Pontefract and Castleford (UK Parliament constituency)

UK constituency infobox
Name = Pontefract and Castleford
Map1 = PontefractCastleford
Type = County
Map2 = WestYorkshire
Entity = West Yorkshire
County = West Yorkshire
Year = 1974
MP = Yvette Cooper
Party = Labour
EP = Yorkshire and the Humber

Pontefract and Castleford is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Boundaries

The constituency covers the West Yorkshire towns of Pontefract and Castleford. It is a very safe Labour seat comprising of former mining towns and villages. The local MP, Yvette Cooper, is married to fellow Labour MP Ed Balls.

Boundary review

Following their review of parliamentary representation in West Yorkshire, the Boundary Commission for England has suggested the creation of a new constituency called Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford. Due to population decline, the Commission has suggested reducing the number of seats in the county by one, resulting in the "merger" of the Normanton and Pontefract constituencies.

Members of Parliament

Election results

1970s

Election box begin
title=General Election February 1974: Pontefract and CastlefordElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Joseph Harper
votes = 34,409
percentage = 74.8
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Richard Needham
votes = 10,605
percentage = 23.1
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Workers Revolutionary Party (UK)
candidate = B. Lavery
votes = 991
percentage = 2.2
change = N/AElection box majority
votes = 23,804
percentage = 51.8
change = N/AElection box turnout
votes = 46,005
percentage = 77.1
change = N/AElection box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing =

Election box begin
title=General Election October 1974: Pontefract and CastlefordElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Joseph Harper
votes = 30,208
percentage = 70.4
change = -4.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = I. Bloomer
votes = 6,966
percentage = 16.2
change = -6.9Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Party (UK)
candidate = S. Galloway
votes = 5,259
percentage = 12.3
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Workers Revolutionary Party (UK)
candidate = T. Parsons
votes = 457
percentage = 1.1
change = -1.1Election box majority
votes = 23,242
percentage = 54.2
change = +2.4Election box turnout
votes = 42,890
percentage = 71.1
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing =

Election box begin
title=Pontefract and Castleford by-election, 1978 Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Geoffrey Lofthouse
votes = 19,508
percentage = 65.8
change = -4.6Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Hugo Page
votes = 8,080
percentage = 27.3
change = +11.1Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Party (UK)
candidate = Leslie Marsh
votes = 2,054
percentage = 6.9
change = -5.4Election box majority
votes = 11,428
percentage = 38.6
change = -15.6Election box turnout
votes = 29,642
percentage =
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing =

Election box begin
title=General Election 1979: Pontefract and CastlefordElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Geoffrey Lofthouse
votes = 30,566
percentage = 68.1
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Hugo Page
votes = 10,665
percentage = 23.8
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Party (UK)
candidate = Leslie Marsh
votes = 3,616
percentage = 8.0
change = Election box majority
votes = 19,901
percentage = 44.4
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 73.9
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing =

1980s

Election box begin
title=General Election 1983: Pontefract and CastlefordElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Geoffrey Lofthouse
votes = 24,990
percentage = 57.1
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = J. B. Howell
votes = 11,299
percentage = 25.8
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = SDP-Liberal Alliance
candidate = D. Dale
votes = 7,452
percentage = 17.1
change = Election box majority
votes = 13,691
percentage = 31.3
change = Election box turnout
votes = 43,741
percentage = 67.4
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing =

Election box begin
title=General Election 1987: Pontefract and CastlefordElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Geoffrey Lofthouse
votes = 31,656
percentage = 66.9
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = J. H. Mallins
votes = 10,051
percentage = 21.2
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = SDP-Liberal Alliance
candidate = M. F. Taylor
votes = 5,334
percentage = 11.3
change = Election box candidate
party = Red Front
candidate = D. M. Lees
votes = 295
percentage = 0.6
change = Election box majority
votes = 21,626
percentage = 45.7
change = Election box turnout
votes = 47,315
percentage = 73.5
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing =

1990s

Election box begin
title=General Election 1992: Pontefract and CastlefordElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Geoffrey Lofthouse
votes = 33,546
percentage = 69.9
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = A.G.M. Rockall
votes = 10,051
percentage = 20.9
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = D.L. Ryan
votes = 4,410
percentage = 9.2
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 23,495
percentage = 49.0
change = Election box turnout
votes = 48,007
percentage = 74.3
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing =

Election box begin
title=General Election 1997: Pontefract and CastlefordElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Yvette Cooper
votes = 31,339
percentage = 75.7
change = +5.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Adrian John Flook
votes = 5,614
percentage = 13.6
change = -7.3Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Wesley Paxton
votes = 3,042
percentage = 7.4
change = -1.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Referendum Party
candidate = R. Wood
votes = 1,401
percentage = 3.4
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 25,725
percentage = 62.1
change = Election box turnout
votes = 41,396
percentage = 66.3
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing =

2000s

Election box begin
title=General Election 2001: Pontefract and CastlefordElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Yvette Cooper
votes = 21,890
percentage = 69.7
change = −6.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Pamela Singleton
votes = 5,512
percentage = 17.6
change = +4.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Wesley Paxton
votes = 2,315
percentage = 7.4
change = +0.1Election box candidate with party link
party = United Kingdom Independence Party
candidate = John Burdon
votes = 739
percentage = 2.4
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Socialist Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Trevor Bolderson
votes = 605
percentage = 1.9
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Socialist Alliance (England)
candidate = John Gill
votes = 330
percentage = 1.1
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 16,378
percentage = 52.1
change = Election box turnout
votes = 31,391
percentage = 49.7
change = −16.7Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing =

Election box begin
title=General Election 2005: Pontefract and CastlefordElection box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Yvette Cooper
votes = 20,973
percentage = 63.7
change = −6.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Simon Jones
votes = 5,727
percentage = 17.4
change = −0.2Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Wesley Paxton
votes = 3,942
percentage = 12.0
change = +4.6Election box candidate with party link
party = British National Party
candidate = Suzy Cass
votes = 1,835
percentage = 5.6
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance for Green Socialism
candidate = Bob Hague
votes = 470
percentage = 1.4
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 15,246
percentage = 46.3
change = Election box turnout
votes = 32,947
percentage = 53.3
change = +3.6Election box hold with party link
winner = Labour Party (UK)
swing =

ee also

*List of Parliamentary constituencies in West Yorkshire

References

*Rayment