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Halifax
Borough constituency for the House of Commons
Interactive map of boundaries since 2024
Boundary of Halifax in Yorkshire and the Humber
County	1832–1974: West Riding of Yorkshire 1974–present: West Yorkshire
Electorate	70,413 (December 2019)
Major settlements	Halifax, Sowerby Bridge
Current constituency
Created	1832
Member of Parliament	Kate Dearden (Labour)
Seats	1832–1918: Two 1918–present: One
Created from	Yorkshire

Halifax is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Kate Dearden of the Labour Party.

Boundaries

1918–1983: The County Borough of Halifax.

1983–2010: The Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale wards of Illingworth, Mixenden, Northowram and Shelf, Ovenden, St John's, Skircoat, Sowerby Bridge, Town, and Warley.

2010–2024: The Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale wards of Illingworth and Mixenden, Northowram and Shelf, Ovenden, Park, Skircoat, Sowerby Bridge, Town, and Warley.

2024–present: The Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale wards of Illingworth and Mixenden, Northowram and Shelf, Ovenden, Park, Ryburn (part), Skircoat, Sowerby Bridge, Town, and Warley.

This constituency covers the large town of Halifax in West Yorkshire and includes the smaller town of Sowerby Bridge which adjoins Halifax but until 1974 was a separate Urban District.

History

The parliamentary borough was granted in the Great Reform Act 1832 and returned from that year until 1918 two members. A county borough recognized the density of the developed area in 1888 which provided most functions for inhabitants, retaining the West Yorkshire ceremonial county. The municipal or county borough was under a mayor, five aldermen and 45 councillors and had an area of 13,967 acres (56.52 km).

At the time of the Norman Conquest, Halifax formed part of the extensive manor of Wakefield, which belonged to the king, but in the 13th century was in the hands of John Earl de Warrenne aka. Earl of Surrey (1231–1304). The prosperity of the town began with the first woollen products workshop established here in 1414, when there are said to have been only thirteen houses, which before the end of the 16th century had increased to 520. Camden, about the end of the 17th century, wrote that "the people are very industrious, so that though the soil about it be barren and improfitable, not fit to live on, they have so flourished ... by the clothing trade that they are very rich and have gained a reputation for it above their neighbours." The manufacturing standards and trade were improved by the arrival of certain merchants and clothworkers driven from the Spanish Netherlands by the persecution by the Duke of Alva.

Halifax was a borough by prescription rather than a medieval parliamentary borough, its privileges growing up with the increased prosperity brought by the cloth trade, but it was not incorporated until 1848. From 1832 until 1918 the town's property-qualifying residents paying scot and lot returned two members to parliament.

Constituency profile

As of 2001, the town in the Pennines was relatively affluent, not afflicted by the high levels of unemployment, underemployment and crime seen in a few wards of the Yorkshire and Humber region but most constituents had modest incomes and there was some social housing in certain wards. Since 1987 the MP has represented the Labour Party; before that date for four years it was held by a Conservative MP, but generally since the Second World War it has been a Labour seat.

Prior to the 2017 general election, the Conservative Party launched its election manifesto at Dean Clough Mill in Halifax, and targeted the seat fairly heavily, for two years earlier the Labour majority in the constituency had fallen to just 428 votes, or 1% of the total vote. However, Lynch increased her majority by almost 5,000 votes, giving Labour its biggest majority in Halifax since 2001.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1832–1918

MPs since 1918

Representation reduced to one member, 1918

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Halifax

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Kate Dearden	14,135	35.1	−10.5
	Conservative	Hazel Sharp	7,866	19.6	−22.1
	Reform UK	James Griffith-Jones	7,811	19.4	+13.5
	Green	Martin Hey	4,133	10.3	+8.3
	Workers Party	Shakir Saghir	2,543	6.3	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Samuel Jackson	2,359	5.9	+1.1
	Independent	Purveen Hussain	1,367	3.4	N/A
Majority			6,269	15.5	+9.9
Turnout			40,363	52.1	−12.2
Registered electors			77,516
	Labour hold		Swing	5.8

Elections in the 2010s

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

• Blackburn was a vice-president of the Bradford Conservative Association. He was nominated after the Conservative and Liberal associations in the division had failed to reach agreement on the proposal for a joint anti-Labour candidate.

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1910s

Elections in the 1900s

Elections in the 1890s

• Caused by Shaw's resignation.

• Caused by Shaw's death

Elections in the 1880s

• Caused by Stansfeld's appointment as President of the Local Government Board.

• Caused by Hutchinson's resignation.

Elections in the 1870s

• Caused by Crossley's resignation.

• Caused by Crossley's appointment as President of the Poor Law Board.

Elections in the 1860s

• Caused by Stansfeld's appointment as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury.

• Caused by Stansfeld's appointment as Civil Lord of the Admiralty.

Elections in the 1850s

• Caused by Wood's appointment as Secretary of State for India.

• Caused by Wood's appointment as First Lord of the Admiralty

• Caused by Wood's appointment as President of the Board of Control.

Elections in the 1840s

• Caused by Wood's appointment as Chancellor of the Exchequer

Elections in the 1830s

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in West Yorkshire
• List of parliamentary constituencies in the Yorkshire and the Humber (region)

Notes

1. A borough 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.
3. See Sandal Castle and Wakefield Castle
4. Legally, the doctrine of prescription (law), as opposed to "by grant", means obtained by long use
5. Among the curious customs of Halifax was the Gibbet Law, which was probably established by a prescriptive right to protect the wool trade, and gave the inhabitants the power of executing anyone taken within their liberty, who, when tried by a jury of sixteen of the frith-burgesses, was found guilty of the theft of any goods of the value of more than 13d. The executions took place on market days on a hill outside the town, the gibbet somewhat resembling a guillotine. The first execution recorded under this law took place in 1541, and the right was exercised in Halifax longer than in any other town, the last execution taking place in 1650. In 1635, the king granted the inhabitants of Halifax licence to found a workhouse in a large house given to them for that purpose by Nathaniel Waterhouse, and incorporated them under the name of the master and governors. Nathaniel Waterhouse was appointed the first master, his successors being elected every year by the twelve governors from among themselves.
6. In 1607 David Waterhouse, lord of the manor of Halifax, obtained a grant of two markets there every week on Friday and Saturday and two fairs every year, each lasting three days, one beginning on 24 June, the other on 11 November. Later these fairs and markets were confirmed with the addition of an extra market on Thursday to Sir William Ayloffe, baronet, who had succeeded David Waterhouse as lord of the manor. The market rights were sold to the Markets Company in 1810 and purchased from them by the corporation in 1853.
7. ^ Compared to half of Conservative vote at Jan 1910 election

References

1. "Constituency data: electorates – House of Commons Library". Parliament UK. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
2. ^ Lewis, Samuel (1848). "Halifax". A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
3. ^  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Halifax (England)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 843–844.
4. "Local statistics – Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk.
5. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 1)
6. ^ Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. pp. 145–146. Retrieved 5 November 2018 – via Google Books.
7. Steele, David (21 May 2009). "Wood, Charles, first Viscount Halifax (1800–1885)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/29865. Retrieved 13 May 2018. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
8. Casey, Martin; Salmon, Philip (2009). "WOOD, Charles (1800–1885), of Hemsworth, nr. Pontefract, Yorks.; Hickleton, nr. Doncaster and 22 Charles Street, Mdx". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
9. "Correspondence of Sir Charles Wood, 1st Viscount Halifax". Archives Hub. Jisc.
10. Hiscocks, Richard. "Charles Wood". morethannelson. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
11. Hawkins, Angus (2013). "Government Appointment By-elections: 1832–86". In Otte, T. G.; Readman, Paul (eds.). By-elections in British Politics: 1832–1914. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press. p. 69. ISBN 978-1-84383-780-0. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
12. ^ Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. p. 240. Retrieved 5 November 2018 – via Google Books.
13. "Halifax Election 1835". From Weaver to Web. Calderdale Council. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
14. Iwama, Thoshihiko (June 2003). The Middle Class in Halifax, 1780–1850 (PDF) (PhD). University of Leeds. pp. 153, 155. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
15. Bull, Malcolm. "MPs for Halifax". Malcolm Bull's Calderdale Companion. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
16. Kirk, Neville (1998). "Politics". Change, continuity and class: Labour in British society, 1850–1920. Manchester: Manchester University Press. p. 91. ISBN 0-7190-4237-2. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
17. Iwama, Toshihiko (June 2003). "The Middle Class in Halifax, 1780–1850" (PDF). White Rose eTheses Online. University of Southampton. p. 168. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
18. "The Elections". Huddersfield and Holmfirth Examiner. 10 July 1852. p. 4. Retrieved 13 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
19. "Parliamentary General Election – 04/07/2024 Halifax Constituency". Calderdale Council. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
20. "Halifax results". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
21. "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
22. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
23. "Halifax Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
24. "Parliamentary General Election 2017 – 08/06/2017". Election results. Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
25. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
26. "Halifax". BBC News. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
27. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
28. "Halifax constituency: Parliamentary Election: Halifax constituency: Calderdale Council". 9 May 2010. Archived from the original on 9 May 2010.
29. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
30. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
31. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
32. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
33. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
34. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
35. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
36. The Times House of Commons, 1950
37. At the 1931 general election, the local Liberal Association chose not to field a candidate against the National Government; Sykes stood as an "Independent Liberal" candidate
38. ^ British parliamentary election results, 1885–1918 (Craig)
39. ^ Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885–1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
40. ^ "Rattening in Sheffield". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 20 May 1886. p. 5. Retrieved 28 November 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
41. ^ Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
42. "Local and Other News". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 6 October 1880. p. 4. Retrieved 28 November 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
43. "Halifax Election". Morpeth Herald. 24 February 1877. p. 2. Retrieved 31 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
44. "General Election News". Bradford Observer. 28 January 1874. p. 4. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
45. "Halifax". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 17 November 1868. p. 6. Retrieved 15 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
46. "Lecture by Mr. Ernest Jones". Huddersfield Chronicle. 3 July 1852. p. 7. Retrieved 13 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.

Sources

• Victoria County History, Yorkshire
• T. Wright, The Antiquities of the Town of Halifax (Leeds, 1738)
• John Watson, The History and Antiquities of the Parish of Halifax (London, 1775)
• John Crabtree, A Concise History of the Parish and Vicarage of Halifax (Halifax and London, 1836).
• Craig, F. W. S. (1983) . British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.

External links

• Halifax UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• Halifax UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
• Halifax UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK

53°43′N 1°53′W / 53.717°N 1.883°W / 53.717; -1.883

• Parliamentary constituencies in West Yorkshire
• Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1832
• Politics of Calderdale
• Halifax, West Yorkshire