Redditch (UK Parliament constituency)

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Redditch
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Redditch in Worcestershire
Outline map
Location of Worcestershire within England
CountyWorcestershire
Electorate66,492 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created1997
Member of ParliamentRachel Maclean (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created fromPart of Mid Worcestershire

Redditch is a constituency[n 1] in Worcestershire, England, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Rachel Maclean of the Conservative Party, who is currently Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party.[n 2]

Members of Parliament[edit]

Election Member[2] Party
1997 Jacqui Smith Labour
2010 Karen Lumley Conservative
2017 Rachel Maclean Conservative

Constituency profile[edit]

From 1983 to 1997 the town of Redditch was, based on a series of high majorities, in the Conservative safe seat of Mid Worcestershire. The first MP for that constituency, Eric Forth, moved to the equally safe seat of Bromley and Chislehurst in south east London as a result of major boundary changes in Worcestershire for the 1997 general election, and held that seat until his death in 2006. The seat has been a bellwether since 1997.

Boundaries[edit]

Map
Map of current boundaries (since 2010 general election)

This seat is located in Worcestershire and contains the whole borough of Redditch and parts of the district of Wychavon. 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 villages of Hanbury and the Lenches have been included, and the constituency reclassified from Borough to County.[3]

Proposed[edit]

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the next general election, due by January 2025, the constituency will be composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

  • The Borough of Redditch.
  • The District of Wychavon wards of: Dodderhill; Harvington and Norton; Inkberrow.[4]

In addition to the Wychavon Borough ward of Inkberrow, which is currently part of the seat, the two wards of Dodderhill to the north, and Harvington and Norton to the south, will be transferred in from Mid Worcestershire (to be renamed Droitwich and Evesham).

History[edit]

Redditch was created in 1997 following major changes to the Mid Worcestershire constituency. The Mid Worcestershire seat has been 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.

Elections[edit]

Elections in the 2020s[edit]

Next general election: Redditch
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform UK Julie Allison[5]
Labour Chris Bloore[6]
Liberal Democrats Andrew Fieldsend-Roxborough[7]
Conservative Rachel Maclean[8]
Majority
Turnout
Swing

Elections in the 2010s[edit]

General election 2019: Redditch[9]
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[10]
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[11]
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[12]
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[edit]

General election 2005: Redditch[13]
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[14]
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[edit]

General election 1997: Redditch[15]
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 win (new seat)

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  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[edit]

  1. ^ "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 1)
  3. ^ Letter from Jacqui Smith to the Boundary Commission
  4. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 8 West Midlands region.
  5. ^ "Redditch Constituency". Reform UK. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Redditch Labour names Chris Bloore as general election candidate". Redditch Advertiser. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidates". Mark Pack. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Rachel reselected as Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Redditch County". Rachel Maclean. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Redditch Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  10. ^ "Candidates confirmed for General Election". Stratford-upon-Avon Herald. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  11. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  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°15′N 1°57′W / 52.25°N 1.95°W / 52.25; -1.95

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