Shrewsbury and Atcham (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Shrewsbury and Atcham is a parliamentary constituency
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.
The constituency lies at the centre of Shropshire
, a large inland county of England
, bordering Wales
. It is the only British constituency to be profiled on the "Better Know a District
" segment of the popular American
television show The Colbert Report.
The constituency was established in 1983, replacing the Shrewsbury constituency
, although this change was only in name not in its boundaries.
of Shropshire Council
, which is the same as the former Shrewsbury and Atcham
borough. At its heart lies the town of Shrewsbury
(population 70,000), which is the county town
of Shropshire. It is otherwise a rural constituency. Villages such as Bayston Hill
, Ford
, Dorrington
, Condover
, Minsterley
, Pontesbury
, Bomere Heath
and of course Atcham
are included.
No boundary changes occurred to this constituency with the latest review of boundaries in England, despite the large population (estimated at 96,200 for mid-2007).
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:...
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.
The constituency lies at the centre of Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, a large inland county of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, bordering Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is the only British constituency to be profiled on the "Better Know a District
Better Know A District
Better Know a District is a recurring segment on The Colbert Report. It offers a humorous explanation of a different United States Congressional district in each segment and generally includes an interview with that district's member of Congress.- Structure :Each segment begins with basic...
" segment of the popular American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television show The Colbert Report.
The constituency was established in 1983, replacing the Shrewsbury constituency
Shrewsbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Shrewsbury was a parliamentary constituency in England, centred on the town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire.It was founded in 1290 as parliamentary borough, returning two members to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and of the...
, although this change was only in name not in its boundaries.
Geography
The constituency is coextensive with that of the Central areaArea committee
Many large local government councils in the United Kingdom have a system of area committees, with responsibility for services in a particular part of the area covered by the council....
of Shropshire Council
Shropshire Council
Shropshire Council is a unitary authority in Shropshire, United Kingdom.It replaced the former two-tier local government structure in the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire on 1 April 2009, which involved its immediate predecessor, Shropshire County Council, and five non-metropolitan districts -...
, which is the same as the former Shrewsbury and Atcham
Shrewsbury and Atcham
Shrewsbury and Atcham was, between 1974 and 2009, a local government district with borough status in Shropshire, England.Shrewsbury was the only town in the borough; Atcham, although itself only a village, was included in the name as a reflection of the incorporation into the borough of the former...
borough. At its heart lies the town of Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
(population 70,000), which is the county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of Shropshire. It is otherwise a rural constituency. Villages such as Bayston Hill
Bayston Hill
Bayston Hill is a large village and civil parish in central Shropshire, England. It is south of the county town Shrewsbury and located on the main A49 road, the Shrewsbury to Hereford road....
, Ford
Ford, Shropshire
Ford is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England.It is west of the county town of Shrewsbury, just off the A458 and near to the River Severn, at . The Royal Mail postcode is SY5. There is one pub in Ford, The Cross Gates, to the west. The Pavement Gates , is now an Indian restaurant called...
, Dorrington
Dorrington, Shropshire
Dorrington is a large village in Shropshire, England, located 6 miles south of Shrewsbury. The population of the village was estimated as being 619 in 2008....
, Condover
Condover
Condover is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England. It lies 4.7 miles south of the county town of Shrewsbury, and just east of the A49. The Cound Brook flows through the village on its way from the Stretton Hills to a confluence with the River Severn...
, Minsterley
Minsterley
Minsterley is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England. It is home to a large dairy operated by Uniq foods.The dairy currently employs nearly 500 people...
, Pontesbury
Pontesbury
Pontesbury is a large village and civil parish in Shropshire and is approximately eight miles southwest of the county town of Shrewsbury. The village of Minsterley is just over a mile further southwest. The A488 road runs through the village, on its way from Shrewsbury to Bishop's Castle...
, Bomere Heath
Bomere Heath
Bomere Heath is a village in Shropshire, England lying north of the county town of Shrewsbury and in between Baschurch and Harlescott. It is situated between the A528 road and Berwick Road...
and of course Atcham
Atcham
Atcham is a village, ecclesiastical parish and civil parish in Shropshire, England. It is situated on the B4380 , 5 miles south east of Shrewsbury. The River Severn flows around the village...
are included.
No boundary changes occurred to this constituency with the latest review of boundaries in England, despite the large population (estimated at 96,200 for mid-2007).
Members of Parliament
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
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... |
Derek Conway Derek Conway Derek Leslie Conway TD is an English politician and television presenter. A member of the centre-right Conservative Party, Conway served as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Old Bexley and Sidcup from 2001 to 2010.... |
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... |
|
1997 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... |
Paul Marsden Paul Marsden Paul William Barry Marsden is a British writer, businessman and former politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Shrewsbury and Atcham from 1997 until 2005... |
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... |
|
2001 | Liberal Democrat Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the... |
||
2005 | Labour | ||
2005 United Kingdom general election, 2005 The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160.... |
Daniel Kawczynski Daniel Kawczynski Daniel Robert Kawczynski is the Conservative Party Member for Parliament for Shrewsbury and Atcham in Shropshire, England.-Biography:... |
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... |
Elections in the 2010s
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
See also
- Parliamentary constituencies in Shropshire
- Shrewsbury (UK Parliament constituency)Shrewsbury (UK Parliament constituency)Shrewsbury was a parliamentary constituency in England, centred on the town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire.It was founded in 1290 as parliamentary borough, returning two members to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and of the...
- pre-1983
Sources
- Election results since 1992 (Guardian)
- UK Polling Report Shrewsbury & Atcham