Skipton (UK Parliament constituency)

Skipton
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of Skipton in the West Riding of Yorkshire, 1974-1983
CountyWest Riding of Yorkshire
Major settlementsSkipton
1885–1983
SeatsOne
Created fromNorthern West Riding of Yorkshire
Replaced bySkipton & Ripon, Pendle, Ribble Valley Westmorland & Lonsdale and Keighley[1]

Skipton was a county constituency centred on the town of Skipton in Yorkshire which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

It was created for the 1885 general election, and abolished nearly a hundred years later, for the 1983 general election. It was then partly replaced by the new Skipton and Ripon constituency.

Boundaries

1885–1918: Part of the Wapentake of Skipton and Ewecross.

1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Barnoldswick, Earby, and Skipton, and the Rural Districts of Bowland, Sedbergh, Settle, and Skipton.

1950–1983: The Urban Districts of Barnoldswick, Earby, and Skipton, the Rural Districts of Bowland, Sedbergh, and Settle, and the Rural District of Skipton except the parishes of Steeton with Eastburn, and Sutton.

In 1974 the rural district of Sedbergh became part of the new county of Cumbria.

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
1885 Mathew Wilson Liberal
1886 Walter Morrison Liberal Unionist
1892 Charles Savile Roundell Liberal
1895 Walter Morrison Liberal Unionist
1900 Frederick Whitley-Thomson Liberal
1906 William Clough Liberal
1918 Richard Roundell Conservative
1924 Ernest Bird Conservative
1933 by-election George Rickards Conservative
1944 by-election Hugh Lawson Common Wealth
1945 Burnaby Drayson Conservative
1979 John Watson Conservative
1983 constituency abolished: see Skipton & Ripon

Elections

Skipton election results

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Skipton[2][3][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Mathew Wilson 5,059 54.2
Conservative Samuel Lister 4,269 45.8
Majority 790 8.4
Turnout 9,328 86.4
Registered electors 10,796
Liberal win (new seat)
Morrison
General election 1886: Skipton[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Walter Morrison 4,423 50.8 +5.0
Liberal Mathew Wilson 4,289 49.2 −5.0
Majority 134 1.6 N/A
Turnout 8,712 80.7 −5.7
Registered electors 10,796
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +5.0

Elections in the 1890s

Roundell
General election 1892: Skipton[2][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Roundell 4,700 50.5 +1.3
Liberal Unionist Walter Morrison 4,608 49.5 −1.3
Majority 92 1.0 N/A
Turnout 9,308 77.0 −3.7
Registered electors 12,087
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing +1.3
Farrer
General election 1895: Skipton[5][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Walter Morrison 4,902 50.7 +1.2
Liberal James Anson Farrer 4,763 49.3 −1.2
Majority 139 1.4 N/A
Turnout 9,665 87.1 +10.1
Registered electors 11,096
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +1.2

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Skipton[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Whitley-Thomson 5,139 50.7 +1.4
Liberal Unionist Walter Morrison 5,007 49.3 −1.4
Majority 132 1.4 N/A
Turnout 10,146 85.5 −1.6
Registered electors 11,865
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing +1.4
Clough
General election 1906: Skipton[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Clough 5,834 51.0 +0.3
Conservative Richard Roundell 5,601 49.0 −0.3
Majority 233 2.0 +0.6
Turnout 11,435 90.0 +4.5
Registered electors 12,707
Liberal hold Swing +0.3

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Skipton[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Clough 6,579 52.0 +1.0
Conservative Richard Roundell 6,071 48.0 −1.0
Majority 508 4.0 +2.0
Turnout 12,650 91.2 +1.2
Registered electors 13,864
Liberal hold Swing +1.0
General election December 1910: Skipton[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Clough 6,151 50.2 −1.8
Conservative Richard Roundell 6,100 49.8 +1.8
Majority 51 0.4 −3.6
Turnout 12,251 88.4 −2.8
Registered electors 13,864
Liberal hold Swing −1.8

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;

General election 1918: Skipton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Richard Roundell 12,599 55.0 +5.2
Liberal William Anderton Brigg 10,318 45.0 −5.2
Majority 2,281 10.0 N/A
Turnout 22,917 64.2 −24.2
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +5.2
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

Verney
General election 1922: Skipton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Richard Roundell 13,251 41.7 −13.3
Liberal Harry Verney 10,228 32.3 −12.7
Labour Tom Snowden 8,229 26.0 New
Majority 3,023 9.4 −0.6
Turnout 23,479 85.2 +21.0
Unionist hold Swing -0.3
General election 1923: Skipton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Richard Roundell 12,676 39.9 −1.8
Liberal Harry Verney 11,285 35.6 +3.3
Labour George Willey 7,767 24.5 −1.5
Majority 1,391 4.3 −5.1
Turnout 31,728 83.6 −1.6
Unionist hold Swing -2.6
General election 1924: Skipton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Ernest Roy Bird 14,924 46.0 +6.1
Liberal Thomas Woffenden 8,947 27.5 −8.1
Labour George Willey 8,626 26.5 +2.0
Majority 5,977 18.5 +14.2
Turnout 32,497 83.8 +0.2
Unionist hold Swing +7.1
General election 1929: Skipton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Ernest Roy Bird 16,588 39.5 −6.5
Labour John Davies 13,088 31.2 +4.7
Liberal Thomas Woffenden 12,320 29.3 +1.8
Majority 3,500 8.3 −10.2
Turnout 41,996 83.4 −0.4
Unionist hold Swing -5.6

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Skipton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ernest Roy Bird 28,013 68.2 +28.7
Labour John Davies 13,053 31.8 +0.6
Majority 14,960 36.4 +28.1
Turnout 41,066 80.3 −3.1
Conservative hold Swing
1933 Skipton by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Rickards 18,136 43.0 −25.2
Labour John Davies 14,157 33.5 +1.7
Liberal Robert Denby 9,219 21.8 +21.8
Communist James Rushton 704 1.7 +1.7
Majority 3,979 9.5 −26.9
Turnout 42,216 82.7 +2.4
Conservative hold Swing -13.5
General election 1935: Skipton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Rickards 22,847 56.2 −12.0
Labour John Davies 17,788 43.8 +12.0
Majority 5,059 12.4 −24.0
Turnout 40,635 79.6 −0.7
Conservative hold Swing

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;

Elections in the 1940s

1944 Skipton by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Common Wealth Hugh Lawson 12,222 44.8 New
Conservative Harry Riddiough 12,001 44.0 −12.2
Independent Labour Joseph Toole 3,029 11.1 New
Majority 221 0.8 N/A
Turnout 27,252 54.9 −24.7
Common Wealth gain from Conservative Swing
General election 1945: Skipton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Burnaby Drayson 17,905 41.5 −14.7
Labour John Davies 15,704 36.4 −7.4
Liberal Eric Townsend 9,546 22.1 New
Majority 2,201 5.1 −7.3
Turnout 43,155 80.1 +0.5
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Skipton[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Burnaby Drayson 22,254 49.2 +7.7
Labour Thomas J. Roberts 16,290 36.0 −0.4
Liberal Eric Arthur Greenwood 6,689 14.8 −7.3
Majority 5,964 13.2 +8.1
Turnout 45,233 88.9 +8.8
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1951: Skipton[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Burnaby Drayson 26,024 59.0 +9.8
Labour Edgar Hewitt 18,064 41.0 +5.0
Majority 7,960 18.0 +4.8
Turnout 44,088 86.1 −2.8
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Skipton[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Burnaby Drayson 25,101 61.2 +2.2
Labour Vincent P. Richardson 15,919 38.8 −2.2
Majority 9,182 22.4 +4.4
Turnout 41,020 82.5 −3.6
Conservative hold Swing +2.2
General election 1959: Skipton[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Burnaby Drayson 20,278 48.3 −12.9
Labour Frank Hooley 11,178 26.6 −12.2
Liberal Claire Graham 10,543 25.1 New
Majority 9,100 21.7 −0.7
Turnout 41,999 85.7 +3.2
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Skipton[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Burnaby Drayson 18,561 46.2 −2.1
Labour Roderick MacSween 11,715 29.2 +2.6
Liberal Wilfrid E.H. Pickard 9,886 24.6 −0.5
Majority 8,846 17.0 −3.7
Turnout 40,162 84.0 −1.7
Conservative hold Swing −2.5
General election 1966: Skipton[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Burnaby Drayson 17,532 45.1 −1.1
Labour Gordon A. Knott 13,276 34.1 +4.9
Liberal Wilfrid E.H. Pickard 8,104 20.8 −3.8
Majority 4,256 11.0 −6.0
Turnout 38,912 82.0 −2.0
Conservative hold Swing −3.0

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Skipton[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Burnaby Drayson 20,817 51.3 +6.2
Labour Kenneth Targett 12,011 29.6 −4.5
Liberal Jean Y.L. Burns 7,733 19.1 −1.7
Majority 8,806 21.7 +10.7
Turnout 40,561 78.6 −3.4
Conservative hold Swing +5.4
General election February 1974: Skipton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Burnaby Drayson 19,301 43.3 −8.0
Liberal Claire Brooks 17,185 38.6 +19.5
Labour Terry Wheeler 8,079 18.1 −11.5
Majority 2,116 4.7 −17.0
Turnout 44,565 85.6 +7.0
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Skipton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Burnaby Drayson 17,882 41.3 −2.0
Liberal Claire Brooks 17,232 39.9 +1.3
Labour C.G. Burks 8,109 18.8 +0.7
Majority 590 1.4 −3.3
Turnout 43,223 82.1 −3.5
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1979: Skipton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Grenville Bernard Watson 23,177 51.2 +9.9
Liberal Claire Brooks 17,484 38.6 −1.3
Labour Brian Michael Selby 4,632 10.2 −8.6
Majority 5,693 12.6 +11.2
Turnout 45,293 84.1 +2.0
Conservative hold Swing +5.6

References

  1. ^ "'Skipton', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Liberal Year Book, 1908
  3. ^ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
  4. ^ a b c d Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  5. ^ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  6. ^ a b c d British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  8. ^ Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
  9. ^ a b c d e British parliamentary election results, 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
  10. ^ a b F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973