Rochdale (UK Parliament constituency)
Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1832 onwards
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rochdale is a constituency, which has been represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by Paul Waugh of Labour Co-op since 2024. Rochdale has elected one Member of Parliament (MP) in every general election since its creation in 1832.[a]
| Rochdale | |
|---|---|
| County constituency for the House of Commons | |
Boundary of Rochdale in North West England | |
| County | Greater Manchester |
| Electorate | 71,697 (2023)[1] |
| Major settlements | Rochdale, Littleborough, Wardle |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 1950 |
| Member of Parliament | Paul Waugh (Labour Co-op) |
| Seats | One |
| 1832–1950 | |
| Seats | One |
| Type of constituency | Borough constituency |
| Created from | Lancashire |
Boundaries
Historic
As there were no township boundaries in 1832, the original constituency was defined as a circular area in a radius of three-quarters of a mile from the old market place in Rochdale. In 1868 the boundary was extended to include Wardleworth, Spotland, Wuerdle, Belfield, Newbold, Buersill, and Marland.[2]
1918–1950: The County Borough of Rochdale
1950–1983: As prior but with redrawn boundaries
1983–1997: The Borough of Rochdale wards of Balderstone, Brimrod and Deeplish, Castleton, Central and Falinge, Healey, Newbold, Norden and Bamford, Smallbridge and Wardleworth, and Spotland
1997–2010: The Borough of Rochdale wards of Balderstone, Brimrod and Deeplish, Central and Falinge, Healey, Littleborough, Newbold, Smallbridge and Wardleworth, Spotland, and Wardle
2010–2024: The Borough of Rochdale wards of Balderstone and Kirkholt, Central Rochdale, Healey, Kingsway, Littleborough Lakeside, Milkstone and Deeplish, Milnrow and Newhey, Smallbridge and Firgrove, Spotland and Falinge, and Wardle and West Littleborough
Current
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency was reduced in size to bring the electorate within the permitted range by transferring the Spotland and Falinge ward (as it existed on 1 December 2020) to the new constituency of Heywood and Middleton North.[3]
History
Rochdale was one of the constituencies created by the Reform Act 1832, and was a Labour Party/Liberal Democrat marginal for many years, although it was held by the Conservatives for part of the 1950s, until a 1958 by-election.
It was held for two decades by Cyril Smith, first of the Liberal Party and then of the Liberal Democrats. He won a by-election in 1972, taking the seat from Labour, and held it until his retirement in 1992. After Smith's death it emerged that he had been a serial child abuser.[4]
Since Smith's retirement, contests have been tighter. The Liberal Democrats held the seat with Liz Lynne at the 1992 general election, but lost to Labour's Lorna Fitzsimons at the 1997 election. However, the Liberal Democrats regained the seat at the 2005 election, with Paul Rowen.
In 2010, the town was brought to national attention when the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown was caught on a tape recording describing a local woman, Gillian Duffy, as a "bigot" after having a conversation with her while campaigning (later described as Bigotgate by the UK media). Despite this unfavourable publicity, Labour still managed to narrowly win the seat from the Liberal Democrats; and in 2015 achieved their highest majority in the seat's history, with the Liberal Democrats falling to fourth place.
Constituency profile
The constituency is one of two covering the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. It contains most of the town of Rochdale itself as well as Littleborough, Wardle and some of the surrounding rural area.
For the 2010 UK general election, the seat gained the villages of Milnrow and Newhey from Oldham East and Saddleworth and lost the areas of Sudden, Marland, and part of Norden to Heywood and Middleton, a 19.16% boundary change. Those changes made the seat a notional Labour victory in the Rallings and Thrasher figures[5] which were used by the Press Association for determining gains, losses and swings. However, other predictions by political commentator Martin Baxter[6][failed verification] showed the seat maintaining a narrow Lib Dem majority. The Times Guide to the House of Commons 2010 estimated that had the seat been fought on these boundaries in 2005, Labour would have won the seat with approximately 40.9% of the vote to the Liberal Democrats' 40.7%.[7]
Demographics
The population was recorded as 114,386 in 2021. The ethnic composition was 62.7% White, 29.6% Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh, and 3.1% Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African.[8] The religious composition was 38.1% Christian, 30.5% Muslim, and 0.9% other. 26.0% claimed no religious affiliation.[8]
Members of Parliament
Results
Elections in the 2020s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour Co-op | Paul Waugh | 13,027 | 32.8 | −18.0 | |
| Workers Party | George Galloway | 11,587 | 29.2 | N/A | |
| Reform | Michael Howard | 6,773 | 17.1 | +8.9 | |
| Conservative | Paul Ellison | 4,273 | 10.8 | −20.8 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Andy Kelly | 2,816 | 7.1 | −0.4 | |
| Green | Martyn Savin | 1,212 | 3.1 | +1.2 | |
| Majority | 1,440 | 3.6 | –15.7 | ||
| Turnout | 39,688 | 55.7 | –3.0 | ||
| Registered electors | 71,264 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Vote share changes for the 2024 election are compared to the notional results from the 2019 election, not the 2024 by-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workers Party | George Galloway | 12,335 | 39.7 | N/A | |
| Independent | David Tully | 6,638 | 21.3 | N/A | |
| Conservative | Paul Ellison | 3,731 | 12.0 | −19.2 | |
| Labour[b] | Azhar Ali | 2,402 | 7.7 | −43.9 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Iain Donaldson | 2,164 | 7.0 | ±0.0 | |
| Reform | Simon Danczuk | 1,968 | 6.3 | −1.9 | |
| Independent | William Howarth | 523 | 1.7 | N/A | |
| Independent | Mark Coleman | 455 | 1.5 | N/A | |
| Green[c] | Guy Otten | 436 | 1.4 | −0.7 | |
| Independent | Michael Howarth | 246 | 0.8 | N/A | |
| Monster Raving Loony | Ravin Rodent Subortna | 209 | 0.7 | N/A | |
| Majority | 5,697 | 18.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 31,107 | 39.7 | −20.4 | ||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Workers Party gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 2010s
| 2019 notional result[26] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Vote | % | |
| Labour | 21,379 | 50.8 | |
| Conservative | 13,270 | 31.6 | |
| Brexit Party | 3,451 | 8.2 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 3,168 | 7.5 | |
| Green | 790 | 1.9 | |
| Turnout | 42,058 | 58.7 | |
| Electorate | 71,697 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Tony Lloyd | 24,475 | 51.6 | –6.4 | |
| Conservative | Atifa Shah | 14,807 | 31.2 | +2.8 | |
| Brexit Party | Chris Green | 3,867 | 8.2 | N/A | |
| Liberal Democrats | Andy Kelly | 3,312 | 7.0 | –1.0 | |
| Green | Sarah Croke | 986 | 2.1 | N/A | |
| Majority | 9,668 | 20.4 | –9.2 | ||
| Turnout | 47,447 | 60.1 | –4.0 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | –4.6 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Tony Lloyd | 29,035 | 58.0 | +11.9 | |
| Conservative | Jane Howard | 14,216 | 28.4 | +11.4 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Andy Kelly | 4,027 | 8.0 | –2.3 | |
| UKIP | Christopher Baksa | 1,641 | 3.3 | –15.5 | |
| Independent | Simon Danczuk | 883 | 1.8 | N/A | |
| Greater Manchester Homeless Voice | Andy Littlewood | 242 | 0.5 | N/A | |
| Majority | 14,819 | 29.6 | +2.3 | ||
| Turnout | 50,044 | 64.1 | +6.7 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Simon Danczuk | 20,961 | 46.1 | +9.7 | |
| UKIP | Mohammed Masud | 8,519 | 18.8 | +14.4 | |
| Conservative | Azi Ahmed | 7,742 | 17.0 | –1.1 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Andy Kelly | 4,667 | 10.3 | –24.1 | |
| Rochdale First | Farooq Ahmed | 1,535 | 3.4 | N/A | |
| Green | Mark Hollinrake | 1,382 | 3.0 | N/A | |
| National Front | Kevin Bryan | 433 | 1.0 | –3.9 | |
| Islam Zinda Baad Platform | Mohammed Salim | 191 | 0.4 | –0.8 | |
| Majority | 12,442 | 27.3 | +25.3 | ||
| Turnout | 45,430 | 57.4 | –0.7 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | –2.3 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Simon Danczuk | 16,699 | 36.4 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | Paul Rowen | 15,810 | 34.4 | ||
| Conservative | Mudasir Dean | 8,305 | 18.1 | ||
| National Front | Chris Jackson | 2,236 | 4.9 | ||
| UKIP | Colin Denby | 1,999 | 4.4 | ||
| Islam Zinda Baad Platform | Mohammed Salim | 545 | 1.2 | ||
| Independent | John Whitehead | 313 | 0.7 | ||
| Majority | 889 | 2.0 | |||
| Turnout | 45,907 | 58.1 | |||
| Labour win (new boundaries) | |||||
The Times Guide to the House of Commons 2010 reported that based on the notional 2005 result on the new boundaries the Labour vote had fallen by 4.5% and the Liberal Democrat vote had fallen by 6.1%, while the Conservative voteshare increased by 7.6%.[7]
Elections in the 2000s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Paul Rowen | 16,787 | 41.1 | +6.2 | |
| Labour | Lorna Fitzsimons | 16,345 | 40.0 | –9.2 | |
| Conservative | Khalid Hussain | 4,270 | 10.5 | –2.9 | |
| BNP | Derek Adams | 1,773 | 4.3 | N/A | |
| UKIP | John Whittaker | 499 | 1.2 | N/A | |
| Green | Samir Chatterjee | 448 | 1.1 | –0.7 | |
| Islam Zinda Baad Platform | Mohammed Salim | 361 | 0.9 | N/A | |
| Veritas | Carl Faulkner | 353 | 0.9 | N/A | |
| Majority | 444 | 1.1 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 40,834 | 58.4 | +1.7 | ||
| Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | +7.7 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Lorna Fitzsimons | 19,406 | 49.2 | –0.2 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Paul Rowen | 13,751 | 34.9 | –5.1 | |
| Conservative | Elaina Cohen | 5,274 | 13.4 | +4.6 | |
| Green | Nick Harvey | 728 | 1.8 | N/A | |
| Independent | Mohammed Salim | 253 | 0.6 | +0.2 | |
| Majority | 5,655 | 14.3 | +4.9 | ||
| Turnout | 39,412 | 56.7 | –13.3 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1990s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Lorna Fitzsimons | 23,758 | 49.4 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | Liz Lynne | 19,213 | 40.0 | ||
| Conservative | Mervyn Turnberg | 4,237 | 8.8 | ||
| BNP | Gary Bergin | 653 | 1.4 | ||
| Islam Zinda Baad Platform | Mohammed Salim | 221 | 0.5 | ||
| Majority | 4,545 | 9.4 | |||
| Turnout | 48,082 | 70.0 | |||
| Labour win (new boundaries) | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Liz Lynne | 22,776 | 42.8 | –0.6 | |
| Labour | David Williams | 20,937 | 39.4 | +1.4 | |
| Conservative | Duncan Goldie-Scott | 8,626 | 16.2 | –2.4 | |
| BNP | Ken Henderson | 620 | 1.2 | N/A | |
| Natural Law | Vincent J. Lucker | 221 | 0.4 | N/A | |
| Majority | 1,839 | 3.4 | –2.0 | ||
| Turnout | 53,180 | 76.5 | +1.9 | ||
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | –1.0 | |||
Elections in the 1980s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Cyril Smith | 22,245 | 43.4 | –2.7 | |
| Labour | David Williams | 19,466 | 38.0 | +7.9 | |
| Conservative | Clive Condie | 9,561 | 18.6 | –3.8 | |
| Majority | 2,779 | 5.4 | –10.6 | ||
| Turnout | 51,272 | 74.6 | +3.8 | ||
| Liberal hold | Swing | –5.3 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Cyril Smith | 21,858 | 46.1 | ||
| Labour | Valerie Broom | 14,271 | 30.1 | ||
| Conservative | Alan Fearn | 10,616 | 22.4 | ||
| National Front | Peter Barker | 463 | 1.0 | ||
| Unemployed Party | Peter Courtney | 204 | 0.4 | ||
| Majority | 7,587 | 16.0 | |||
| Turnout | 47,412 | 70.8 | |||
| Liberal win (new boundaries) | |||||
Elections in the 1970s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Cyril Smith | 22,172 | 45.03 | +2.37 | |
| Labour | J Connell | 16,878 | 34.28 | −2.53 | |
| Conservative | I S Picton | 9,494 | 19.28 | +2.85 | |
| National Front | S Merrick | 690 | 1.40 | 2.69 | |
| Majority | 5,295 | 10.75 | +4.90 | ||
| Turnout | 49,234 | 73.66 | +3.38 | ||
| Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Cyril Smith | 20,092 | 42.66 | −6.45 | |
| Labour | J Connell | 17,339 | 36.81 | +5.00 | |
| Conservative | R J de B Young | 7,740 | 16.43 | +2.85 | |
| National Front | M W Sellors | 1,927 | 4.09 | +0.43 | |
| Majority | 2,753 | 5.85 | −11.45 | ||
| Turnout | 47,098 | 70.28 | −7.07 | ||
| Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Cyril Smith | 25,266 | 49.11 | +6.82 | |
| Labour | L F Cunliffe | 16,367 | 31.81 | +0.69 | |
| Conservative | L Green | 7,933 | 15.42 | −2.24 | |
| National Front | M W Sellors | 1,885 | 3.66 | N/A | |
| Majority | 8,899 | 17.3 | +6.13 | ||
| Turnout | 49,234 | 73.66 | +3.38 | ||
| Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Cyril Smith | 19,296 | 42.29 | +11.89 | |
| Labour | L F Cunliffe | 14,203 | 31.12 | −10.45 | |
| Conservative | D A Tripper | 8,060 | 17.66 | −10.37 | |
| Independent | J Merrick | 4,074 | 8.93 | N/A | |
| Majority | 5,093 | 11.17 | 0.00 | ||
| Turnout | 45,633 | 69.06 | −3.71 | ||
| Liberal gain from Labour | Swing | +11.17 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Jack McCann | 19,247 | 41.57 | −10.82 | |
| Liberal | Cyril Smith | 14,076 | 30.40 | +11.13 | |
| Conservative | M Andrew | 12,978 | 28.03 | −0.30 | |
| Majority | 5,171 | 11.17 | −12.89 | ||
| Turnout | 46,301 | 72.77 | −6.19 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1960s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Jack McCann | 24,481 | 52.39 | +5.70 | |
| Conservative | Edward G.L. Collins | 13,239 | 28.33 | +3.96 | |
| Liberal | Nancy Seear | 9,004 | 19.27 | –9.67 | |
| Majority | 11,242 | 24.06 | |||
| Turnout | 46,724 | 78.96 | |||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Jack McCann | 22,927 | 46.69 | +5.22 | |
| Liberal | Thomas Lyrian Hobday | 14,212 | 28.94 | –7.29 | |
| Conservative | Tom Normanton | 11,968 | 24.37 | +2.07 | |
| Majority | 8,715 | 17.75 | |||
| Turnout | 49,107 | 82.26 | |||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1950s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Jack McCann | 21,689 | 41.47 | –6.98 | |
| Liberal | Ludovic Kennedy | 18,949 | 36.23 | N/A | |
| Conservative | Tom Normanton | 11,665 | 22.30 | –29.25 | |
| Majority | 2,740 | 5.24 | |||
| Turnout | 52,303 | 85.47 | |||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Jack McCann | 22,133 | 44.66 | −3.79 | |
| Liberal | Ludovic Kennedy | 17,603 | 35.52 | N/A | |
| Conservative | John E. Parkinson | 9,827 | 19.83 | −31.72 | |
| Majority | 4,530 | 9.14 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 49,563 | ||||
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +14.0 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Wentworth Schofield | 26,518 | 51.55 | +1.14 | |
| Labour | Jack McCann | 24,928 | 48.45 | −1.14 | |
| Majority | 1,590 | 3.10 | +2.28 | ||
| Turnout | 51,446 | 82.8 | −2.9 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +1.1 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Wentworth Schofield | 27,797 | 50.41 | ||
| Labour | Joseph Hale | 27,343 | 49.59 | ||
| Majority | 454 | 0.82 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 55,140 | 85.66 | |||
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Joseph Hale | 25,484 | 44.9 | ||
| Conservative | Wentworth Schofield | 21,208 | 37.4 | ||
| Liberal | Roger Fulford | 10,042 | 17.7 | ||
| Majority | 4,276 | 7.5 | |||
| Turnout | 56,734 | 87.90 | |||
| Labour win (new boundaries) | |||||
Elections in the 1940s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Hyacinth Morgan | 22,047 | 44.89 | ||
| Conservative | Edward May Nicol | 16,852 | 34.31 | ||
| Liberal | Charles Gordon Cummins Harvey | 10,211 | 20.79 | ||
| Majority | 5,195 | 10.58 | |||
| Turnout | 49,110 | 80.68 | |||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Hyacinth Morgan | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
| Labour hold | |||||
Elections in the 1930s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | William Kelly | 22,281 | 41.20 | +8.61 | |
| Conservative | W. Gordon Murray | 20,486 | 37.88 | –7.18 | |
| Liberal | Elliott Dodds | 11,311 | 20.92 | –1.43 | |
| Majority | 1,795 | 3.32 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 54,078 | 84.69 | |||
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Thomas Jesson | 25,346 | 45.06 | ||
| Labour | William Kelly | 18,329 | 32.59 | ||
| Liberal | Elliott Dodds | 12,572 | 22.35 | ||
| Majority | 7,017 | 12.48 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 56,247 | 88.79 | |||
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1920s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | William Kelly | 22,060 | 40.2 | +6.4 | |
| Liberal | Ramsay Muir | 16,957 | 30.8 | –2.7 | |
| Unionist | John Haslam | 15,962 | 29.0 | –3.7 | |
| Majority | 5,103 | 9.4 | +9.1 | ||
| Turnout | 54,979 | 87.6 | –2.7 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | +4.5 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | William Kelly | 14,609 | 33.8 | +1.2 | |
| Liberal | Ramsay Muir | 14,492 | 33.5 | –2.9 | |
| Unionist | Thomas Jesson | 14,112 | 32.7 | +1.7 | |
| Majority | 117 | 0.3 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 43,213 | 90.3 | +2.5 | ||
| Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Ramsay Muir | 15,087 | 36.4 | +7.2 | |
| Labour | Stanley Burgess | 13,525 | 32.6 | –6.2 | |
| Unionist | Nicholas Cockshutt | 12,845 | 31.0 | –1.0 | |
| Majority | 1,562 | 3.8 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 41,457 | 87.8 | +0.7 | ||
| Liberal gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Stanley Burgess | 15,774 | 38.8 | +22.3 | |
| Unionist | Alfred Law | 13,006 | 32.0 | –15.6 | |
| Liberal | Ramsay Muir | 11,894 | 29.2 | +7.7 | |
| Majority | 2,768 | 6.8 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 40,674 | 87.1 | +22.6 | ||
| Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1910s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Unionist | Alfred Law | 14,299 | 47.6 | +6.7 |
| Liberal | Vivian Phillipps | 6,452 | 21.5 | –23.1 | |
| Labour | R. H. Tawney | 4,956 | 16.5 | N/A | |
| National Democratic | John Joseph Terrett | 2,358 | 7.8 | N/A | |
| National | John Fitzgerald Jones | 1,992 | 6.6 | N/A | |
| Majority | 7,847 | 26.1 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 30,057 | 64.5 | –23.5 | ||
| Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | ||||
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. | |||||
A General Election was due to take place by the end of 1915. By the summer of 1914, the following candidates had been adopted to contest that election. Due to the outbreak of war, the election never took place.
- British Socialist Party: Tom Kennedy[41]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Gordon Harvey | 5,850 | 44.6 | –4.2 | |
| Conservative | Nicholas Cockshutt | 5,373 | 40.9 | +2.3 | |
| Social Democratic Federation | Dan Irving | 1,901 | 14.5 | +1.9 | |
| Majority | 477 | 3.7 | –6.5 | ||
| Turnout | 11,124 | 88.0 | –5.5 | ||
| Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Gordon Harvey | 6,809 | 48.8 | +2.9 | |
| Conservative | William Boyd Boyd-Carpenter | 5,381 | 38.6 | +2.0 | |
| Social Democratic Federation | Dan Irving | 1,755 | 12.6 | N/A | |
| Majority | 1,428 | 10.2 | –1.1 | ||
| Turnout | 13,945 | 93.5 | +0.5 | ||
| Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1900s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Gordon Harvey | 5,912 | 45.9 | 0.0 | |
| Conservative | Clement Royds | 4,449 | 34.6 | −11.5 | |
| Independent Labour | S. G. Hobson | 2,506 | 19.5 | N/A | |
| Majority | 1,463 | 11.3 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 12,867 | 93.0 | +5.9 | ||
| Registered electors | 13,831 | ||||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.8 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Clement Royds | 5,204 | 46.1 | 0.0 | |
| Liberal | Gordon Harvey | 5,185 | 45.9 | +4.0 | |
| Labour Repr. Cmte. | C. Allen Clarke | 901 | 8.0 | –4.0 | |
| Majority | 19 | 0.2 | –4.0 | ||
| Turnout | 11,290 | 87.1 | –1.1 | ||
| Registered electors | 12,968 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −2.0 | |||
Elections in the 1890s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Clement Royds | 4,781 | 46.1 | +1.0 | |
| Liberal | William Leatham Bright | 4,359 | 41.9 | –13.0 | |
| Ind. Labour Party | George Barnes | 1,251 | 12.0 | N/A | |
| Majority | 422 | 4.2 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 10,391 | 88.2 | +2.4 | ||
| Registered electors | 11,782 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +7.0 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Thomas Potter | 5,460 | 54.9 | –2.7 | |
| Conservative | Clement Royds | 4,480 | 45.1 | +2.7 | |
| Majority | 980 | 9.8 | –5.4 | ||
| Turnout | 9,940 | 85.8 | +9.8 | ||
| Registered electors | 11,584 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | −2.7 | |||
Elections in the 1880s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Thomas Potter | 4,738 | 57.6 | +1.9 | |
| Conservative | John Marriott | 3,481 | 42.4 | –1.9 | |
| Majority | 1,257 | 15.2 | +3.8 | ||
| Turnout | 9,969 | 76.0 | –16.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 10,808 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +1.9 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Thomas Potter | 5,552 | 55.7 | −4.5 | |
| Conservative | Elliot Lees | 4,417 | 44.3 | +4.5 | |
| Majority | 1,135 | 11.4 | −9.0 | ||
| Turnout | 9,969 | 92.2 | +8.7 | ||
| Registered electors | 10,808 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | −4.5 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Thomas Potter | 5,614 | 60.2 | +7.3 | |
| Conservative | Richard Wilson Gamble[44] | 3,716 | 39.8 | −7.3 | |
| Majority | 1,898 | 20.4 | +14.6 | ||
| Turnout | 9,330 | 83.5 | +1.4 | ||
| Registered electors | 11,172 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +7.3 | |||
Elections in the 1870s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Thomas Potter | 4,498 | 52.9 | −4.8 | |
| Conservative | Richard Wilson Gamble[44] | 3,998 | 47.1 | +4.8 | |
| Majority | 500 | 5.8 | −9.6 | ||
| Turnout | 8,496 | 82.1 | −1.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 10,352 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | −4.8 | |||
Elections in the 1860s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Thomas Potter | 4,455 | 57.7 | N/A | |
| Conservative | William Whitworth Schofield[45] | 3,270 | 42.3 | N/A | |
| Majority | 1,185 | 15.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 7,725 | 83.2 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 9,280 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Thomas Potter | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 1,358 | ||||
| Liberal hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Thomas Potter | 646 | 56.6 | N/A | |
| Conservative | William Brett | 496 | 43.4 | N/A | |
| Majority | 150 | 13.2 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 1,142 | 84.1 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 1,358 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |||
- Caused by Cobden's death.
Elections in the 1850s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Richard Cobden | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 1,340 | ||||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Alexander Ramsay | 532 | 52.2 | +10.7 | |
| Radical | Edward Miall | 488 | 47.8 | −10.7 | |
| Majority | 44 | 4.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 1,020 | 81.3 | +3.4 | ||
| Registered electors | 1,255 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Radical | Swing | +10.7 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radical | Edward Miall | 529 | 58.5 | N/A | |
| Conservative | Alexander Ramsay | 375 | 41.5 | N/A | |
| Majority | 154 | 17.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 904 | 77.9 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 1,160 | ||||
| Radical hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Elections in the 1840s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radical | William Sharman Crawford | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 1,026 | ||||
| Radical hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radical | William Sharman Crawford | 399 | 54.4 | N/A | |
| Conservative | James Fenton[46] | 335 | 45.6 | −2.7 | |
| Majority | 64 | 8.8 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 734 | 72.2 | −12.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 1,016 | ||||
| Radical gain from Whig | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1830s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | John Fenton (MP for Rochdale) | 374 | 51.7 | +4.8 | |
| Conservative | Alexander Ramsay | 349 | 48.3 | −4.8 | |
| Majority | 25 | 3.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 723 | 84.4 | −8.8 | ||
| Registered electors | 857 | ||||
| Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.8 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | John Fenton (MP for Rochdale) | 383 | 53.0 | +6.1 | |
| Conservative | Clement Royds | 339 | 47.0 | −6.1 | |
| Majority | 44 | 6.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 722 | 84.2 | −9.0 | ||
| Registered electors | 857 | ||||
| Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.1 | |||
- Caused by Entwistle's death
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Entwistle (politician) | 369 | 53.1 | +14.2 | |
| Whig | John Fenton (MP for Rochdale) | 326 | 46.9 | +3.1 | |
| Majority | 43 | 6.2 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 695 | 93.2 | +1.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 746 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +5.6 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | John Fenton (MP for Rochdale) | 277 | 43.8 | ||
| Tory | John Entwistle (politician) | 246 | 38.9 | ||
| Radical | James Taylor | 109 | 17.2 | ||
| Majority | 31 | 4.9 | |||
| Turnout | 632 | 92.0 | |||
| Registered electors | 687 | ||||
| Whig win (new seat) | |||||
See also
Notes
- A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer). 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.