Huddersfield is a
constituency
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger State (polity), state (a country, administrative region, ...
represented in the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
of the
UK Parliament
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative supremac ...
since 1983 by
Barry Sheerman
Barry John Sheerman (born 17 August 1940) is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Huddersfield, previously Huddersfield East, since 1979. He is also Labour's longest continuously servi ...
of
Labour Co-op
Labour and Co-operative Party (often abbreviated Labour Co-op; cy, Llafur a'r Blaid Gydweithredol) is a description used by candidates in United Kingdom elections who stand on behalf of both the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party and the Co-operativ ...
.
Boundaries
1983–2010: The Borough of Kirklees wards of Almondbury, Birkby, Dalton, Deighton, Newsome, and Paddock.
2010–present: The Borough of Kirklees wards of Almondbury, Ashbrow, Dalton, Greenhead, and Newsome.
Constituency profile
This constituency covers the urban centre and east of the West Yorkshire town of
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...
, the administrative centre of the
Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees
Kirklees is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England, governed by Kirklees Council with the status of a metropolitan borough. The largest town and administrative centre of Kirklees is Huddersfield, and the district also include ...
. The town grew out of the former wooden industry, and is now a primarily residential market town with some light industry remaining in the town such as
Syngenta
Syngenta AG is a provider of agricultural science and technology, in particular seeds and pesticides with its management headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. It is owned by ChemChina, a Chinese state-owned enterprise.
Syngenta was founded in 2 ...
and
Cummins
Cummins Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, filtration, and power generation products. Cummins also services engines and related equipment, including fuel systems, controls, air ...
, and a growing number of students at the
University of Huddersfield
, mottoeng = Thus not for you alone
, established = 1825 – Huddersfield Science and Mechanics' Institute1992 – university status
, type = Public
, endowment = £2.47 million (2015)
, chancellor = George W. Buckley
, vice_chancel ...
. The town is economically diverse with some deprived inner-city council estates, and on the outskirts, such as
Fixby
Fixby is a suburb in north-west Kirklees bordering neighbouring Calderdale and is traditionally part of Huddersfield in the English county of West Yorkshire. Fixby is mentioned in the Domesday Book. The name "Fixby" derives from the Gaelic Irish ...
, some exclusive detached stone houses in leafy roads. However the town’s most affluent western suburbs such as
Lindley are actually in the neighbouring
Colne Valley
The Colne Valley is a steep sided valley on the east flank of the Pennine Hills in the English county of West Yorkshire. It takes its name from the River Colne which rises above the town of Marsden and flows eastward towards Huddersfield.
...
constituency.
Apart from four years tenure as MP by
Geoffrey Dickens
Geoffrey Kenneth Dickens (26 August 1931 – 17 May 1995) was a British Conservative politician. He was MP for Huddersfield West from 1979 until the seat was abolished in 1983. He was then elected for Littleborough and Saddleworth and held t ...
for
Huddersfield West (1979-1983), the area (including its divided halves for the 33 years to 1983) has returned a
Labour Party MP since 1945.
The constituency is currently held by the Labour Party, although the
Liberal Democrats made inroads by coming second in the 2005 general election, and in the 2010 general election Karen Tween of the
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
narrowed the
incumbent
The incumbent is the current holder of an official, office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seek ...
's lead to a relatively average 4,472 votes and the new Liberal Democrat candidate slipped into third place. There are currently Green Party councillors in Newsome, and some Tory and Liberal Democrat councillors in Almondbury, but the remaining wards are safely Labour. The Dalton ward also includes the village of
Kirkheaton
Kirkheaton () is a village and former civil parish north-east of Huddersfield, now in the parish of Kirkburton, in the county of West Yorkshire, England, Historically, it is part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. It is in the Dalton ward of t ...
, separated by a green buffer, and the Almondbury ward includes the small village of
Lepton, West Yorkshire
Lepton is a village and former civil parish near Huddersfield, now in the parish of Kirkburton, in the Kirklees district, in the county of West Yorkshire, England. It is to the east of, and above, the town centre directly north of Lepton Great ...
.
Members of Parliament
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1940s
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;
*Liberal National:
William Mabane
William Mabane, 1st Baron Mabane (12 January 1895 – 16 November 1969), known as Sir William Mabane between 1954 and 1962, was a British businessman and Liberal/National Liberal politician.
Background and education
The son of Joseph Greenwood M ...
*Labour:
Joseph Mallalieu
Sir (Joseph Percival) William Mallalieu (18 June 1908 – 13 March 1980) was a British Labour Party politician, journalist and author.
Life
He was of Huguenot origin, a son of Frederick Mallalieu, a Member of Parliament. Mallalieu's ancestors ...
*Liberal:
Elliott Dodds
George Elliott Dodds Order of the British Empire, CBE (4 March 1889 – 20 February 1977) was a British journalist, newspaper editor, Liberal party (UK), Liberal politician and thinker.
Education and career
Elliott Dodds was born in Sydenham, ...
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
*Liberal:
Arthur Sherwell
Arthur James Sherwell (11 April 1863 – 13 January 1942) was a British Liberal Party politician and temperance campaigner.
Background
He was born in London on 11 April 1863, the son of John Viney Sherwell, of Modbury, Devon. He was educated pri ...
*Unionist:
*Socialist:
Harry Snell
Henry Snell, 1st Baron Snell (1 April 1865 – 21 April 1944), was a British socialist politician and campaigner. He served in government under Ramsay MacDonald and Winston Churchill, and as the Labour Party's leader in the House of Lords i ...
(candidature not approved by Labour Party National Executive)
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1890s
* Caused by Summers' death.
Elections in the 1880s
Elections in the 1870s
Elections in the 1860s
* Caused by Crosland's death.
Elections in the 1850s
* Caused by Stansfield's election being declared void on petition due to bribery and treating which "prevailed to a great extent".
Elections in the 1840s
Elections in the 1830s
* Caused by Blackburne's death
* Caused by Fenton's death. While Ramsden was not a candidate, a local spirit merchant, Paul Hirst, voted for him.
See also
*
List of parliamentary constituencies in West Yorkshire
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huddersfield (Uk Parliament Constituency)
Parliamentary constituencies in Yorkshire and the Humber
Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1832
Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 1950
Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1983
Politics of Huddersfield