Tatton (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 53°18′43″N 2°23′02″W / 53.312°N 2.384°W / 53.312; -2.384

Tatton
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Tatton in Cheshire.
Location of Cheshire within England.
County	Cheshire
Electorate	65,200 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created	1983
Member of parliament	Esther McVey (Conservative)
Number of members	One
Created from	Runcorn, Cheadle, Northwich and Knutsford
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency	North West England

Tatton is a constituency^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Esther McVey, a Conservative.^{[n 2]}

Members of Parliament

Constituency profile

Tatton includes Alderley Edge, Wilmslow and other outlying villages, many of which have high property prices. The seat largely comprises prosperous villages and small towns set amidst Cheshire countryside, featuring country parks, hills, recreation grounds and golf courses,^[3] previously dominated by countryside however since the 1950s, with a largely built-up, suburban character, on the fringes of Greater Manchester. The largest centres of population are Alderley Edge, Wilmslow and Knutsford. Its proximity to Manchester means Tatton forms part of the commuter belt to the city.

Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 2.1% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.^[4]

During the 2016 EU Referendum, the constituency voted to remain in the EU, despite both Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester voting to leave overall. The margin was 55.56% Remain over 44.44% Leave.^[5]

Boundaries

The constituency is the north-western part of the Cheshire East unitary authority, including the towns of Knutsford and Wilmslow, and a number of villages such as Alderley Edge, Chelford, Handforth and Mobberley, in Cheshire. It also covers a small, north-east, part of the Cheshire West and Chester unitary authority, including some of the outskirts of Northwich.

2010–present: The Cheshire East wards of Alderley Edge, Chelford, Dean Row, Fulshaw, Handforth, High Legh, Hough, Knutsford Bexton, Knutsford Nether, Knutsford Norbury Booths, Knutsford Over, Lacey Green, Mere, Mobberley, Morley and Styal, and Plumley; and the Cheshire West and Chester wards of Barnton, Cogshall, Lostock and Wincham, Rudheath and South Witton, Seven Oaks and Marston, and Shakerley.

1997–2010: The Borough of Macclesfield wards of Alderley Edge, Dean Row, Fulshaw, Handforth, High Legh, Hough, Knutsford Nether, Knutsford Over, Knutsford South, Knutsford West, Lacey Green, Mere, Mobberley, Morley and Styal, Nether Alderley, and Plumley, and the District of Vale Royal wards of Barnton, Cogshall, Lostock Gralam, Marston and Wincham, Rudheath and Whatcroft, Seven Oaks, and Shakerley.

1983–1997: The Borough of Macclesfield wards of Dean Row, Fulshaw, Handforth, High Legh, Hough, Knutsford Nether, Knutsford Over, Knutsford South, Knutsford West, Lacey Green, Mere, Mobberley, Morley and Styal, and Plumley, and the District of Vale Royal wards of Barnton, Castle, Cogshall, Lostock Gralam, Marston and Wincham, Northwich, Rudheath and Whatcroft, Seven Oaks, Shakerley, Winnington, Witton North, and Witton South.

The constituency is named after Tatton Park, a stately home in this area.

History

The constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the seats of Runcorn, Cheadle, Northwich and Knutsford. It was held by the Conservative Neil Hamilton until 1997.

During the 1997 general election campaign, Tatton was one of the UK's highest-profile constituencies. Following Hamilton's implication in the Cash for Questions scandal of the 1990s, the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats withdrew their candidates in favour of the former BBC journalist Martin Bell, who stood as an Independent, while those two parties supported his "anti-corruption" campaign. Bell was ultimately successful, with a majority of 11,077. Hamilton came second.

Bell did not contest the seat at the 2001 election, and the seat was won by Conservative George Osborne with a majority of 8,611 (20.8%). Osborne served the seat until standing down at the 2017 election,^[6] having been announced as the new editor of the London Evening Standard newspaper in March of that year. His successor was Esther McVey, who had been MP for nearby Wirral West from 2010 to 2015.

Prominent members of the frontbenches

Osborne held the seat at the 2005 election with an increased majority, and became the Shadow Chancellor that year. He held the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2010 to 2016, one of the highest frontbench government positions.

Esther McVey is currently the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions since Theresa May's Cabinet reshuffle in January 2018.

Elections

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Tatton^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Neil Hamilton	30,128	54.6
	Social Democratic	Bridie Gaskin	13,034	23.6	- 3.6
	Labour	Hazel Blears	11,760	21.3	+ 3.1
	Feudal Party	Michael Gibson	263	0.5	N/A
Majority			17,094	31.0
Turnout			55,185	76.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	+ 1.8

General Election 1983: Tatton^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Neil Hamilton	27,877	54.6	N/A
	Social Democratic	David Levy	13,917	27.2	N/A
	Labour	William Davies	9,295	18.2	N/A
Majority			13,960	27.3	N/A
Turnout			51,089	74.3	N/A
	Conservative win (new seat)

See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in Cheshire

Notes and references

Notes

References

Sources

• Data for the 2005 election are from the BBC.
• Data for the 2001 election are from http://www.election.demon.co.uk/.
• Data for the 1997 and 1992 results are taken from The Guardian.
• Data for 1983 and 1987 elections taken from http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk.htm