Manchester Gorton (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Manchester, Gorton is a parliamentary constituency
in the city of Manchester
, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
. It elects one Member of Parliament
(MP) by the first past the post system of election.
divided the existing seat of South East Lancashire
into eight single-member constituencies. South-East Lancashire, Gorton Division consisted of the area of the Gorton
Local Board
and the townships
or parishes of Denton
, Haughton
, and Openshaw
. The constituency comprised an area bounded on the west by the city of Manchester
and to the east and south by the county boundary with Cheshire
. In 1890 Manchester's municipal boundaries were extended to include Gorton and Openshaw, although constituency boundaries remained unchanged until 1918.
reorganised parliamentary seats throughout Great Britain
. The redistribution reflected the boundary changes of 1890, with Gorton becoming a division of the parliamentary borough
of Manchester. The Manchester, Gorton Division comprised three wards of the county borough
of Manchester: Gorton North, Gorton South and Openshaw. Denton and Haughton, which together had formed Denton Urban District
in 1894
, were transferred to the Mossley Division of Lancashire
.
. The Act introduced the term "borough constituency", with Manchester Gorton Borough Constituency now consisting of four wards of the city: Gorton North, Gorton South, Levenshulme
and Openshaw. Levenshulme was transferred from the abolished Manchester Rusholme seat
. The revised boundaries were first used at the 1950 general election
.
. The constituency was redefined as consisting of the Gorton North and Gorton South wards of the county borough and the two neighbouring urban districts of Audenshaw
and Denton in the administrative county
of Lancashire. Levenshulme passed to Manchester Withington
while Openshaw formed the core of a new Manchester Openshaw
seat.
. Manchester Gorton became a borough constituency in the parliamentary county of Greater Manchester
. The constituency was redefined as comprising six wards of the Metropolitan district
and City of Manchester, namely: Fallowfield
, Gorton North
, Gorton South
, Levenshulme
, Longsight
and Rusholme
. The constituency was unaltered at the next redistribution prior to the 1997 general election
.
United Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
in the city of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. It elects one Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) by the first past the post system of election.
1885–1918
The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that redistributed the seats in the House of Commons, introducing the concept of equally populated constituencies, in an attempt to equalise representation across...
divided the existing seat of South East Lancashire
South East Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency)
South East Lancashire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was represented by two Members of Parliament...
into eight single-member constituencies. South-East Lancashire, Gorton Division consisted of the area of the Gorton
Gorton
Gorton is an area of the city of Manchester, in North West England. It is located to the southeast of Manchester city centre. Neighbouring areas include Longsight and Levenshulme....
Local Board
Local board of health
Local Boards or Local Boards of Health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate slaughterhouses and ensure the proper supply of water to their...
and the townships
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
or parishes of Denton
Denton, Greater Manchester
Denton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It is five miles to the east of Manchester city centre, and has a population of 26,866....
, Haughton
Haughton
-In the United Kingdom:*Haughton Castle, Northumberland, England*Haughton, Cheshire, England*Haughton, Greater Manchester, England*Haughton, Nottinghamshire, England*Haughton, Staffordshire, England*Haughton Green, Greater Manchester, England...
, and Openshaw
Openshaw
Openshaw is a ward of the city of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, North West England. It lies about two miles east of Manchester city centre. Historically a part of Lancashire, Openshaw was incorporated into the city of Manchester in 1890. Its name derives from the Old English Opinschawe, which...
. The constituency comprised an area bounded on the west by the city of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and to the east and south by the county boundary with Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. In 1890 Manchester's municipal boundaries were extended to include Gorton and Openshaw, although constituency boundaries remained unchanged until 1918.
1918–1950
The Representation of the People Act 1918Representation of the People Act 1918
The Representation of the People Act 1918 was an Act of Parliament passed to reform the electoral system in the United Kingdom. It is sometimes known as the Fourth Reform Act...
reorganised parliamentary seats throughout Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. The redistribution reflected the boundary changes of 1890, with Gorton becoming a division of the parliamentary borough
Parliamentary borough
Parliamentary boroughs are a type of administrative division, usually covering urban areas, that are entitled to representation in a Parliament...
of Manchester. The Manchester, Gorton Division comprised three wards of the county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Manchester: Gorton North, Gorton South and Openshaw. Denton and Haughton, which together had formed Denton Urban District
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
in 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
, were transferred to the Mossley Division of Lancashire
Mossley (UK Parliament constituency)
Mossley was a parliamentary constituency which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom Parliament....
.
1950–1955
The next redrawing of English constituencies was effected by the Representation of the People Act 1948Representation of the People Act 1948
The Representation of the People Act 1948 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered the law relating to parliamentary and local elections...
. The Act introduced the term "borough constituency", with Manchester Gorton Borough Constituency now consisting of four wards of the city: Gorton North, Gorton South, Levenshulme
Levenshulme
Levenshulme is an urban area of the City of Manchester, in North West England. It borders Longsight, Gorton, Burnage, Heaton Chapel and Reddish, and is approximately halfway between Stockport and Manchester City Centre on the A6 road. The A6 bisects Levenshulme. The Manchester to London railway...
and Openshaw. Levenshulme was transferred from the abolished Manchester Rusholme seat
Manchester Rusholme (UK Parliament constituency)
Manchester Rusholme was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Rusholme district of Manchester. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system....
. The revised boundaries were first used at the 1950 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
.
1955–1983
In 1955 boundary changes were made based on the recommendations of the Boundary Commission appointed under the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949
The House of Commons Act 1949 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that provided for the periodic review of the number and boundaries of parliamentary constituencies....
. The constituency was redefined as consisting of the Gorton North and Gorton South wards of the county borough and the two neighbouring urban districts of Audenshaw
Audenshaw
Audenshaw is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It is located on the east side of the River Tame, along the course of both the M60 motorway and the Ashton Canal, southwest of Ashton-under-Lyne and east of the city of Manchester...
and Denton in the administrative county
Administrative counties of England
Administrative counties were a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government from 1889 to 1974. They were created by the Local Government Act 1888 as the areas for which county councils were elected. Some large counties were divided into several administrative...
of Lancashire. Levenshulme passed to Manchester Withington
Manchester Withington (UK Parliament constituency)
Manchester, Withington is a parliamentary constituency in the city of Manchester. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system...
while Openshaw formed the core of a new Manchester Openshaw
Manchester Openshaw (UK Parliament constituency)
Manchester Openshaw was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Openshaw district of Manchester. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
seat.
1983–2010
The 1983 redistribution of seats reflected local government reforms made in 1974Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
. Manchester Gorton became a borough constituency in the parliamentary county of Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
. The constituency was redefined as comprising six wards of the Metropolitan district
Metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
and City of Manchester, namely: Fallowfield
Fallowfield
Ladybarn is the part of Fallowfield to the south-east. Chancellors Hotel & Conference Centre is used by the University of Manchester: it was built by Edward Walters for Sir Joseph Whitworth, as were the Firs Botanical Grounds.-Religion:...
, Gorton North
Gorton North
Gorton North is a local government ward in the Gorton area of the City of Manchester. The ward contains Debdale Park, the former Gorton Tub swimming pool, and Belle Vue greyhound racing track. Politically, the area is dominated by the Liberal Democrats and Labour...
, Gorton South
Gorton South
Gorton South is a Local Government ward in the Gorton area of the City of Manchester. The current councillors are Peter Cookson , Julie Reid and Charles Glover . The area was previously represented by James Ashley who was Lord Mayor of Manchester at the time of his death in 2006...
, Levenshulme
Levenshulme
Levenshulme is an urban area of the City of Manchester, in North West England. It borders Longsight, Gorton, Burnage, Heaton Chapel and Reddish, and is approximately halfway between Stockport and Manchester City Centre on the A6 road. The A6 bisects Levenshulme. The Manchester to London railway...
, Longsight
Longsight
Longsight is an area of Manchester, England, about south of the city centre. Its population is about 16,000.-History:Longsight has been known over the past for its gang related violence, similar to that of nearby Moss Side. Most of the violence came from tensions between 2 gangs; The Longsight...
and Rusholme
Rusholme
-Etymology:Rusholme, unlike other areas of Manchester which have '-holme' in the place name is not a true '-holme'. Its name came from ryscum, which is the dative plural of Old English rysc "rush": "[at the] rushes"...
. The constituency was unaltered at the next redistribution prior to the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
.
2010 - date
At the 2010 general election, the boundaries were revised once more, with the constituency consisting of seven Manchester wards, namely: Fallowfield, Gorton North, Gorton South, Levenshulme, Longsight, Rusholme and Whalley Range.Members of Parliament
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 United Kingdom general election, 1885 -Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:... |
Richard Peacock Richard Peacock Richard Peacock was an English engineer, one of the founders of locomotive manufacturer Beyer-Peacock.-Early life and education:... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
|
| 1889 by-election Gorton by-election, 1889 The Gorton by-election, 1889 was a parliamentary by-election held on 22 March 1889 for the British House of Commons in the Gorton Division of Lancashire.- Vacancy :... |
Sir William Mather William Mather Sir William Mather was a British industrialist and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1885 and 1904.... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
|
| 1895 United Kingdom general election, 1895 The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery... |
Ernest Frederic George Hatch Sir Ernest Hatch, 1st Baronet Sir Ernest Frederic George Hatch, 1st Baronet KBE was a British politician.He was the son of John William Hatch of London and Matilda Augusta Snell of Callington, Cornwall... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1904 | Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
||
| 1906 United Kingdom general election, 1906 -Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**... |
John Hodge | Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
|
| 1923 United Kingdom general election, 1923 -Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***... |
Joseph Compton Joseph Compton Joseph Compton was a British Labour Party politician.He was elected at the 1923 general election as Member of Parliament for Manchester Gorton... |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
|
| 1931 United Kingdom general election, 1931 The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the... |
Eric Bailey Eric Bailey (UK politician) Eric Alfred George Shackleton Bailey was a British Conservative Party politician. He was elected as Member of Parliament for Manchester Gorton in the Conservative landslide victory at the 1931 general election, the only time that Labour has lost that seat since 1906... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1935 United Kingdom general election, 1935 The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady... |
Joseph Compton Joseph Compton Joseph Compton was a British Labour Party politician.He was elected at the 1923 general election as Member of Parliament for Manchester Gorton... |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
|
| 1937 by-election | William Wedgewood Benn William Wedgwood Benn, 1st Viscount Stansgate Air Commodore William Wedgwood Benn, 1st Viscount Stansgate PC, DSO, DFC was a British Liberal politician who later joined the Labour Party. He was Secretary of State for India between 1929 and 1931 and Secretary of State for Air between 1945 and 1946... |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
|
| 1942 by-election | William Oldfield William Oldfield (UK politician) William Henry Oldfield was a British Labour Member of Parliament and a trade unionist.A cotton operative himself, Oldfield served as Secretary of the Cotton Trades and Labour Council and President of the Cotton Spinners' Association... |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
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| 1955 United Kingdom general election, 1955 The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year... |
Konni Zilliacus Konni Zilliacus Konni Zilliacus was a left-wing Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.-Life:Zilliacus was born on 13 September 1894 in Japan, where his parents, Finland-Swedish Konrad Viktor Zilliacus , a prominent activist for the independence of Finland from the Russian Empire, and American-born Lilian... |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
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| 1967 by-election Manchester Gorton by-election, 1967 The Manchester Gorton by-election of 2 November 1967 was held after the death of Labour MP Konni Zilliacus:The seat was safe, having been won by Labour at the United Kingdom general election, 1966 by over 8,000 votes/.-Candidates:... |
Kenneth Marks Kenneth Marks Kenneth Marks was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.Marks was Member of Parliament for Manchester Gorton from a 1967 by-election to 1983. From 1975 to 1979, he was a junior Environment minister.... |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
|
| 1983 United Kingdom general election, 1983 The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945... |
Sir Gerald Kaufman Gerald Kaufman Sir Gerald Bernard Kaufman is a British Labour Party politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 1970, first for Manchester Ardwick, and then subsequently for Manchester Gorton... |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
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