# Barkston Ash (UK Parliament constituency)

Barkston Ash was a parliamentary constituency centred on the village of Barkston Ash in the West Riding of Yorkshire (now part of West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire). It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

## History

The constituency was created under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and in the main returned Conservative MPs at every general election until its abolition. However, it was briefly represented by the Liberal Joseph Andrews, who won the seat at a by-election in October 1905 after the death of its first MP, Sir Robert Gunter. The Conservatives regained the seat at the 1906 general election.
At the 1983 general election, Barkston Ash was replaced by the Selby constituency. As of the 2010 general election, the modern equivalent of Barkston Ash is Selby and Ainsty.

## Boundaries

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 provided that the constituency was to consist of-
* the Sessional Divisions of-
** Lower Barkston Ash
** Skyrack (except so much as is comprised in the Osgoldcross and Pudsey Divisions)
** Upper Barkston Ash (except so much as is comprised in the Osgoldcross Division)
** Wetherby (except the Parishes (which are in the Wapentake of the Ainsty of York) of Tockwith, Bickerton, Thorpe Arch, Bilton, and Walton), and
* the Parishes of Grimston, Kirkby Wharf with North Milford, Newton Kyme with Toulston, Stutton with Hazlewood, Tadcaster West, Towton and Ulleskelf.
1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Garforth and Selby, the Rural Districts of Bishopthorpe, Selby, Tadcaster, and Wetherby, and in the Rural District of Great Ouseburn the parishes of Acomb, Hessay, Knapton, Moor Monkton, Nether Poppleton, Rufforth, and Upper Poppleton.
1950–1983: The Urban Districts of Garforth and Selby, the Rural Districts of Selby and Wetherby, the Rural District of Tadcaster except the parishes of Great and Little Preston, and Swillington, and in the Rural District of Nidderdale the parishes of Hessay, Knapton, Moor Monkton, Nether Poppleton, Rufforth, and Upper Poppleton.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1885 | Robert Gunter | Conservative |
| 1905 | Joseph Andrews | Liberal |
| 1906 | George Lane-Fox | Conservative |
| 1931 | Sir Leonard Ropner | Conservative |
| 1964 | Michael Alison | Conservative |
| 1983 | constituency abolished: see Selby | constituency abolished: see Selby |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Gunter | 4,600 | 63.1 | |
| | Liberal | Thomas Bayley | 2,694 | 36.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,906 | 26.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,294 | 86.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,411 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Gunter | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Gunter | 4,161 | 58.8 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Archibald Witham Scarr | 2,920 | 41.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,241 | 17.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,081 | 76.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,322 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1895: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Gunter | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Gunter | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
1905 Barkston Ash by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Joseph Andrews | 4,376 | 51.3 | New |
| | Conservative | George Lane-Fox | 4,148 | 48.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 228 | 2.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,524 | 83.5 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,212 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1906: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Lane-Fox | 4,894 | 53.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Joseph Andrews | 4,246 | 46.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 548 | 7.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,140 | 88.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,286 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Lane-Fox | 5,299 | 53.9 | +0.4 |
| | Liberal | Frederic Horne | 4,540 | 46.1 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 759 | 7.8 | +0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,839 | 90.5 | +1.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.4 | |
General election December 1910: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Lane-Fox | 5,066 | 53.7 | −0.2 |
| | Liberal | Frederic Horne | 4,372 | 46.3 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 694 | 7.4 | −0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,433 | 86.8 | −3.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −0.2 | |
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 July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
* Unionist: George Lane-Fox
* Liberal:
General election 1918: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | George Lane-Fox | 12,365 | 61.2 | +7.5 |
| | Liberal | John Albert Rhodes | 6,809 | 33.7 | −12.6 |
| | Independent Labour | Dennis Milner | 1,035 | 5.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,556 | 27.5 | +20.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,209 | 61.4 | −25.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,919 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +10.1 | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | George Lane-Fox | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
General election 1923: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | George Lane-Fox | 12,932 | 49.1 | N/A |
| | Labour | George Lewis Ward | 7,964 | 30.3 | New |
| | Liberal | John Lambert | 5,425 | 20.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,968 | 18.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,321 | 76.1 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 34,604 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1924: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | George Lane-Fox | 16,817 | 58.6 | +9.5 |
| | Labour | William Dobbie | 11,894 | 41.4 | +11.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,923 | 17.2 | −1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,711 | 80.2 | +4.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,792 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −0.8 | |
General election 1929: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | George Lane-Fox | 20,116 | 52.3 | −6.3 |
| | Labour Co-op | George Woods | 18,321 | 47.7 | +6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,795 | 4.6 | −12.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,437 | 80.2 | 0.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 47,940 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −6.3 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Leonard Ropner | 27,924 | 65.69 |
| | Labour Co-op | George Woods | 14,585 | 34.31 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,339 | 31.38 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,509 | 84.37 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1935: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Leonard Ropner | 25,714 | 60.88 |
| | Labour Co-op | Frank Smithson | 16,525 | 39.12 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,189 | 21.76 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,239 | 78.54 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Election in the 1940s

General election 1945: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Leonard Ropner | 24,438 | 50.12 |
| | Labour | Bertie Hazell | 24,322 | 49.88 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 116 | 0.24 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,760 | 75.56 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Leonard Ropner | 25,199 | 57.50 |
| | Labour | Bertie Hazell | 18,626 | 42.50 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,573 | 15.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,824 | 87.34 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1951: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Leonard Ropner | 25,155 | 57.57 |
| | Labour | Herbert Victor Wiseman | 18,537 | 42.43 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,618 | 15.14 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,692 | 85.05 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1955: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Leonard Ropner | 24,194 | 57.30 |
| | Labour | Geoffrey Rhodes | 18,027 | 42.70 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,167 | 14.60 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,221 | 81.09 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1959: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Leonard Ropner | 26,200 | 58.42 |
| | Labour | Robert W Bowes | 18,647 | 41.58 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,553 | 16.84 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,847 | 82.37 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Michael Alison | 27,897 | 58.82 |
| | Labour | Norman Holding | 19,533 | 41.18 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,364 | 17.64 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,430 | 81.43 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1966: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Michael Alison | 28,183 | 56.34 |
| | Labour | Stan Cohen | 21,841 | 43.66 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,342 | 12.68 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,024 | 79.85 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Alison | 35,198 | 59.6 | +3.3 |
| | Labour | E. Keith Grime | 23,861 | 40.4 | −3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,337 | 19.2 | +6.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,059 | 75.6 | −4.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −3.3 | |
General election February 1974: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Alison | 33,979 | 49.0 | −10.6 |
| | Labour | John Muir | 20,782 | 30.0 | −10.4 |
| | Liberal | Duncan Paige | 14,618 | 21.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,197 | 19.0 | −0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 69,379 | 83.5 | +7.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −0.1 | |
General election October 1974: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Alison | 30,498 | 48.0 | −1.0 |
| | Labour | John Muir | 20,557 | 32.4 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal | Duncan Paige | 12,483 | 19.7 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,941 | 15.6 | −3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 63,538 | 75.8 | −7.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.7 | |
General election 1979: Barkston Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Alison | 40,381 | 56.3 | +8.3 |
| | Labour | John Muir | 21,670 | 30.2 | −2.2 |
| | Liberal | Philip Pughe-Morgan | 7,909 | 11.0 | −8.7 |
| | Ecology | David Corry | 1,829 | 2.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,711 | 26.1 | +10.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 71,789 | 78.1 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.3 | |