North Shropshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Boundaries

| image-width = 1500 | image-left = -550 | image-top = -1000 1832–1885: The Hundreds of Oswestry, Pimhill, North Bradford and South Bradford, as well as the Liberty of Shrewsbury.

1983–1997: The District of North Shropshire, the Borough of Oswestry, and the District of The Wrekin wards of Church Aston, Edgmond, Ercall Magna, Newport East, Newport North, and Newport West.

1997–2024: The District of North Shropshire and the Borough of Oswestry.

The district councils of North Shropshire and Oswestry were abolished in 2009, but the constituency boundaries remained unaltered.

2024–present: The County of Shropshire electoral districts of: Ellesmere Urban; Gobowen, Selattyn and Weston Rhyn; Llanymynech; Market Drayton East; Market Drayton West; Oswestry East; Oswestry South; Oswestry West; Prees; Ruyton and Baschurch; St. Martin’s; St. Oswald; Shawbury; The Meres; Wem; Whitchurch North; Whitchurch South; Whittington.

:The constituency was reduced in size to bring the electorate within the permitted range by transferring the electoral districts of Cheswardine and Hodnet to The Wrekin.

Constituency profile

The area is rural and north of Shrewsbury, west of Newcastle-under-Lyme in the Stoke-on-Trent conurbation, south of Cheshire and Wrexham, having five small towns (in size order): Oswestry, Market Drayton, Whitchurch, Wem and Ellesmere. Residents' health and wealth are similar to UK averages.

History

From its first creation in 1832 to the abolition of the first creation in 1885 the constituency covered approximately half of the county and elected two members, formally Knights of the Shire. In 1885 the county was (together with South Shropshire) divided between four constituencies: Ludlow, Newport, Oswestry and Wellington.

In 1983 the constituency was revived in a smaller form as the successor to the Oswestry seat and elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Its first MP was John Biffen, who had been MP for Oswestry since a 1961 byelection. He served in various cabinet roles under Margaret Thatcher from 1979 until he fell out of favour after the 1987 general election. Biffen retired for the 1997 general election and was succeeded by fellow Conservative Owen Paterson.

Paterson was appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in May 2010 and from the September 2012 Cabinet reshuffle, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, until another reshuffle in June 2014. Paterson resigned as an MP in November 2021 for breaching Commons lobbying rules while working for two firms as a consultant. A by-election was held on 16 December 2021, triggered by the resignation and was won by Helen Morgan for the Liberal Democrats with a 34% swing. The swing was seventh largest in United Kingdom by-election history.

In December 2023, the Labour Party included the seat in its published list of 211 non-battleground seats, indicating they did not see it as necessary to win in order to gain a majority at the 2024 general election, when it was retained by Helen Morgan on a further swing to the Liberal Democrats. Compared to the notional 2019 results the overall swing was 41.3%.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1832–1885

• Constituency created in 1832

MPs since 1983

Oswestry and Wrekin prior to 1983

Elections

|max-width=70%| content = {{Graph:Chart

Elections in the 2020s

|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241009074731/https://members.parliament.uk/constituency/3648/election/403 |archive-date=9 October 2024 |access-date=7 November 2024 |reg. electors = 82,314

Elections in the 2010s

Class War originally selected Al Derby as a candidate here, but he changed to Wolverhampton North East.

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1880s

|reg. electors = 7,729

Elections in the 1870s

|reg. electors = 7,342

• Caused by Gore's elevation to the peerage, becoming Lord Harlech.

|reg. electors = 7,557

Elections in the 1860s

|reg. electors = 7,611

• Caused by Brownlow-Cust's elevation to the peerage, becoming 3rd Earl Brownlow.

• Caused by Cust's resignation.

|reg. electors = 5,315

Elections in the 1850s

|reg. electors = 4,110

|reg. electors = 4,227

|reg. electors = 4,685

Elections in the 1840s

• Caused by Herbert's succession to the peerage, becoming 3rd Earl of Powis

|reg. electors = 4,876

|reg. electors = 4,876

• Caused by Hill's succession to the peerage, becoming 2nd Viscount Hill

|reg. electors = 5,075

Elections in the 1830s

|reg. electors = 4,910

|reg. electors = 4,653

|reg. electors = 4,682

References

Sources

• UK Polling Report
• {{cite book |author-link= F. W. S. Craig |orig-year=1977

References

1. "'Shropshire North', June 1983 up to May 1997". Cognitive Computing Limited.
2. (1832). "The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. LXIV. An Act to settle and describe the Divisions of Counties, and the Limits of Cities and Boroughs, in England and Wales, in so far as respects the Election of Members to serve in Parliament.". His Majesty's statute and law printers.
3. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023".
4. "Shropshire North: Seat Details".
5. (4 September 2012). "David Cameron's right turn in cabinet reshuffle". The Guardian.
6. (4 November 2021). "Tory MP Owen Paterson resigns amid standards row". [[BBC]].
7. McGuinness, Alan. (17 December 2021). "North Shropshire: Liberal Democrats pull off shock win as Tory by-election defeat piles further pressure on Boris Johnson". [[Sky News]].
8. Belger, Tom. (8 December 2023). "Labour selections: Full list of 211 'non-battleground' seats now open to applications". labourlist.org.
9. {{Rayment-hc. s. 3. (March 2012)
10. (1845). "The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive". Simpkin, Marshall, & Co..
11. (22 December 1832). "York Herald".
12. (24 December 1832). "Result of the Elections in Shropshire". Morning Post.
13. "UK parliamentary election - 4 July 2024".
14. "Shropshire North parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News.
15. "Shrewsbury & Atcham Parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
16. "Election Data 2015". [[Electoral Calculus]].
17. "UK Polling Report".
18. (14 December 2021). "Al Derby".
19. "Election Data 2010". [[Electoral Calculus]].
20. web.manager@shropshire.gov.uk. "Democracy – Shropshire Council".
21. "Election Data 2005". [[Electoral Calculus]].
22. "Election Data 2001". [[Electoral Calculus]].
23. "Election Data 1997". [[Electoral Calculus]].
24. "Election Data 1992". [[Electoral Calculus]].
25. (9 April 1992). "Politics Resources". Politics Resources.
26. "Election Data 1987". [[Electoral Calculus]].
27. "Election Data 1983". [[Electoral Calculus]].
28. (1977). "British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885". Macmillan Press.
29. (7 January 1876). "North Shropshire". York Herald.
30. (14 November 1868). "North Shropshire Election". Wellington Journal.