Colne Valley (UK Parliament constituency)

Colne Valley is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Jason McCartney of the Conservative Party.[n 2] Since the 1964 general election, the only occasion when the winning candidate's majority exceeded 10% of the votes cast was in 1992, and three different parties have held the seat during this period. Since 1987 it has been won by either Conservative or Labour candidates.

Colne Valley
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of Colne Valley in West Yorkshire
Location of West Yorkshire within England
CountyWest Yorkshire
Electorate84,744 (December 2019)[1]
Major settlementsHolmfirth, Marsden, Slaithwaite
Current constituency
Created1885
Member of ParliamentJason McCartney (Conservative)
Number of membersOne
Created fromSouthern West Riding of Yorkshire

Colne Valley was one of 17 seats won (held or gained) by a Labour candidate in 2017 from a total of 22 covering its county, with Thelma Walker's 2017 win being one of 30 net gains of the Labour Party. However, former MP Jason McCartney took the seat back for the Conservatives in 2019.

Constituency profile

The seat is named after the Colne; one of three rivers so-named in the UK and one of three main rivers in the seat; its three main towns sit on hillsides and the local dwellings are mainly stone-built. A sizeable proportion of retirees live in the area, celebrated in the decades-long television comedy Last of the Summer Wine, centred on Holmfirth in the seat.

Political history

In the three decades post-World War II, the area had the distinction of being one of the few Labour/Liberal marginals, changing hands between the parties on several occasions. Since 1983, it has been a three-way marginal seat. It was a bellwether constituency from the 1987 general election to the 2017 general election, which saw Labour's Thelma Walker narrowly gain the seat from the Conservatives while the latter remained the largest party in Parliament. The Liberal Democrats retained much of their strength in the area until the 2010 general election, but in 2017; they lost their deposit with just 4.1% of the vote.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Huddersfield, and parts of the Sessional Divisions of Saddleworth and Upper Aggbrigg.

1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Farnley Tyas, Golcar, Holme, Holmfirth, Honley, Linthwaite, Marsden, Meltham, New Mill, Saddleworth, Scammonden, Slaithwaite, South Crosland, Springhead, and Thurstonland.

1950–1983: The Urban Districts of Colne Valley, Holmfirth, Kirkburton, Meltham, and Saddleworth.

1983–2010: The Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees wards of Colne Valley West, Crosland Moor, Golcar, Holme Valley North, Holme Valley South, and Lindley.

2010–present: The Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees wards of Colne Valley, Crosland Moor and Netherton, Golcar, Holme Valley North, Holme Valley South, and Lindley.

This semi-rural constituency covers the Colne Valley, Holme Valley, Meltham and the outskirts of the large town of Huddersfield in the district of Kirklees, West Yorkshire. The constituency comprises rural countryside broken up by the towns of Holmfirth and Meltham and the villages of Marsden, Slaithwaite, Honley, Brockholes, Linthwaite, New Mill and Golcar. The seat was once held by the Independent Labour MP Victor Grayson, who later disappeared in mysterious circumstances in 1920.

The area of Saddleworth, which actually lies on the Western side of the Pennines compared to the rest of the constituency and is separate from the main Colne Valley itself, became part of the new metropolitan county of Greater Manchester in 1974, and from 1983 became part of a new constituency along with Littleborough.

In 1981, the Boundary Commission's proposals combined much of the seat with a large portion of the Huddersfield West seat. Originally it was proposed to use the Huddersfield West name, but this was opposed at the public inquiry which argued that the Colne Valley name be preserved.

Members of Parliament
ElectionMember[2] Party
1885 Henry Beaumont Liberal
1886 Liberal Unionist
1892 Sir James Kitson Liberal
1907 Victor Grayson Colne Valley Labour
1910 Charles Leach Liberal
1916 Frederick Mallalieu Liberal
1922 Philip Snowden Labour
1931 National Labour
1931 Lance Mallalieu Liberal
1935 Ernest Marklew Labour
1939 Glenvil Hall Labour
1963 Patrick Duffy Labour
1966 Richard Wainwright Liberal
1970 David Clark Labour
1974 Richard Wainwright Liberal
1987 Graham Riddick Conservative
1997 Kali Mountford Labour
2010 Jason McCartney Conservative
2017 Thelma Walker Labour
2019 Jason McCartney Conservative

Elections
Colne Valley election results

Elections in the 2010s
General election 2019: Colne Valley[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Jason McCartney 29,482 48.4 2.2
Labour Thelma Walker 24,379 40.0 7.8
Liberal Democrats Cahal Burke 3,815 6.3 2.2
Brexit Party Sue Harrison 1,268 2.1 N/A
Green Darryl Gould 1,068 1.7 0.2
Yorkshire Party Owen Aspinall 548 0.9 N/A
UKIP Melanie Roberts 230 0.3 N/A
Independent Colin Peel 102 0.2 N/A
Majority 5,103 8.4 N/A
Turnout 60,910
Conservative gain from Labour Swing 4.9
General election 2017: Colne Valley[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Thelma Walker 28,818 47.8 12.8
Conservative Jason McCartney 27,903 46.1 1.7
Liberal Democrats Cahal Burke 2,494 4.1 1.9
Green Sonia King 892 1.5 1.9
Independent Patricia Sadio 313 0.5 N/A
Majority 915 1.7 N/A
Turnout 60,420 71.6 2.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing 5.5
General election 2015: Colne Valley[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Jason McCartney 25,246 44.4 7.5
Labour Jane East 19,868 35.0 8.6
UKIP Melanie Roberts 5,734 10.1 8.0
Liberal Democrats Cahal Burke 3,407 6.0 22.2
Green Chas Ball 1,919 3.4 1.8
Yorkshire First Paul Salveson 572 1.0 N/A
Independent Melodie Staniforth 54 0.1 N/A
Majority 5,378 9.4 0.7
Turnout 56,800 68.8 0.3
Conservative hold Swing 0.6
General election 2010: Colne Valley[7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Jason McCartney 20,440 37.0 4.1
Liberal Democrats Nicola Turner 15,603 28.2 3.7
Labour Debbie Abrahams 14,589 26.4 9.0
BNP Barry Fowler 1,893 3.4 0.6
UKIP Melanie Roberts 1,163 2.1 2.1
Green Chas Ball 867 1.6 1.2
TUSC Jackie Grunsell 741 1.3 1.3
Majority 4,837 8.7 6.5
Turnout 55,296 69.1 3.8
Conservative gain from Labour Swing 6.6

Elections in the 2000s
General election 2005: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Kali Mountford 17,536 35.8 −4.6
Conservative Maggie Throup 16,035 32.8 +2.3
Liberal Democrats Elisabeth Wilson 11,822 24.2 −0.7
BNP Barry Fowler 1,430 2.9 N/A
Green Lesley Hedges 1,295 2.6 +0.3
Veritas Helen Martinek 543 1.1 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Ian Mumford 259 0.5 N/A
Majority 1,501 3.1
Turnout 48,920 66.0 +2.7
Labour hold Swing −3.4
General election 2001: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Kali Mountford 18,967 40.4 −0.9
Conservative Philip Davies 14,328 30.5 −2.2
Liberal Democrats Gordon Beever 11,694 24.9 +2.3
Green Richard Plunkett 1,081 2.3 +1.4
UKIP Arthur Quarmby 917 2.0 +1.1
Majority 4,639 9.9
Turnout 46,987 63.3 −13.6
Labour hold Swing +1.5

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1997: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Kali Mountford 23,285 41.3
Conservative Graham Riddick 18,445 32.7
Liberal Democrats Nigel Priestley 12,755 22.6
Socialist Labour Alan J. Brooke 759 1.3
Green Andy V. Cooper 493 0.9
UKIP J.D. Nunn 478 0.8
Monster Raving Loony Melody Staniforth 196 0.3
Majority 4,840 8.6
Turnout 56,411 76.9
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General election 1992: Colne Valley[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Graham Riddick 24,804 42.0 +5.6
Labour John Harman 17,579 29.8 +0.7
Liberal Democrats Nigel Priestley 15,953 27.0 −6.4
Green Robin Stewart 443 0.8 −0.3
Monster Raving Loony Melody Staniforth 160 0.3 +0.3
Independent John Hasty 73 0.1 +0.1
Natural Law James Tattersall 44 0.1 +0.1
Majority 7,225 12.2 +9.3
Turnout 59,056 82.0 +1.9
Conservative hold Swing +2.5

Elections in the 1980s
General election 1987: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Graham Riddick 20,457 36.4
Liberal Nigel Priestley 18,780 33.4
Labour John Harman 16,353 29.1
Green Mark Mullany 614 1.1
Majority 1,677 3.0
Turnout 80.1
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing
General election 1983: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Richard Wainwright 21,139 39.8
Conservative John Holt 17,993 33.9
Labour Arthur Williams 13,668 25.8
Independent Tom Keen 260 0.5
Majority 3,146 5.9
Turnout 76.2
Liberal hold Swing
  • There had been significant boundary changes for this election. Although Wainwright was the incumbent MP it was estimated that had the seat been fought on the new boundaries in 1979, the Labour Party would have won it with a majority of 2,239. [10]

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1979: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Richard Wainwright 20,151 38.4
Labour P. J. Hildrew 17,799 33.9
Conservative S. G. Kaye 14,450 27.5
More Prosperous Britain Tom Keen 101 0.2
Majority 2,352 4.5
Turnout 81.8
Liberal hold Swing
General election October 1974: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Richard Wainwright 21,997 44.3
Labour David Clark 20,331 40.9
Conservative Ken Davy 7,337 14.8
Majority 1,666 3.4
Turnout 81.7
Liberal hold Swing
General election February 1974: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Richard Wainwright 20,984 40.3
Labour David Clark 20,265 38.9
Conservative Ken Davy 10,864 20.9
Majority 719 1.4
Turnout 86.4
Liberal gain from Labour Swing
General election 1970: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour David Clark 18,896 39.9
Liberal Richard Wainwright 18,040 38.1
Conservative Ken Davy 10,417 22.0
Majority 856 1.6
Turnout 80.8
Labour gain from Liberal Swing

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1966: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Richard Wainwright 22,006 48.6
Labour Patrick Duffy 19,507 43.1
Conservative R. David Hall 3,786 8.4
Majority 2,499 5.5
Turnout 86.2
Liberal gain from Labour Swing
General election 1964: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Patrick Duffy 18,537 42.0
Liberal Richard Wainwright 18,350 41.6
Conservative Andrew Alexander 7,207 16.3
Majority 187 0.4
Turnout 84.8
Labour hold Swing
1963 Colne Valley by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Patrick Duffy 18,033 44.49
Liberal Richard Wainwright 15,994 39.46
Conservative Andrew Alexander 6,238 15.39
Independent A. Fox 266 0.66
Majority 2,039 5.03
Turnout 40,531
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1959: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Glenvil Hall 19,284 44.3
Conservative Christopher J. Barr 13,030 29.9
Liberal Richard Wainwright 11,254 25.8 N/A
Majority 6,254 14.4
Turnout 84.2
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Glenvil Hall 23,108 54.2
Conservative Stanley Cheetham 19,512 45.8 N/A
Majority 3,956 8.4
Turnout 81.1
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Glenvil Hall 26,455 52.2
Liberal Violet Bonham-Carter 24,266 47.8
Majority 2,189 4.3
Turnout 87.1
Labour hold Swing
General election 1950: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Glenvil Hall 24,910 49.4
Conservative E. E. Smith 15,826 31.4
Liberal Roy Francis Leslie 9,654 19.2
Majority 9,084 18.0
Turnout 86.5
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s
General election 1945: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Glenvil Hall 23,488 54.66
Conservative S. Smith 11,593 26.98
Liberal Guy Kepton Lawrence 7,890 18.36
Majority 11,895 27.68
Turnout 79.21
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s
Colne Valley by-election, 1939
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Glenvil Hall 17,277 48.6 +6.3
Liberal Lance Mallalieu 9,228 26.0 -4.6
Conservative Cecil Pike 9,012 25.4 -0.4
Majority 8,049
Turnout
Labour hold Swing
General election 1935: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Ernest Marklew 16,725 39.50
Liberal Lance Mallalieu 12,946 30.57
Conservative Morgan Crofton 10,917 25.78
Ind. Conservative Walter George Bagnall 1,754 4.14
Majority 3,779 8.92
Turnout 75.96
Labour gain from Liberal Swing
General election 1931: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Lance Mallalieu 17,119 39.23
Labour Ernest Marklew 13,734 31.47
Conservative Edward ffrancis Ward Lascelles 12,581 28.88
National Labour Michael A E Franklin 202 0.46
Majority 3,385 7.76
Turnout 43,636
Liberal gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1920s
General election 1929: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Philip Snowden 21,667 48.3 +5.0
Unionist Robert B. Carrow 12,532 28.0 −5.4
Liberal Fred Brook 10,630 23.7 +0.4
Majority 9,135 20.3 +10.4
Turnout 44,829 82.5 +3.9
Registered electors 53,351
Labour hold Swing +5.2
General election 1924: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Philip Snowden 14,215 43.3 +2.9
Unionist Fred Thorpe 10,972 33.4 −1.0
Liberal Ronald Walker 7,651 23.3 −1.9
Majority 3,243 9.9 +3.9
Turnout 32,838 78.6 −0.4
Registered electors 41,794
Labour hold Swing +2.0
General election 1923: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Philip Snowden 13,136 40.4 +0.9
Unionist Thomas Brooke 11,215 34.4 −1.0
Liberal Percy Holt Heffer 8,223 25.2 +0.1
Majority 1,921 6.0 +1.9
Turnout 32,574 79.0 +0.5
Registered electors 41,212
Labour hold Swing +1.0
General election 1922: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Philip Snowden 12,614 39.5 −1.7
Unionist Thomas Brooke 11,332 35.4 N/A
Liberal Frederick Mallalieu 8,042 25.1 −33.7
Majority 1,282 4.1 −13.5
Turnout 31,988 78.5 +19.6
Registered electors 40,724
Labour gain from Liberal Swing +16.0

Elections in the 1910s
General election 1918: Colne Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±
C Liberal Frederick Mallalieu 13,541 58.8 +7.3
Labour Wilfrid Whiteley 9,473 41.2 N/A
Majority 4,068 17.6 +14.6
Turnout 23,014 58.9 −21.1
Registered electors 39,085
Liberal hold Swing N/A
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Election results 1885–1918

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1885: Colne Valley [11][12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Henry Frederick Beaumont 5,398 54.3 N/A
Conservative Thomas Brooke 4,541 45.7 N/A
Majority 857 8.6 N/A
Turnout 9,939 91.3 N/A
Registered electors 10,881
Liberal win (new seat)
General election 1886: Colne Valley [11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Unionist Henry Frederick Beaumont Unopposed
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal

Elections in the 1890s
Kitson
General election 1892: Colne Valley [11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal James Kitson 4,987 53.8 N/A
Liberal Unionist John Sugden 4,281 46.2 N/A
Majority 706 7.6 N/A
Turnout 9,268 79.1 N/A
Registered electors 11,710
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing N/A
Mann
General election 1895: Colne Valley [11][12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal James Kitson 4,276 46.2 −7.6
Conservative Harold Thomas 3,737 40.4 −5.8
Ind. Labour Party Tom Mann 1,245 13.4 N/A
Majority 539 5.8 −1.8
Turnout 9,258 86.4 +7.3
Registered electors 10,712
Liberal hold Swing −0.9

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: Colne Valley [11][12][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal James Kitson 4,699 52.9 +6.7
Conservative W G Bagnall 4,176 47.1 +6.7
Majority 523 5.8 +0.0
Turnout 8,875 80.1 −6.3
Registered electors 11,081
Liberal hold Swing +0.0
General election 1906: Colne Valley [11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal James Kitson Unopposed
Liberal hold
Grayson
1907 Colne Valley by-election[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Colne Valley Labour Victor Grayson[n 3] 3,648 35.2 N/A
Liberal Philip Bright 3,495 33.7 N/A
Conservative Granville Wheler 3,227 31.1 N/A
Majority 153 1.5 N/A
Turnout 10,370 88.1 N/A
Registered electors 11,771
Ind. Labour Party gain from Liberal Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s
Leach
General election January 1910: Colne Valley [11][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Charles Leach 4,741 40.7 +7.0
Conservative Archibald Boyd-Carpenter 3,750 32.2 +1.1
Colne Valley Labour Victor Grayson[n 3] 3,149 27.1 -8.1
Majority 991 8.5 +7.0
Turnout 11,640 93.2 +5.1
Registered electors 12,489
Liberal gain from Ind. Labour Party Swing +7.6
General election December 1910: Colne Valley [11][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Charles Leach 5,147 51.5 +10.8
Conservative Archibald Boyd-Carpenter 4,847 48.5 +16.3
Majority 300 3.0 −5.5
Turnout 9,994 80.0 −13.2
Registered electors 12,489
Liberal hold Swing −2.8

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;

1916 Colne Valley by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Frederick Mallalieu Unopposed
Liberal hold
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See also

Notes and references
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. Grayson was a member of the ILP, but did not receive official endorsement from the national party. He was accepted as one of their MPs after his election in 1907 and receive a parliamentary allowance however.
References
  1. "Constituency data: electorates – House of Commons Library". Parliament UK. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  2. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 5)
  3. https://democracy.kirklees.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=211&RPID=120270
  4. "Colne Valley parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
  5. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  6. "Colne Valley". BBC News. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  7. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  8. "UK > England > Yorkshire & the Humber > Colne Valley". Election 2010. BBC. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  9. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  10. The Times Guide to the House of Commons June 1983. London: Times Books Ltd. 1983. pp. 82 & 279. ISBN 0 7230 0255 X.
  11. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, FWS Craig
  12. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  13. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
  14. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  15. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
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