Warley (UK Parliament constituency)

Warley is a constituency[n 1] in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The constituency was established in 1997, and has been represented since that date by John Spellar, a member of the Labour Party.[n 2]

Warley
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Warley in West Midlands
Outline map
Location of West Midlands within England
CountyWest Midlands
Electorate63,024 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsSmethwick, Brandhall, Langley Green
Current constituency
Created1997
Member of ParliamentJohn Spellar (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created fromWarley East, Warley West

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be expanded to include most of the Blackheath ward. The constituency name will be abolished and replaced by the re-established constituency of Smethwick, to be first contested at the 2024 general election.[2]

Members of Parliament edit

ElectionMember[3]Party
1997John SpellarLabour

Constituency profile edit

The constituency has a wide range of housing on the gently hilly West Midlands terrain, with fast transport links to Birmingham, Dudley and Wolverhampton. Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 significantly higher than the national average of 3.8%, at 7.7% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian however female unemployment, reflecting a central West Midlands pattern, perhaps with more women homemakers, unusually exceeded male unemployment at 10.1%.[4]

Boundaries edit

Map of current boundaries

Warley is one of four constituencies covering the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, covering the south and south-east of the borough. It covers much of the former County Borough of Warley, including the town of Smethwick as well as Brandhall and Langley Green.

It consists of The Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell wards of Abbey, Bristnall, Langley, Old Warley, St Paul's, Smethwick, and Soho and Victoria.

History edit

Creation and forerunners

The constituency was formed in 1997, and is for the most part the former Warley East constituency. John Spellar of the Labour Party has represented Warley since 1997, having previously represented Warley West. Warley East and Warley West had been held by Labour since their creation in 1974. Minor parts of the seat around Oldbury had been in the quite marginal Labour-Conservative seat of Oldbury and Halesowen before 1974.

Results of winning party

The 2015 result made the seat the 34th-safest of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.[5] The elections have to date resulted in the Labour incumbent, Spellar, gaining more than 50% of votes cast.

Opposition parties

The candidates fielded by the Conservative Party have taken the runner-up position since the seat's creation. Third place has varied between two parties to date in the seat's history.

Turnout

Turnout has ranged from 54.1% in 2001 to 65.1% in 1997.

Elections edit

Elections in the 2010s edit

General election 2019: Warley[6][7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourJohn Spellar 21,901 58.8 –8.4
ConservativeChandra Kanneganti10,39027.9+1.7
Brexit PartyMichael Cooper2,4696.6New
Liberal DemocratsBryan Manley-Green1,5884.3+2.4
GreenKathryn Downs8912.4+1.0
Majority11,51130.9–10.1
Turnout37,23959.7–3.4
Labour holdSwing–5.1
General election 2017: Warley[8][9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourJohn Spellar 27,004 67.2 +9.0
ConservativeAnthony Mangnall10,52126.2+6.9
UKIPDarryl Magher1,3493.4–13.1
Liberal DemocratsBryan Manley-Green7771.9–0.2
GreenMark Redding5551.4–2.5
Majority16,48341.0+2.1
Turnout40,20663.1+3.8
Labour holdSwing+9.0
General election 2015: Warley[10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourJohn Spellar 22,012 58.2 +5.3
ConservativeTom Williams7,31019.3–5.5
UKIPPete Durnell6,23716.5+9.7
GreenRobert Buckman1,4653.9New
Liberal DemocratsCatherine Smith8052.1–13.4
Majority14,70238.9+10.8
Turnout37,82959.3–1.3
Labour holdSwing+5.4
General election 2010: Warley[11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourJohn Spellar 20,240 52.9 –2.0
ConservativeJas Parmar9,48424.8+1.9
Liberal DemocratsEdward Keating[12]5,92915.5+2.3
UKIPNigel Harvey2,6176.8+4.7
Majority10,75628.1–4.9
Turnout38,27060.6+3.4
Labour holdSwing–1.9

Elections in the 2000s edit

General election 2005: Warley[13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourJohn Spellar 17,462 54.4 –6.1
ConservativeKaren Bissell7,31522.80.0
Liberal DemocratsTony Ferguson4,27713.3+2.7
BNPSimon Smith1,7615.5New
Socialist LabourMalcolm Connigale6372.0–4.2
UKIPDavid Matthews6352.0New
Majority10,14731.6–6.1
Turnout32,08757.1+3.0
Labour holdSwing–3.0
General election 2001: Warley[14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourJohn Spellar 19,007 60.5 –3.3
ConservativeMark Pritchard7,15722.8–1.3
Liberal DemocratsRon Cockings3,31510.6+0.9
Socialist LabourHarbhajan Dardi1,9366.2New
Majority11,85037.7–2.0
Turnout31,41554.1–10.9
Labour holdSwing

Elections in the 1990s edit

General election 1997: Warley[15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LabourJohn Spellar 24,813 63.8
ConservativeChristopher Pincher9,36224.1
Liberal DemocratsJeremy Pursehouse3,7779.7
ReferendumKrishna Gamre9412.4
Majority15,45139.7
Turnout38,89365.0
Labour win (new seat)

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. ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – West Midlands | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  3. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 1)
  4. ^ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  5. ^ "Labour Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Statement of persons nominated - Warley" (PDF). Sandwell Council. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  7. ^ "Warley parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Statement of persons nominated - Warley". Sandwell Council. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  9. ^ "Warley results". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  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 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. ^ [1] Warley (UK Parliament constituency)
  13. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

52°29′N 1°59′W / 52.48°N 1.99°W / 52.48; -1.99