro 1,395 3.0 −15.7
Green Chris Copeman 1,183 2.5 +1.8
TUSC Joseph Whyte 94 0.2 +0.2
Majority 806 1.8 -0.5
Turnout 46,867 68.5 -2.4
Conservative hold Swing
General election 2010: Weaver Vale[11]
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 N/A
UKIP Paul Remfry 1,018 2.3 −0.5
Green Howard Thorp 338 0.8 N/A
Independent Mike Cooksley 270 0.6 N/A
Independent Tom Reynolds 133 0.3 N/A
Independent Will Charlton 57 0.1 N/A
Majority 991 2.3
Turnout 43,990 66.1 +10.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing 8.15

Elections in the 2000s
General election 2005: Weaver Vale[12]
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
Turnout 39,420 57.1 −0.5
Labour hold Swing
General election 2001: Weaver Vale[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mike Hall 20,611 52.5 −3.9
Conservative Carl Cross 10,974 27.9 −0.6
Liberal Democrats Trevor Griffiths 5,643 14.4 +2.1
Independent Mike Cooksley 1,484 3.8 N/A
UKIP Jim Bradshaw 559 1.4 N/A
Majority 9,637 24.6
Turnout 39,271 57.6 −15.5
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1997: Weaver Vale[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mike Hall 27,244 56.4 N/A
Conservative James Byrne 13,796 28.6 N/A
Liberal Democrats Trevor Griffiths 5,949 12.3 N/A
Referendum Roger Cockfield 1,312 2.7 N/A
Majority 13,448 27.8 N/A
Turnout 48,301 73.0 N/A
Labour win (new seat)

See also

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.

References
  1. "England Parliamentary electorates 2010-2018". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  2. Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  3. "Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995".
  4. "Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007".
  5. "Ellesmere Port and Neston: Seat, Ward and Prediction Details". Electoral Calculus. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  6. "BBC News – Weaver Vale MP Mike Hall steps down for health reasons". bbc.co.uk.
  7. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 2)
  8. "Statement of Persons Nominated 2019" (PDF).
  9. "Weaver Vale parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
  10. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  11. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
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