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North Warwickshire and Bedworth
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundaries since 2010
Boundary of North Warwickshire and Bedworth in West Midlands region
County	Warwickshire
Electorate	70,245 (2023)
Major settlements	Atherstone, Bedworth, Coleshill and Polesworth
Current constituency
Created	1983 (as North Warwickshire)
Member of Parliament	Rachel Taylor (Labour)
Seats	One
Created from	Meriden Nuneaton
1832–1885
Seats	Two
Type of constituency	County constituency
Created from	Warwickshire
Replaced by	Nuneaton Rugby Tamworth

North Warwickshire and Bedworth is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.

Before the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the constituency was known as North Warwickshire with new name taking effect on the 2024 general election, with unchanged boundaries.

Constituency profile

Warwickshire North contained wards which are the most "working-class" (lowest average income) and industrial of the six constituencies in the county, politically frequently with the best returns locally for Labour candidates. In the 2010 election, all six Warwickshire constituencies were won by the Conservative party, though this constituency was the most marginal, falling on a substantial swing of 8.1% from Labour to the Conservatives (compared to a national swing of 5%).

Like much of the county, the area includes many rural villages which can today be classified as 'commuter' and 'retirement', south of the National Forest, south east of Tamworth and the small cathedral city of Lichfield and centred less than 10 miles (16 km) east of Birmingham, which provides some work locally in the creative and international export sectors. Many towns and villages have a history of coal mining and heavy industry, linked to a strong Labour vote.

Settlements include Bedworth, just north of Coventry, and the historic market town of Atherstone.

Boundaries

1832–1885: The Hundred of Hemlingford, the County of the City of Coventry, and the Rugby and Kirby Divisions of the Hundred of Knightlow.

1983–2010: The Borough of North Warwickshire, and the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth wards of Exhall, Heath, Mount Pleasant, and Poplar.

2010–present:

• The Borough of North Warwickshire wards of: Atherstone Central; Atherstone North; Atherstone South and Mancetter; Baddesley and Grendon; Coleshill North; Coleshill South; Curdworth; Dordon; Fillongley; Hurley and Wood End; Kingsbury; Newton Regis and Warton; Polesworth East; Polesworth West; Water Orton; and
• The Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth wards of: Bede; Exhall; Heath; Poplar; and Slough.

The 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies left the boundaries unchanged.

The constituency since 2010 has all but two wards of North Warwickshire.

History

1832–1885

The North Warwickshire constituency was created for the 1832 general election, when the Great Reform Act divided the former Warwickshire constituency into two new divisions: North Warwickshire and South Warwickshire.

Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, North Warwickshire was abolished for the 1885 general election, when Warwickshire was divided into four new single-member constituencies: Rugby, Stratford-on-Avon, Nuneaton and Tamworth.

1983–present

The second iteration of the North Warwickshire county constituency was created for the 1983 general election, replacing outlying parts of the Meriden and Nuneaton constituencies. The seat was won by Francis Maude of the Conservative Party at the 1983 general election, who held it until 1992, when it was taken by Mike O'Brien of Labour. Labour held the seat comfortably until 2010.

On 8 March 2007, former Army Officer and polar explorer Dan Byles was selected at an open primary to contest North Warwickshire for the Conservative Party. At the 2010 general election, Byles won the seat off Mike O'Brien by just 54 votes, making him the Conservative Member of Parliament with the smallest majority in the country. However, a strong Conservative performance during the latter part of the decade saw the seat become safer for the Conservatives – the result in 2019 being akin to a safe Conservative seat. This trend was reversed when the newly named seat was won by Labour's Rachel Taylor at the 2024 general election.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1832–1885

MPs 1983–2024

Meriden and Nuneaton prior to 1983

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: North Warwickshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Craig Tracey	30,249	65.9	9.0
	Labour Co-op	Claire Breeze	12,293	26.8	12.1
	Liberal Democrats	Richard Whelan	2,069	4.5	2.3
	Green	James Platt	1,303	2.8	0.8
Majority			17,956	39.1	21.1
Turnout			45,914	65.3	1.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	10.5

General election 2017: North Warwickshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Craig Tracey	26,860	56.9	14.6
	Labour	Julie Jackson	18,350	38.9	2.9
	Liberal Democrats	James Cox	1,028	2.2	0.1
	Green	Keith Kondakor	940	2.0	0.1
Majority			8,510	18.0	11.7
Turnout			47,178	63.5	3.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	5.9

General election 2015: North Warwickshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Craig Tracey	20,042	42.3	2.1
	Labour	Mike O'Brien	17,069	36.0	4.1
	UKIP	William Cash	8,256	17.4	14.6
	Liberal Democrats	Alan Beddow	978	2.1	9.5
	Green	Ian Bonner	894	1.9	New
	TUSC	Eileen Hunter	138	0.3	New
Majority			2,973	6.3	6.2
Turnout			47,377	67.2	0.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	3.05

General election 2010: North Warwickshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Daniel Byles	18,993	40.2	8.2
	Labour	Mike O'Brien	18,939	40.1	8.0
	Liberal Democrats	Stephen Martin	5,481	11.6	1.9
	BNP	Jason Holmes	2,106	4.5	0.4
	UKIP	Stephen Fowler	1,335	2.8	0.1
	English Democrat	David Lane	411	0.9	New
Majority			54	0.1	N/A
Turnout			47,265	67.4	5.2
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	8.1

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: North Warwickshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Mike O'Brien	22,561	48.1	6.0
	Conservative	Ian Gibb	15,008	32.0	0.4
	Liberal Democrats	Jerry Roodhouse	6,212	13.2	1.8
	BNP	Michaela Mackenzie	1,910	4.1	New
	UKIP	Ian Campbell	1,248	2.7	0.6
Majority			7,553	16.1	5.6
Turnout			46,939	62.2	2.0
	Labour hold		Swing	2.8

General election 2001: North Warwickshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Mike O'Brien	24,023	54.1	4.3
	Conservative	Geoffrey Parsons	14,384	32.4	1.2
	Liberal Democrats	William Powell	5,052	11.4	4.0
	UKIP	John Flynn	950	2.1	1.1
Majority			9,639	21.7	5.5
Turnout			44,409	60.2	14.5
	Labour hold		Swing	2.75

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: North Warwickshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Mike O'Brien	31,669	58.4	12.3
	Conservative	Stephen Hammond	16,902	31.2	13.4
	Liberal Democrats	William Powell	4,040	7.4	2.9
	Referendum	Roland Mole	917	1.7	New
	UKIP	Christopher Cooke	533	1.0	New
	Berties Party	Ian Moorecroft	178	0.3	New
Majority			14,767	27.2	24.7
Turnout			54,239	74.7	8.1
	Labour hold		Swing	12.9

General election 1992: North Warwickshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Mike O'Brien	27,599	46.1	6.0
	Conservative	Francis Maude	26,145	43.6	1.5
	Liberal Democrats	Noel R Mitchell	6,167	10.3	4.6
Majority			1,454	2.5	N/A
Turnout			59,862	82.8	2.9
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	3.7

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: North Warwickshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Francis Maude	25,453	45.1	3.1
	Labour	Mike O'Brien	22,624	40.1	3.0
	SDP	Suzan Neale	8,382	14.9	6.1
Majority			2,829	5.0	0.1
Turnout			56,459	79.9	1.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	0.1

Election results 1832–1885

Elections in the 1830s

Elections in the 1840s

• Caused by Eardley-Wilmot's resignation after being appointed Governor of Tasmania

Elections in the 1850s

Elections in the 1860s

• Caused by Spooner's death.

Elections in the 1870s

Elections in the 1880s

• Caused by Bromley-Davenport's death.

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Warwickshire
• List of parliamentary constituencies in West Midlands (region)

Notes

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.
3. This saw considerable population expansion from 1995–2010
4. Arley and Whitacre and Hartshill, moved in 2010 to Nuneaton

References

1. "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – West Midlands". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
2. ^ "West Midlands | Boundary Commission for England". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
3. "2011 Census Interactive – ONS". ons.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 29 January 2016.
4. "The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. XLV: An Act to amend the Representation of the People in England and Wales". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1832. pp. 154–206. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
5. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (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. p. 96. Retrieved 3 June 2019 – via Google Books.
7. "North Warwickshire and Bedworth". BBC News. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
8. "Warwickshire North Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
9. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
10. "UK Polling Report".
11. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
12. "UK > England > West Midlands > Warwickshire North". Election 2010. BBC. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
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.
16. "'Warwickshire North', May 1997 -". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
17. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
18. "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
19. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
20. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
21. ^ Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 474–475. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
22. "General Elections". Morning Chronicle. 16 January 1835. p. 1. Retrieved 3 May 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
23. "Election Movements". Greenock Advertiser. 20 August 1847. p. 1. Retrieved 3 June 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
24. "General Election". The Ipswich Journal. 17 July 1852. p. 3. Retrieved 18 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
25. "The English Elections". Cork Examiner. 12 July 1852. p. 3. Retrieved 18 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
26. "The Polling". Leamington Spa Courier. 14 February 1874. p. 7. Retrieved 22 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.

External links

• North Warwickshire UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• North Warwickshire UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
• North Warwickshire and Bedworth UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK

52°32′N 1°40′W / 52.54°N 1.66°W / 52.54; -1.66

• Parliamentary constituencies in Warwickshire
• Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1832
• Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 1885
• Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1983