Redditch (UK Parliament constituency)

Redditch
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Boundaries since 2024
Map of constituency
Boundary of Redditch in West Midlands region
CountyWorcestershire
Electorate69,921 (2023)[1]
Current constituency
Created1997
Member of ParliamentChris Bloore (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created fromMid Worcestershire (part)

Redditch is a constituency[n 1] in Worcestershire, England, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Chris Bloore of the Labour Party.[n 2]

Boundaries

This seat is located in Worcestershire and contains the whole borough of Redditch and parts of the district of Wychavon.

1997–2024: The Borough of Redditch and the District of Wychavon ward of Inkberrow.

To make the size of the constituency's electorate suitable, the nearby villages of Inkberrow, Callow Hill, Cookhill, Feckenham, and Astwood Bank were included upon the constituency's creation in 1997. For the 2010 general election the seat was expanded slightly in line with the revised boundaries of the Inkberrow ward. The villages of Hanbury and the Lenches were included, and the constituency reclassified from Borough to County.[2]

2024–present: Under the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following as they existed on 1 December 2020:

  • The Borough of Redditch; and
  • The District of Wychavon wards of: Dodderhill; Harvington and Norton; Inkberrow.[3]

In addition to the Wychavon Borough ward of Inkberrow, which was already part of the seat, the two wards of Dodderhill to the north, and Harvington and Norton to the south, were transferred from Mid Worcestershire (renamed Droitwich and Evesham).

History

For the 1997 general election, the Boundary Commission recommended the creation of a separate constituency for the town of Redditch. From 1983 to 1997, the borough had comprised the majority of the Mid Worcestershire constituency, which was consequently subject to major changes. Before 1983 Redditch had been included in the Bromsgrove and Redditch seat (Bromsgrove prior to 1955). The Mid Worcestershire seat was a much safer seat for the Conservatives since 1997 than beforehand, due to the Labour-voting wards within Redditch being taken out and made into its own constituency as it is today. There are nonetheless some Conservative-voting wards in the town, and the rural areas of the constituency are also strongly Conservative.

Since its creation in 1997, Redditch has been a bellwether seat, electing MPs from the party that formed the government at each general election. Its first MP was Labour's Jacqui Smith who served as Home Secretary under Gordon Brown from 2007 to 2009 and was the first woman to hold the position. She resigned as Home Secretary in June 2009 following her involvement in the parliamentary expenses scandal and went on to lose the seat to Karen Lumley at the 2010 general election. Lumley was succeeded by fellow Conservative Rachel Maclean in 2017; who then lost the seat in 2024 to Chris Bloore of the Labour Party, with a slim majority of 1.8%.

Members of Parliament

Election Member[4] Party
1997 Jacqui Smith Labour
2010 Karen Lumley Conservative
2017 Rachel Maclean Conservative
2024 Chris Bloore Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Redditch[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Chris Bloore 14,810 34.9 +9.0
Conservative Rachel Maclean 14,021 33.1 −31.6
Reform UK Julie Allison 8,516 20.1 N/A
Liberal Democrats Andrew Fieldsend-Roxborough 2,165 5.1 −1.3
Green David Thain 2,098 5.0 +2.0
Workers Party Mohammed Amin 765 1.8 N/A
Majority 789 1.8 N/A
Turnout 42,375 59.7 −7.7
Registered electors 71,038
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +20.4

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Redditch[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rachel Maclean 27,907 63.3 +11.0
Labour Rebecca Jenkins 11,871 26.9 −9.1
Liberal Democrats Bruce Horton 2,905 6.6 +4.0
Green Claire Davies 1,384 3.1 +2.3
Majority 16,036 36.4 +20.1
Turnout 44,067 67.4 −2.9
Registered electors 65,391
Conservative hold Swing +10.0
General election 2017: Redditch[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rachel Maclean 23,652 52.3 +5.2
Labour Rebecca Blake 16,289 36.0 +4.9
NHA Neal Stote 2,239 5.0 New
UKIP Paul Swansborough 1,371 3.0 −13.2
Liberal Democrats Susan Juned 1,173 2.6 −0.5
Green Kevin White 380 0.8 −1.4
Independent Sally Woodhall 99 0.2 New
Majority 7,363 16.3 +0.3
Turnout 45,213 70.3 +2.8
Registered electors
Conservative hold Swing +0.15
General election 2015: Redditch[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Karen Lumley 20,771 47.1 +3.6
Labour Rebecca Blake 13,717 31.1 +0.8
UKIP Peter Jewell 7,133 16.2 +12.8
Liberal Democrats Hilary Myers 1,349 3.1 −14.5
Green Kevin White 960 2.2 +1.3
Independent Seth Colton 168 0.4 New
Majority 7,054 16.0 +2.8
Turnout 44,222 67.5 +3.3
Conservative hold Swing +1.4
General election 2010: Redditch[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Karen Lumley 19,138 43.5 +5.0
Labour Jacqui Smith 13,317 30.3 −13.4
Liberal Democrats Nicholas Lane 7,750 17.6 +3.2
UKIP Anne Davis 1,497 3.4 0.0
BNP Andy Ingram 1,394 3.2 New
Green Kevin White 393 0.9 New
English Democrat Vincent Schittone 255 0.6 New
Christian Scott Beverley 101 0.2 New
Independent Paul Swansborough 100 0.2 New
Independent Derek Fletcher 73 0.2 New
Majority 5,821 13.2 N/A
Turnout 44,018 64.2 +1.4
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +9.2

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Redditch[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jacqui Smith 18,012 44.7 −0.9
Conservative Karen Lumley 15,296 38.0 −0.9
Liberal Democrats Nigel Hicks 5,602 13.9 +3.6
UKIP John Paul Ison 1,381 3.4 0.0
Majority 2,716 6.7 0.0
Turnout 40,291 62.8 +3.6
Labour hold Swing 0.0
General election 2001: Redditch[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jacqui Smith 16,899 45.6 −4.2
Conservative Karen Lumley 14,415 38.9 +2.8
Liberal Democrats Michael Ashall 3,808 10.3 −0.7
UKIP George Flynn 1,259 3.4 New
Green Richard Armstrong 651 1.8 New
Majority 2,484 6.7 −7.0
Turnout 37,032 59.2 −14.3
Labour hold Swing -3.5

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Redditch[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jacqui Smith 22,280 49.8
Conservative Anthea McIntyre 16,155 36.1
Liberal Democrats Malcolm Hall 4,935 11.0
Referendum Richard Cox 1,151 3.4
Natural Law Paul Davis 227 0.5
Majority 6,125 13.7
Turnout 44,748 73.5
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Increase10.2

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. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – West Midlands". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  2. ^ Letter from Jacqui Smith to the Boundary Commission
  3. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 8 West Midlands region.
  4. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 1)
  5. ^ "Redditch". BBC News. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  6. ^ "Redditch Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  7. ^ "Candidates confirmed for General Election". Stratford-upon-Avon Herald. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  8. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  9. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  11. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  12. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

52°14′N 1°59′W / 52.24°N 1.98°W / 52.24; -1.98