Bury and Radcliffe (UK Parliament constituency)

Bury and Radcliffe
Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyLancashire, until 1974;
Greater Manchester, from 1974
Major settlementsBury and Radcliffe
1950–1983
SeatsOne
Created fromBury
Heywood and Radcliffe
Replaced byBury North
Bury South

Bury and Radcliffe was a parliamentary constituency centred on the towns of Bury and Radcliffe in North West England. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a Conservative seat until the 1964 General Election when Labour won it for the first time.

The constituency was created for the 1950 general election, and abolished for the 1983 general election, when it was split into two new constituencies – Bury North and Bury South.

Boundaries

Bury and Radcliffe in Lancashire, boundaries used 1974-83

The County Borough of Bury, the Borough of Radcliffe, and the Urban District of Tottington.

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
1950 Walter Fletcher Conservative
1955 John Bidgood Conservative
1964 David Ensor Labour
1970 Michael Fidler Conservative
Oct 1974 Frank White Labour
1983 constituency abolished: see Bury North & Bury South

Election results

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Bury and Radcliffe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Walter Fletcher 26,485 45.8
Labour John Owen 25,705 44.4
Liberal Colin Hindley 5,662 9.8
Majority 780 1.4
Turnout 57,852 87.0
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1951: Bury and Radcliffe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Walter Fletcher 29,949 51.6 +5.8
Labour Lewis Wright 28,058 48.4 +4.0
Majority 1,891 3.2 +1.8
Turnout 58,007 86.5 −0.5
Conservative hold Swing +0.7
General election 1955: Bury and Radcliffe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Bidgood 28,080 53.6 +2.0
Labour Thomas Brennan 24,331 46.4 −2.0
Majority 3,749 7.2 +4.0
Turnout 52,411 80.2 −6.3
Conservative hold Swing +2.0
General election 1959: Bury and Radcliffe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Bidgood 28,623 53.7 +0.1
Labour Robert Patrick Walsh 24,715 46.3 −0.1
Majority 3,908 7.4 +0.2
Turnout 53,338 82.2 +2.0
Conservative hold Swing +0.1

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Bury and Radcliffe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Ensor 23,865 44.1 −2.2
Conservative John Bidgood 22,639 41.9 −11.8
Liberal Charles L. Scholes 7,589 14.0 New
Majority 1,226 2.2 N/A
Turnout 54,093 82.3 +0.1
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +4.8
General election 1966: Bury and Radcliffe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Ensor 26,769 49.8 +5.7
Conservative John Bidgood 22,298 41.5 −0.4
Liberal Charles L. Scholes 4,694 8.7 −5.3
Majority 4,471 8.3 +6.1
Turnout 53,761 81.3 −1.0
Labour hold Swing +3.1

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Bury and Radcliffe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Fidler 29,796 52.8 +11.3
Labour Dennis V. Hunt 26,592 47.2 −2.6
Majority 3,204 5.6 N/A
Turnout 56,388 75.6 −5.7
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +7.0
General election February 1974: Bury and Radcliffe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Fidler 31,113 50.3 −2.5
Labour Frank White 30,768 49.7 +2.5
Majority 345 0.6 −5.0
Turnout 61,881 80.2 +4.6
Conservative hold Swing −2.5
General election October 1974: Bury and Radcliffe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frank White 26,430 42.0 −7.7
Conservative Michael Fidler 25,988 41.3 −9.0
Liberal A. Benson 10,463 16.6 New
Majority 442 0.7 N/A
Turnout 62,891 80.8 +0.6
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +0.7
General election 1979: Bury and Radcliffe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frank White 29,194 45.3 +3.3
Conservative Peter J. Le Bosquet 29,156 45.2 +3.9
Liberal S. Vickers 5,711 8.9 −7.7
National Front J.M. Bridge 414 0.6 New
Majority 38 0.1 −0.6
Turnout 64,475 82.6 +1.8
Labour hold Swing

References