Batley and Spen

Constituency profile

The area is in the rolling Pennines of West Yorkshire with considerable commerce, industry, retail and occupational trades. A lower percentage of social housing is present than the regional average, however most of the larger settlements have some social housing. The population in the district is ethnically diverse. Many of the towns in the Spen Valley have few residents from non-white heritage backgrounds (Birstall, Birkenshaw, Cleckheaton, Liversedge and Gomersal, generally more suburban and Conservative areas, with the exception of Cleckheaton, which has Liberal Democrat councillors). However, the constituency's largest town, Batley, has a sizeable number of residents with South Asian backgrounds, namely Pakistani (9.2%) and Indian (mostly Gujarati) (15.9%). Heckmondwike also has a well-established South Asian community with 16.9% residents having Pakistani heritage.

The results of the last fifty years show marginal majorities for Labour and for the Conservatives, and is considered to be part of the "red wall".

In the 2016 EU referendum, Batley and Spen voted 60% in favour of Brexit.

Boundaries

• 1983–1997: The Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees wards of Batley East, Batley West, Birstall and Birkenshaw, Cleckheaton, Heckmondwike, and Spen.
• 1997–2010: The Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees wards of Batley East, Batley West, Birstall and Birkenshaw, Cleckheaton, and Spen.
• 2010–2024: The Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees wards of Batley East, Batley West, Birstall and Birkenshaw, Cleckheaton, Heckmondwike, and Liversedge and Gomersal.

The constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the seats of Batley and Morley, Brighouse and Spenborough and Dewsbury. This West Yorkshire constituency covers Batley, Birkenshaw, Birstall, Cleckheaton, East Bierley, Gomersal, Hunsworth, and Liversedge.

History

The constituency did not exist in its present form before 1983 and has seen significant boundary changes since its creation – most notably those that took effect for the 1997 general election.

Heckmondwike was part of the seat from its creation in 1983 until 1997, when it was transferred to Dewsbury. Heckmondwike was returned to Batley and Spen for the 2010 general election.

The seat swung in Labour's favour in the elections of 1997, 2001 and 2005 though the Conservatives reduced the Labour majority in 2010 with a swing below the national average.

The electoral ward of Heckmondwike (which includes part of Liversedge) was considered part of the Spen Valley (although it was not part of the former Spenborough Urban District). Heckmondwike ward was for many years a Labour stronghold, but in the 2000s elected two BNP councillors. The BNP councillors were narrowly defeated by Labour in 2007 and 2008.

A by-election in 2016 occurred after the murder of Jo Cox, the sitting MP. Cox was killed on 16 June 2016 after being shot and stabbed multiple times by a man associated with far-right organisations. The Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats, UK Independence Party and the Green Party announced they would not contest the by-election as a mark of respect.

Another by-election occurred in 2021 following the resignation of Tracy Brabin MP, who was elected Mayor of West Yorkshire on 10 May. The 2021 by-election received considerable media attention because of expectations of a Labour loss following the earlier Hartlepool by-election and a high-profile campaign by George Galloway for the Workers Party of Britain. The by-election was despite the expectations won for Labour by Jo Cox's sister, Kim Leadbeater, with a reduced majority.

Members of Parliament

Batley and Morley, Brighouse and Spenborough, and Dewsbury prior to 1983

Election results 1983–2024

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 2010s

| access-date = 13 May 2015}}}}

a. Swing is calculated from the 2015 election, not the 2016 by-election which was not contested by major parties. Aleks Lukic's vote change is in comparison to the 2015 election, when he stood as a UKIP candidate.

Elections in the 2020s

Main article: 2021 Batley and Spen by-election

A by-election was held on 1 July 2021 following the resignation of MP Tracy Brabin to become Mayor of West Yorkshire.

Notes

References

References

1. "Batley and Spen: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Office for National Statistics.
2. (15 June 2020). "Constituency data: electorates – House of Commons Library". Parliament UK.
3. "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – Yorkshire and the Humber {{!}} Boundary Commission for England".
4. "Local statistics - Office for National Statistics".
5. "Kirklees Census 2001". Kirklees Council.
6. Steerpike. (3 May 2021). "Coming soon: the next red wall by-election".
7. Lavigueur, Nick. (12 February 2017). "Which Kirklees constituency voted against Brexit?".
8. (2007). "Kirklees Election Results 2007". Kirklees Council.
9. (2008). "Kirklees Election Results 2008". Kirklees Council.
10. Boyle, Danny. (16 June 2016). "Labour MP Jo Cox dies after being shot and stabbed in her constituency near Leeds". The Telegraph.
11. (16 June 2016). "Labour MP Jo Cox has died after being shot and stabbed". The Guardian.
12. (23 November 2016). "The slow-burning hatred that led Thomas Mair to murder Jo Cox". The Guardian.
13. Stone, Jon. (17 June 2016). "Jo Cox death: Parties stand down in killed Labour MP's seat as Corbyn and Cameron call for unity". Independent Print Limited.
14. (8 May 2021). "Is Batley and Spen Labour's next by-election headache?".
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16. (9 May 2021). "Labour's Tracy Brabin elected first mayor of West Yorkshire". [[The Guardian]].
17. (26 March 2021). "West Yorkshire devolution deal".
18. Al-Othman, Hannah. (6 June 2021). "Batley and Spen by-election: are Muslim voters the next brick to crumble in Labour's red wall?". Sunday Times.
19. (26 June 2021). "Labour could lose a by-election over the issue of Palestine".
20. Drury, Colin. (28 June 2021). "Batley and Spen by-election: Labour's Muslim vote collapsing as Palestine - and potholes - cause anger".
21. "Jo Cox's sister, Labour candidate Kim Leadbeater, heckled and chased on campaign trail". The Independent.
22. (25 June 2021). "Labour candidate in Batley and Spen by-election left 'intimidated' by anti-LGBT protester". The Daily Telegraph.
23. Blackall, Molly. (26 June 2021). "Kim Leadbeater, sister of Jo Cox, chased and heckled on Batley and Spen by-election campaign trail". i.
24. (28 June 2021). "Batley and Spen by-election: Labour 'egged and kicked'". [[BBC News]].
25. {{Rayment-hc. b. 1. (March 2012)
26. "Election Data 1983". [[Electoral Calculus]].
27. "Election Data 1987". [[Electoral Calculus]].
28. "Election Data 1992". [[Electoral Calculus]].
29. (9 April 1992). "Politics Resources". Politics Resources.
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32. "Election Data 2005". [[Electoral Calculus]].
33. "Election Data 2010". [[Electoral Calculus]].
34. (7 May 2010). "UK > England > Yorkshire & the Humber > Batley & Spen". BBC.
35. "Election Data 2015". [[Electoral Calculus]].
36. Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council "[http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/voting-and-elections/pdf/batley-and-spen-201016-persons-nominated.pdf Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll] {{Webarchive. link. (12 October 2016 ")
37. (20 October 2016). "Election results for Batley and Spen, 20 October 2016".
38. (21 October 2016). "Labour's Tracy Brabin wins Batley and Spen by-election following death of MP Jo Cox". The Independent.
39. (April 2025). "Candidates for Batley and Spen".
40. "Election battle begins in earnest".
41. "Statement of persons nominated, notice of poll and situation of polling stations".
42. "Batley & Spen parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". BBC News.
43. "🗳️ UK Parliamentary by-election 🗳️ Batley and Spen constituency".