Smethwick (UK Parliament constituency)

UK former constituency infobox
Name = Smethwick
Type = Borough
Year = 1918
Abolition = 1974
members = one

Smethwick was a parliamentary constituency, centred on the town of Smethwick in Staffordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

The constituency was created for the 1918 general election, and abolished for the February 1974 general election.

The constituency gained national media coverage during the 1964 general election when the Conservative Party gained the seat against the national trend, unseating the Labour Party sitting member, Patrick Gordon Walker, a front bench opposition spokesman in the previous Parliament. The Conservative Party campaign was highly criticised for its strong anti-immigration stance. A full account of the campaign can be found in "Immigration and Race in British Politics", a Penguin Special by Paul Foot, published in 1965. The Labour Party regained the seat at the 1966 general election, the successful candidate being a renowned actor, Andrew Faulds.

Boundaries

Members of Parliament

Election results

Elections in the 1910s

Election box begin
title=General Election 1918: SmethwickElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = John Davison
votes = 9,389
percentage = 52.2
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Women's Party (UK)
candidate = Christabel Pankhurst
votes = 8,614
percentage = 47.8
change = N/AElection box majority
votes = 775
percentage = 4.4
change = N/AElection box turnout
votes = 18,003
percentage = 54.7
change = N/AElection box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing = N/A

Elections in the 1920s

Election box begin
title=General Election 1922: SmethwickElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = John Davison
votes = 13,141
percentage = 50.7
change = −1.5Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = A.H.A Simcox
votes = 12,759
percentage = 49.3
change = +1.5Election box majority
votes = 382
percentage = 1.4
change = −3.0Election box turnout
votes = 25,900
percentage = 75.9
change = +21.2Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing = 1.5

Election box begin
title=General Election 1923: SmethwickElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = John Davison
votes = 13,550
percentage = 54.7
change = +4.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = C.E.R. Brocklebank
votes = 11,217
percentage = 45.3
change = −4.0Election box majority
votes = 2,333
percentage = 9.4
change = +8.0Election box turnout
votes = 24,767
percentage = 71.7
change = −4.2Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing = −4.0

Election box begin
title=General Election 1924: SmethwickElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = John Davison
votes = 14,491
percentage = 52.3
change = −2.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = M.J. Pike
votes = 13,238
percentage = 47.7
change = +2.4Election box majority
votes = 1,253
percentage = 4.6
change = −4.8Election box turnout
votes = 27,729
percentage = 78.2
change = +6.5Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing = 2.4

Election box begin
title=By-election 1926: SmethwickElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Oswald Mosley
votes = 16,077
percentage = 57.1
change = +4.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = M.J. Pike
votes = 9,495
percentage = 33.7
change = −14.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Party (UK)
candidate = E. Bayliss
votes = 2,600
percentage = 9.2
change = N/AElection box majority
votes = 6,582
percentage = 23.4
change = +18.8Election box turnout
votes = 35,862
percentage = 78.6
change = +0.4Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing = −9.4

Election box begin
title=General Election 1929: SmethwickElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Oswald Mosley
votes = 19,550
percentage = 54.8
change = −2.3Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Alfred Wise
votes = 12,210
percentage = 34.2
change = +0.5Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Party (UK)
candidate = M.E. Marshall
votes = 3,909
percentage = 11.0
change = +1.8Election box majority
votes = 7,340
percentage = 20.6
change = −2.8Election box turnout
votes = 35,669
percentage = 78.9
change = +0.3Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing = 1.4

Elections in the 1930s

Election box begin
title=General Election 1931: SmethwickElection box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Alfred Wise
votes = 20,945
percentage = 60.1
change = +25.7Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = W. E. Lawrence
votes = 13,927
percentage = 39.9
change = −14.9Election box majority
votes = 7,018
percentage = 20.2
change = N/AElection box turnout
votes = 34,872
percentage = 74.7
change = −4.2Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
loser = Labour Party (UK)
swing = 20.3

Election box begin
title=General Election 1935: SmethwickElection box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Alfred Wise
votes = 16,575
percentage = 52.5
change = −7.7Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = C.W. Brook
votes = 15,023
percentage = 47.5
change = +7.6Election box majority
votes = 1,552
percentage = 5.0
change = −17.2Election box turnout
votes = 31,598
percentage = 70.7
change = −4.0Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
swing = −7.7

Elections in the 1940s

Election box begin
title=General Election 1945: SmethwickElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Alfred Dobbs
votes = 20,522
percentage = 65.9
change = +18.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = G. H. Edgar
votes = 10,637
percentage = 34.1
change = −18.4Election box majority
votes = 9,885
percentage = 31.8
change = N/AElection box turnout
votes = 31,159
percentage = 72.4
change = +1.7Election box gain with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
loser = Conservative Party (UK)
swing = −18.4

Election box begin
title=By-election 1945: SmethwickElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Patrick Gordon Walker
votes = 19,364
percentage = 68.8
change = +2.9Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = G.H. Edgar
votes = 8,762
percentage = 31.2
change = −2.9Election box majority
votes = 10,602
percentage = 37.6
change = +5.8Election box turnout
votes = 43,020
percentage = 65.4
change = −7.0Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing = −2.9

Elections in the 1950s

Election box begin
title=General Election 1950: SmethwickElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Patrick Gordon Walker
votes = 28,750
percentage = 62.1
change = −6.7Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = J. Fallon
votes = 17,553
percentage = 37.9
change = +6.7Election box majority
votes = 11,197
percentage = 24.2
change = −13.4Election box turnout
votes = 46,303
percentage = 86.9
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing = 6.7

Election box begin
title=General Election 1951: SmethwickElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Patrick Gordon Walker
votes = 27,739
percentage = 60.6
change = −1.5Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = A. N. Giles
votes = 18,012
percentage = 39.4
change = +1.5Election box majority
votes = 9,727
percentage = 21.2
change = −3.0Election box turnout
votes = 45,751
percentage = 83.5
change = +1.8Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing = 1.5

Election box begin
title=General Election 1955: SmethwickElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Patrick Gordon Walker
votes = 23,151
percentage = 58.2
change = −2.5Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = J.J. Wells
votes = 16,656
percentage = 41.8
change = +2.5Election box majority
votes = 6,495
percentage = 16.3
change = −4.9Election box turnout
votes = 39,807
percentage = 75.5
change = −8.5Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing = 2.5

Election box begin
title=General Election 1959: SmethwickElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Patrick Gordon Walker
votes = 20,670
percentage = 54.7
change = −3.5Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Peter Griffiths
votes = 17,126
percentage = 45.3
change = +3.5Election box majority
votes = 3,544
percentage = 9.4
change = −4.9Election box turnout
votes = 27,796
percentage = 75.9
change = +0.4Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing = 3.5

Elections in the 1960s

Election box begin
title=General Election 1964: SmethwickElection box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Peter Griffiths
votes = 16,690
percentage = 47.6
change = +2.3Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Patrick Gordon Walker
votes = 14,916
percentage = 42.6
change = −12.1Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Party (UK)
candidate = D. Hugill
votes = 3,172
percentage = 9.0
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = D. T. Davies
votes = 262
percentage = 0.8
change = N/AElection box majority
votes = 1,774
percentage = 5.1
change = Election box turnout
votes = 35,040
percentage = 74.1
change = −1.8Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing = 7.2

Election box begin
title=General Election 1966: SmethwickElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Andrew Faulds
votes = 18,440
percentage = 54.4
change = +11.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Peter Griffiths
votes = 14,950
percentage = 44.1
change = −3.5Election box candidate with party link
party = British National Party (1960)
candidate = R. Stanley
votes = 508
percentage = 1.5
change = N/AElection box majority
votes = 3,490
percentage = 10.3
change = Election box turnout
votes = 33,898
percentage = 75.4
change = +1.3Election box gain with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
loser = Labour Party (UK)
swing = −7.6

Elections in the 1970s

Election box begin
title=General Election 1970: SmethwickElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Andrew Faulds
votes = 16,077
percentage = 52.2
change = −2.2Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = B. B. Rathbone
votes = 13,968
percentage = 45.4
change = +1.3Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Party (UK)
candidate = M. Gupta
votes = 747
percentage = 2.4
change = N/AElection box majority
votes = 2,109
percentage = 6.9
change = −3.4Election box turnout
votes = 30,792
percentage = 68.1
change = −7.3Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing = 1.7

See also

* List of former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies
* Smethwick (the town)
* Smethwick by-election, 1926
* Smethwick by-election, 1945

References

*
*Rayment