Dudley (constituency)
UK Parliament constituency (1832–1974, 2024 onwards)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dudley is a constituency centred on the town of Dudley in the West Midlands, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Sonia Kumar, a member of the Labour Party.[n 1] It returns one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.
| Dudley | |
|---|---|
| Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
 Interactive map of boundaries from 2024 | |
Boundary of Dudley in West Midlands region | |
| County | West Midlands |
| Electorate | 71,083 (2023)[1] |
| Major settlements | Dudley, Sedgley, Dixon's Green |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 2024 |
| Member of Parliament | Sonia Kumar (Labour) |
| Seats | One |
| Created from |
|
| 1832–1974 | |
| Seats | One |
| Created from | Worcestershire |
| Replaced by | |
The constituency existed between 1832 and 1974 and was re-established by the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for the 2024 general election, It is based on the abolished Dudley North, with the addition of one ward from the also abolished Dudley South constituency.[2]
Constituency profile
Dudley is an urban and suburban constituency centred on the town of Dudley, part of the Black Country area of the West Midlands. Neighbourhoods outside the town centre covered by the constituency include Brockmoor, Pensnett, Gornal and Sedgley. Dudley grew rapidly during the Industrial Revolution as a centre for ironworking and coal mining. The constituency has high levels of deprivation, with Dudley town centre and the suburbs to its south-west falling within the 10% most-deprived areas in England, whilst Gornal and Sedgley are comparatively wealthier.[3] House prices in the constituency are generally low.[4]
Compared to the rest of the country, residents of the constituency have low levels of education, income and professional employment.[4] White people made up 80% of the population at the 2021 census, with Asians (primarily Pakistanis) forming the largest ethnic minority group at 11%.[5] At the local council, most of the constituency is represented by the Labour Party, although Conservatives were elected in the wealthier outer suburbs. Voters in the constituency overwhelmingly supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum; an estimated 71% voted in favour of Brexit, the 11th-highest rate out of 650 constituencies nationwide according to Electoral Calculus.[4]
Boundaries
1918–1950: The County Borough of Dudley, and the parish of Dudley Castle Hill.
1950–1974: The County Borough of Dudley, and the Borough of Stourbridge.
2024–present: The Metropolitan Borough of Dudley wards of Brockmoor and Pensnett, Castle and Priory, Gornal, St James's, St Thomas's, Sedgley, and Upper Gornal and Woodsetton (as they existed on 1 December 2020).[6]
The re-established seat comprises the whole of the previous Dudley North constituency with the addition of the Brockmoor and Pensnett ward from Dudley South (abolished), thus bringing the electorate within the permitted range.
History
The borough of Dudley returned two members to Parliament in 1295, Benedict Andrew and Ralph Clerk de Duddlegh, but not to any subsequent one.[7]
The constituency was created by the Reform Act 1832 for the 1832 general election. It was abolished for the February 1974 general election, when it was replaced by the new Dudley East and Dudley West constituencies, which expanded beyond the town's historic boundaries to include Coseley and part of Sedgley in Dudley East (previously in the old Bilston constituency), as well as Kingswinford, Brierley Hill, and the remainder of Sedgley in Dudley West. All of these areas had been incorporated into the Dudley borough in 1966.[8]
In the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, it was recommended that Dudley should return as a constituency, replacing Dudley North.
Members of Parliament
MPs 1832–1974
MPs since 2024
Dudley North prior to 2024
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Sonia Kumar | Labour | |
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Sonia Kumar | 12,215 | 34.1 | +3.2 | |
| Conservative | Marco Longhi | 10,315 | 28.8 | −34.3 | |
| Reform | Andrew Southall | 9,442 | 26.4 | N/A | |
| Green | Zia Qari | 1,154 | 3.2 | +1.1 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Ian Flynn | 1,056 | 3.0 | −0.8 | |
| Independent | Shakeela Bibi | 857 | 2.4 | N/A | |
| Workers Party | Aftab Hussain | 621 | 1.7 | N/A | |
| Independent | Dharmanand Mortha | 136 | 0.4 | N/A | |
| Majority | 1,900 | 5.3 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 35,796 | 51.0 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 70,151 | ||||
| Labour win (new seat) | |||||
- This is a new seat. Marco Longhi (Conservative) was the incumbent MP for Dudley North before the seat's abolition as part of the 2023 boundary review.
Elections in the 1970s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | John Gilbert | 29,499 | 50.29 | ||
| Conservative | Donald Williams | 29,163 | 49.71 | ||
| Majority | 336 | 0.58 | |||
| Turnout | 58,662 | 71.92 | |||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1960s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | George Wigg | 30,250 | 53.20 | ||
| Conservative | David Howell | 19,980 | 35.02 | ||
| Liberal | Robert CS Fowler | 6,829 | 11.97 | New | |
| Majority | 10,270 | 18.18 | |||
| Turnout | 56,879 | 76.53 | |||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | George Wigg | 32,693 | 59.1 | +5.9 | |
| Conservative | Donald Williams | 22,671 | 40.9 | +5.9 | |
| Majority | 10,022 | 18.2 | 0.0 | ||
| Turnout | 55,364 | 73.9 | −2.6 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Donald Williams | 28,016 | 58.1 | +17.2 | |
| Labour | John Gilbert | 16,360 | 34.0 | −25.1 | |
| Liberal | Derek Bird | 3,809 | 7.9 | New | |
| Majority | 11,656 | 24.1 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 48,185 | 63.5 | −10.4 | ||
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +21.2 | |||
Elections in the 1950s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | George Wigg | 32,856 | 54.62 | ||
| Conservative | Roy Farran | 19,825 | 32.96 | ||
| Liberal | Bertram Samuel White | 7,470 | 12.42 | New | |
| Majority | 13,031 | 21.66 | |||
| Turnout | 60,151 | 86.83 | |||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | George Wigg | 34,376 | 58.36 | ||
| Conservative | Harold Soref | 24,525 | 41.64 | ||
| Majority | 9,851 | 16.72 | |||
| Turnout | 58,901 | 83.65 | |||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | George Wigg | 31,384 | 54.87 | ||
| Conservative | Sir Thomas Douglas Wilson, 4th Baronet | 20,333 | 35.55 | ||
| Liberal | Wallace Lawler | 5,479 | 9.58 | New | |
| Majority | 11,051 | 19.32 | |||
| Turnout | 57,196 | 79.83 | |||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | George Wigg | 31,826 | 54.94 | ||
| Conservative | Frank E. Spiller | 26,101 | 45.06 | ||
| Majority | 5,725 | 9.88 | |||
| Turnout | 57,927 | 79.54 | |||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1940s
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 and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
- Conservative: Dudley Joel
- Labour: Leonard Freedman[17]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Cyril Lloyd | 6,234 | 56.1 | +1.3 | |
| Independent | Noel Pemberton Billing | 4,869 | 43.9 | New | |
| Majority | 1,365 | 12.2 | +2.6 | ||
| Turnout | 11,103 | 34.7 | −40.6 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | George Wigg | 15,439 | 62.77 | ||
| Conservative | Tatton Brinton | 9,156 | 37.23 | ||
| Majority | 6,283 | 25.54 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 24,595 | 73.81 | |||
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1930s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Dudley Joel | 16,009 | 56.94 | ||
| Labour | W Hodgkiss | 12,105 | 43.06 | ||
| Majority | 3,904 | 13.88 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 28,114 | 80.75 | |||
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Dudley Joel | 13,958 | 54.81 | ||
| Labour | William Wedgwood Benn | 11,509 | 45.19 | ||
| Majority | 2,449 | 9.62 | |||
| Turnout | 25,467 | 75.29 | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1920s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | James Wilson | 10,244 | 50.7 | +10.9 | |
| C | Unionist | Arthur Griffith-Boscawen | 9,968 | 49.3 | −10.9 |
| Majority | 276 | 1.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 20,212 | 79.9 | +19.5 | ||
| Registered electors | 25,305 | ||||
| Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +10.9 | |||
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Cyril Lloyd | 12,876 | 60.2 | 0.0 | |
| Labour | James Wilson | 8,522 | 39.8 | 0.0 | |
| Majority | 4,354 | 20.4 | 0.0 | ||
| Turnout | 21,398 | 82.5 | +22.1 | ||
| Registered electors | 25,923 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | 0.0 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Cyril Lloyd | 10,227 | 49.4 | −10.8 | |
| Liberal | Francis James Ballard | 8,510 | 41.1 | New | |
| Labour | Richard Fowler Smith | 1,958 | 9.5 | −30.3 | |
| Majority | 1,717 | 8.3 | −12.1 | ||
| Turnout | 20,696 | 78.9 | −3.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 26,257 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | +9.8 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Cyril Lloyd | 11,199 | 52.1 | +2.7 | |
| Labour | Oliver Baldwin | 10,314 | 47.9 | +38.4 | |
| Majority | 885 | 4.2 | −4.1 | ||
| Turnout | 21,513 | 80.2 | +1.3 | ||
| Registered electors | 26,826 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | −17.9 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Oliver Baldwin | 13,551 | 47.6 | −0.3 | |
| Unionist | Cyril Lloyd | 10,508 | 36.9 | −15.2 | |
| Liberal | Thomas Illingworth Clough | 4,399 | 15.5 | New | |
| Majority | 3,043 | 10.7 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 28,458 | 81.6 | +1.4 | ||
| Registered electors | 34,883 | ||||
| Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +7.6 | |||
Elections in the 1910s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Arthur George Hooper | 8,342 | 50.6 | −1.8 | |
| Conservative | Arthur Griffith-Boscawen | 8,155 | 49.4 | +1.8 | |
| Majority | 187 | 1.2 | −3.6 | ||
| Turnout | 16,497 | 94.4 | +4.2 | ||
| Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Arthur Griffith-Boscawen | 8,260 | 51.1 | +1.7 | |
| Liberal | Arthur George Hooper | 7,900 | 48.9 | −1.7 | |
| Majority | 360 | 2.2 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 16,160 | 92.4 | −2.0 | ||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.7 | |||
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;
- Unionist: Arthur Griffith-Boscawen
- Liberal: Gilbert Beyfus
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Unionist | Arthur Griffith-Boscawen | 9,126 | 60.2 | +9.1 |
| Labour | William Bridgland Steer | 6,046 | 39.8 | New | |
| Majority | 3,080 | 20.4 | +18.2 | ||
| Turnout | 15,174 | 60.4 | −32.0 | ||
| Registered electors | 25,103 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | +9.1 | |||
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. | |||||
Elections in the 1900s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Brooke Robinson | 6,461 | 52.4 | −0.6 | |
| Lib-Lab | William Belcher | 5,876 | 47.6 | +0.6 | |
| Majority | 585 | 4.8 | −1.2 | ||
| Turnout | 12,337 | 77.8 | −5.3 | ||
| Registered electors | 15,859 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −0.6 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Arthur George Hooper | 8,296 | 52.4 | +4.8 | |
| Conservative | Gilbert Claughton | 7,542 | 47.6 | −4.8 | |
| Majority | 754 | 4.8 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 15,838 | 90.2 | +12.4 | ||
| Registered electors | 17,564 | ||||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.8 | |||
Elections in the 1890s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Brooke Robinson | 6,668 | 54.3 | −4.5 | |
| Liberal | Howard Spensley | 5,619 | 45.7 | +4.5 | |
| Majority | 1,049 | 8.6 | −9.0 | ||
| Turnout | 12,287 | 80.3 | +6.4 | ||
| Registered electors | 15,303 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −4.5 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Brooke Robinson | 6,536 | 53.0 | −1.3 | |
| Liberal | Charles James Fleming | 5,795 | 47.0 | +1.3 | |
| Majority | 741 | 6.0 | −2.6 | ||
| Turnout | 12,331 | 83.1 | +2.8 | ||
| Registered electors | 14,831 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | -1.3 | |||
Elections in the 1880s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Henry Brinsley Sheridan | 6,948 | 62.5 | +7.3 | |
| Conservative | Alfred Waterman[27] | 4,163 | 37.5 | −7.3 | |
| Majority | 2,785 | 25.0 | +14.6 | ||
| Turnout | 11,111 | 74.1 | +10.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 15,000 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +7.3 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Henry Brinsley Sheridan | 6,377 | 55.0 | −7.5 | |
| Conservative | Brooke Robinson | 5,211 | 45.0 | +7.5 | |
| Majority | 1,166 | 10.0 | −15.0 | ||
| Turnout | 11,588 | 77.7 | +3.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 14,918 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | −7.5 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Brooke Robinson | 6,475 | 58.8 | +13.8 | |
| Liberal | Henry Brinsley Sheridan | 4,545 | 41.2 | −13.8 | |
| Majority | 1,930 | 17.6 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 11,020 | 73.9 | −3.8 | ||
| Registered electors | 14,918 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +13.8 | |||
Elections in the 1870s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Henry Brinsley Sheridan | 5,149 | 55.2 | N/A | |
| Conservative | Frederick Smith-Shenstone[28] | 4,181 | 44.8 | New | |
| Majority | 968 | 10.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 9,330 | 63.9 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 14,593 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |||
The election was declared void on petition, causing a by-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Henry Brinsley Sheridan | 5,607 | 53.4 | −1.8 | |
| Conservative | Noah Hingley | 4,889 | 46.6 | +1.8 | |
| Majority | 718 | 6.8 | −3.6 | ||
| Turnout | 10,496 | 71.9 | +8.0 | ||
| Registered electors | 14,593 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | −1.8 | |||
Elections in the 1860s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Henry Brinsley Sheridan | 526 | 65.7 | +11.2 | |
| Conservative | Francis Wyatt Truscott[29] | 275 | 34.3 | −11.2 | |
| Majority | 251 | 31.4 | +22.4 | ||
| Turnout | 801 | 59.0 | −20.9 | ||
| Registered electors | 1,358 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +11.2 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Henry Brinsley Sheridan | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 11,847 | ||||
| Liberal hold | |||||
Elections in the 1850s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Benbow | 400 | 63.4 | N/A | |
| Radical | James Baldwin[30][31][32] | 231 | 36.6 | New | |
| Majority | 169 | 26.8 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 631 | 69.2 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 912 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Benbow's death caused a by-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Stafford Northcote | 346 | 99.1 | +35.7 | |
| Radical | James Baldwin | 3 | 0.9 | −35.7 | |
| Majority | 343 | 98.2 | +71.4 | ||
| Turnout | 349 | 38.5 | −30.7 | ||
| Registered electors | 907 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +35.7 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Henry Brinsley Sheridan | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 884 | ||||
| Independent gain from Conservative | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Henry Brinsley Sheridan | 432 | 54.5 | New | |
| Conservative | Charles Monck | 361 | 45.5 | New | |
| Majority | 71 | 9.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 793 | 79.9 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 992 | ||||
| Liberal gain from Independent | Swing | N/A | |||
Elections in the 1840s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Thomas Hawkes | 436 | 69.8 | +12.7 | |
| Whig | William Adams Smith | 189 | 30.2 | −12.7 | |
| Majority | 247 | 39.6 | +25.4 | ||
| Turnout | 625 | 64.4 | −15.5 | ||
| Registered electors | 971 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +12.7 | |||
Hawkes resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Benbow | 388 | 68.9 | −0.9 | |
| Radical | William Rawson | 175 | 31.1 | +0.9 | |
| Majority | 213 | 37.8 | −1.8 | ||
| Turnout | 563 | 61.8 | −2.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 911 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −0.9 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Benbow | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 791 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Elections in the 1830s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | John Campbell | 318 | 58.1 | ||
| Tory | Horace St Paul | 229 | 41.9 | ||
| Majority | 89 | 16.2 | |||
| Turnout | 547 | 81.6 | |||
| Registered electors | 670 | ||||
| Whig win (new seat) | |||||
Campbell was appointed as Attorney General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tory | Thomas Hawkes | 322 | 55.9 | +14.0 | |
| Whig | John Campbell | 254 | 44.1 | −14.0 | |
| Majority | 68 | 11.8 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 576 | 80.6 | −1.0 | ||
| Registered electors | 715 | ||||
| Tory gain from Whig | Swing | +14.0 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Thomas Hawkes | 360 | 56.3 | +14.4 | |
| Whig | John Forbes | 279 | 43.7 | −14.4 | |
| Majority | 81 | 12.6 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 639 | 87.9 | +6.3 | ||
| Registered electors | 727 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +14.4 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Thomas Hawkes | 385 | 57.1 | +0.8 | |
| Whig | William Merryweather Turner | 289 | 42.9 | −0.8 | |
| Majority | 96 | 14.2 | +1.6 | ||
| Turnout | 674 | 79.9 | −8.0 | ||
| Registered electors | 844 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.8 | |||
See also
Notes
- 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.