Worcester (UK Parliament constituency)
Worcester is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since 1885 it has elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election; from 1295 to 1885 it elected two MPs.
Boundaries
1918–1950: The County Borough of Worcester.1950–1983: The County Borough of Worcester, the Borough of Droitwich, and the Rural District of Droitwich.
1983–1997: The City of Worcester, and the District of Wychavon wards of Drakes Broughton, Inkberrow, Lenches, Pinvin, Spetchley, and Upton Snodsbury.
1997–present: The City of Worcester.
The constituency covers the city of Worcester, with exactly the same boundaries as the city. It borders the Mid Worcestershire constituency to the east, and West Worcestershire to the west.
History
A safe Conservative seat for many years, Worcester was represented by the high-profile Conservative cabinet minister Peter Walker for three decades, from a by-election in 1961 until he stood down in 1992. Peter Luff held the seat for the Conservatives until 1997, when he moved to the redrawn Mid Worcestershire constituency.Michael Foster of the Labour Party gained the seat at the 1997 general election. This can be put down to a combination of Labour's landslide victory nationally, but also to the fact that boundary changes meant the constituency was now solely an urban area; rather than also containing much of the surrounding countryside.
Peter Walker's son, Robin Walker, was elected as the Conservative MP at the 2010 general election. The constituency is marginal and was selected as a "target" by the Labour Party in 1997, and by the Conservative Party in 2010.
Many political commentators and journalists look on Worcester as having the demographic statistics which most closely mirror those in the United Kingdom as a whole. As such the term "Worcester woman" has come into use as a description for a typical swing voter.
Members of Parliament
- Constituency created in 1295
| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| 1372 | John Atte Wode | - |
| 1373 | John Atte Wode | - |
| 1376 | John Atte Wode | - |
| 1380 | John Atte Wode | - |
| 1380 | John Atte Wode | - |
| 1386 | Richard Maisemore | Robert Stevens |
| 1388 | Roger Lichfield | John Bredon |
| 1388 | John Cole | John Somery |
| 1390 | Roger Lichfield | Thomas Belne |
| 1390 | Richard Maisemore | John Bredon |
| 1391 | Thomas Belne | Richard Maisemore |
| 1393 | Thomas Belne | John Hereford |
| 1394 | Thomas Belne | John Barrel |
| 1395 | Thomas Belne | John Cooper |
| 1397 | Thomas Belne | John Bredon |
| 1397 | - | |
| 1399 | Thomas Belne | John Bredon |
| 1401 | John Barrel | Richard Halle |
| 1402 | Thomas Belne | John Bredon |
| 1404 | Richard Halle | John Malley |
| 1404 | - | |
| 1406 | Richard Halle | Richard Oseney |
| 1407 | Thomas Belne | John Malley |
| 1410 | John Weston | Thomas Belne |
| 1411 | - | |
| 1413 | Sir John Phelip | - |
| 1413 | John Weston | John Wood |
| 1414 | - | |
| 1414 | John Weston | Richard Norton |
| 1415 | John Wood | John Weston |
| 1416 | John Wood | Ralph Merston |
| 1416 | - | - |
| 1417 | John Boyle | Geoffrey Friar |
| 1419 | John Weston | William Boughton |
| 1420 | John Forthey | William Ward |
| 1421 | John Forthey | Robert Nelme |
| 1421 | John Forthey | Geoffrey Friar |
| 1510-1523 | No names known | No names known |
| 1529 | Hugh Dee, died and replaced after 1530 by ?Thomas Hill | John Braughing |
| 1536 | Thomas Hill | ? |
| 1539 | ? | - |
| 1542 | John Braughing | Thomas Sheldon |
| 1545 | Richard Calowhill | Thomas Sheldon |
| 1547 | John Braughing died and replaced by January 1552 by Thomas Wylde | Robert Youle |
| 1553 | William Robinson | Edward Brogden |
| 1553 | Sir John Bourne | John Emery |
| 1554 | John Ainsworth | Thomas Hill |
| 1554 | Robert Youle | Edward Brogden |
| 1555 | Robert Youle | William Adyes |
| 1558 | Robert Youle | Thomas Wylde |
| 1559 | Richard Bullingham | Guthlac Edwards |
| 1562/63 | William Gibbes | John More |
| 1571 | Francis Streate | Richard Bullingham |
| 1572 | Christopher Deighton | Thomas Walsgrove alias Fleet |
| 1584 | Richard Nash | Walter Jones |
| 1586 | Ralph Wyat | Walter Jones |
| 1588 | Walter Jones | John Walsgrove alias Fleet |
| 1593 | Walter Jones | Rowland Berkeley |
| 1597 | Rowland Berkeley | William Bagnall |
| 1601 | Rowland Berkeley | Christopher Deighton |
| 1604 | John Coucher | Christopher Deighton, died and replaced 1605 by Rowland Berkeley |
| 1614 | John Coucher | Thomas Chettle |
| 1621 | John Coucher | Robert Berkeley |
| 1624 | John Coucher | Robert Berkeley |
| 1625 | Walter Devereux | Henry Spelman |
| 1626 | John Spelman | John Haselock |
| 1628 | John Coucher | John Haselock |
| 1640 | John Coucher | John Nash |
| 1640 | John Coucher | John Nash, secluded 1648 |
| 1654 | William Collins | Edward Elvines |
| 1656 | William Collins | Edmund Giles |
| 1659 | William Collins | Thomas Street |
MPs 1660–1885
MPs since 1885
Elections
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
Elections in the 1940s
Elections in the 1930s
General Election 1939/40:Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
- Conservative: Crawford Greene
- Liberal: Richard Fairbairn
- Labour: James Ferguson
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1880s
Elections in the 1870s
- Caused by Sheriff's death.
Elections in the 1860s
- Caused by Laslett's resignation
Elections in the 1850s
- Caused by Rufford's resignation.
Elections of the 1840s
- Caused by Wilde's appointment as Attorney-General for England and Wales
Elections of the 1830s