# Crewe (UK Parliament constituency)

Crewe was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

## History

Crewe was first created as one of eight single-member divisions of Cheshire under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. As its name suggested, the constituency was centred on the town of Crewe in Cheshire. The town of Nantwich was also included in the constituency until 1955, when it gained its own eponymous seat.
It was abolished following the reorganisation of local authorities in 1974 by the Third Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for the 1983 general election, when it was divided roughly equally between the new constituencies of Crewe and Nantwich, and Congleton.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Crewe, and parts of the Sessional Divisions of Nantwich and Northwich.
Included the parishes of Alsager, Haslington, Nantwich and Sandbach.
1918–1950: The Municipal Borough of Crewe, the Urban Districts of Alsager and Nantwich, and parts of the Rural Districts of Congleton and Nantwich.
Sandbach transferred to Northwich.
1950–1955: The Municipal Borough of Crewe, the Urban District of Nantwich, and the Rural District of Nantwich.
Gained the remainder of the Rural District of Nantwich, including Audlem, from the abolished constituency of Eddisbury. Sandbach and the part of the Rural District of Congleton transferred to Knutsford.
1955–1983: The Municipal Borough of Crewe, the Urban Districts of Alsager and Sandbach, and in the Rural District of Nantwich the civil parishes of Barthomley, Crewe, Haslington, and Weston.
Gained Alsager and Sandbach back from Knutsford. The Urban District and the bulk of the Rural District of Nantwich transferred to the new constituency of Nantwich.
From 1 April 1974 until the constituency was abolished at the next boundary review which came into effect for the 1983 general election, the constituency comprised parts of the newly formed Boroughs of Congleton, and Crewe and Nantwich, but its boundaries were unchanged.
On abolition, the part comprising the former Municipal Borough of Crewe was included in the new constituency of Crewe and Nantwich, with Alsager, Haslington and Sandbach was added to the new constituency of Congleton.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1885 | George William Latham | Liberal |
| 1886 | Walter McLaren | Liberal |
| 1895 | Robert Ward | Conservative |
| 1900 | James Tomkinson | Liberal |
| 1910 by-election | Walter McLaren | Liberal |
| 1912 by-election | Ernest Craig | Conservative |
| 1918 | Sir Joseph Davies | Coalition Liberal |
| 1922 | Edward Hemmerde | Labour |
| 1924 | Sir Ernest Craig, Bt | Conservative |
| 1929 | William Bowen | Labour |
| 1931 | Sir Donald Somervell | Conservative |
| 1945 | Scholefield Allen | Labour |
| Feb 1974 | Gwyneth Dunwoody | Labour |
| 1983 | constituency abolished: see Crewe and Nantwich & Congleton | constituency abolished: see Crewe and Nantwich & Congleton |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George William Latham | 5,089 | 54.3 | |
| | Conservative | Oscar Leslie Stephen | 4,281 | 45.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 808 | 8.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,370 | 86.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,815 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Walter McLaren | 4,690 | 53.7 | −0.6 |
| | Conservative | Francis Randle Twemlow | 4,045 | 46.3 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 645 | 7.4 | −1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,735 | 80.8 | −5.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,815 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -0.6 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Walter McLaren | 5,558 | 58.2 | +4.5 |
| | Conservative | Horace W Chatterton | 3,990 | 41.8 | −4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,568 | 16.4 | +9.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,548 | 83.7 | +2.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,412 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +4.5 | |
General election 1895: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Ward | 5,413 | 52.7 | +10.9 |
| | Liberal | Walter McLaren | 4,863 | 47.3 | −10.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 550 | 5.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,276 | 85.5 | +1.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,018 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +10.9 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Tomkinson | 6,120 | 55.4 | +8.1 |
| | Conservative | J E Reiss | 4,921 | 44.6 | −8.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,199 | 10.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,041 | 82.1 | −3.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,447 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +8.1 | |
General election 1906: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Tomkinson | 7,805 | 59.6 | +4.2 |
| | Conservative | James Hugh Welsford | 5,297 | 40.4 | −4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,508 | 19.2 | +8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,102 | 87.1 | +5.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,051 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +4.2 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Tomkinson | 7,761 | 53.3 | −6.3 |
| | Conservative | John Lane Harrington | 5,419 | 37.2 | −3.2 |
| | Labour | Frank Rose | 1,380 | 9.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,342 | 16.1 | −3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,560 | 91.8 | +4.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,866 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -1.6 | |
1910 Crewe by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Walter McLaren | 7,639 | 55.8 | +2.5 |
| | Conservative | James Hugh Welsford | 6,041 | 44.2 | +7.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,598 | 11.6 | −4.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,680 | 86.2 | −5.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,866 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -2.3 | |
General election December 1910: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Walter McLaren | 7,629 | 56.3 | +3.0 |
| | Conservative | Ernest Craig | 5,925 | 43.7 | +6.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,704 | 12.6 | −3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,554 | 85.4 | −6.4 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −1.8 | |
1912 Crewe by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Ernest Craig | 6,260 | 44.6 | +0.9 |
| | Liberal | Harold Lawson Murphy | 5,294 | 37.7 | −18.6 |
| | Labour | James Holmes | 2,485 | 17.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 966 | 6.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,039 | 88.1 | +2.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,927 | | |
| | Unionist gain from Liberal | Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +9.8 | |
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 July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
* Unionist: Ernest Craig
* Liberal: Joseph Davies
General election 1918: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Liberal | Joseph Davies | 13,392 | 56.2 | −0.1 |
| | Labour | James Brownlie | 10,439 | 43.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,953 | 12.4 | −0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,831 | 68.4 | −17.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 34,818 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Edward Hemmerde | 15,311 | 50.9 | +7.1 |
| | National Liberal | Joseph Davies | 14,756 | 49.1 | −7.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 555 | 1.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,067 | 80.9 | +12.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 37,159 | | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal | Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | +7.1 | |
General election 1923: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Edward Hemmerde | 14,628 | 46.5 | −4.4 |
| | Unionist | Thomas Strangman | 8,734 | 27.8 | New |
| | Liberal | Robert Mortimer Montgomery | 8,068 | 25.7 | −23.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,894 | 18.7 | +16.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,430 | 82.8 | +1.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 37,959 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.5 | |
General election 1924: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Ernest Craig | 18,333 | 55.5 | +27.7 |
| | Labour | Edward Hemmerde | 14,705 | 44.5 | −2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,628 | 11.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,038 | 85.6 | +2.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 38,583 | | |
| | Unionist gain from Labour | Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | +14.9 | |
* Liberal candidate, Alexander Lyle-Samuel withdrew.
General election 1929: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Bowen | 20,948 | 50.2 | +5.7 |
| | Unionist | Donald Somervell | 11,732 | 28.1 | −27.4 |
| | Liberal | William Craven Llewelyn | 9,076 | 21.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,216 | 22.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,756 | 83.7 | −1.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 49,863 | | |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +16.6 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Donald Somervell | 25,141 | 57.8 | +29.7 |
| | Labour | William Bowen | 18,351 | 42.2 | −8.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,790 | 15.6 | −6.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,492 | 84.5 | +0.8 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Donald Somervell | 21,729 | 51.3 | −6.5 |
| | Labour | William Bowen | 20,620 | 48.7 | +6.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,109 | 2.6 | −13.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,349 | 80.3 | −4.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General Election 1939–40
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
* Conservative: Donald Somervell
* Labour: William Bowen

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Scholefield Allen | 28,416 | 60.6 | +11.9 |
| | Conservative | Donald Somervell | 18,468 | 39.4 | −11.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,948 | 21.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,884 | 74.6 | −5.7 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Scholefield Allen | 28,981 | 53.3 | −7.3 |
| | Conservative | John Richard T. Turner | 25,355 | 46.7 | +7.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,626 | 6.6 | −14.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,336 | 86.7 | +12.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1951: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Scholefield Allen | 28,488 | 52.2 | −1.1 |
| | Conservative | John Richard T. Turner | 26,045 | 47.8 | +1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,443 | 4.6 | −2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,533 | 86.6 | −0.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Scholefield Allen | 21,629 | 52.5 | +0.3 |
| | Conservative | Granger Farwell Boston | 15,273 | 37.1 | −10.7 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Stuttard Rothwell | 4,306 | 10.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,356 | 15.4 | +10.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,208 | 81.5 | −5.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1959: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Scholefield Allen | 22,811 | 54.5 | +2.0 |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Leonard Beaman | 19,030 | 45.5 | +8.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,781 | 9.0 | −6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,841 | 82.1 | +0.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Scholefield Allen | 23,579 | 57.2 | +2.7 |
| | Conservative | Anthony G. Barbour | 17,657 | 42.8 | −2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,922 | 14.4 | +5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,236 | 79.0 | −3.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1966: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Scholefield Allen | 24,141 | 61.0 | +3.8 |
| | Conservative | Anthony G. Barbour | 15,430 | 39.0 | −3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,711 | 22.0 | +7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,571 | 75.6 | −3.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Scholefield Allen | 22,160 | 54.3 | −6.7 |
| | Conservative | Alastair Goodlad | 18,678 | 45.7 | +6.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,482 | 8.6 | −13.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,838 | 71.0 | −4.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gwyneth Dunwoody | 21,259 | 46.5 | −7.8 |
| | Conservative | James Graham Park | 16,136 | 35.3 | −10.4 |
| | Liberal | D. J. Hulland | 8,313 | 18.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,123 | 11.2 | +2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,708 | 77.8 | +6.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gwyneth Dunwoody | 21,534 | 49.7 | +3.2 |
| | Conservative | James Graham Park | 14,279 | 32.9 | −2.4 |
| | Liberal | E.A. Richardson | 7,559 | 17.4 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,255 | 16.8 | +5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,372 | 73.2 | −4.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1979: Crewe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gwyneth Dunwoody | 22,288 | 48.3 | −1.4 |
| | Conservative | John V. Butcher | 18,051 | 39.1 | +6.2 |
| | Liberal | C. Bithell | 5,430 | 11.8 | −5.6 |
| | National Front | W. Tonks | 352 | 0.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,237 | 9.2 | −7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,121 | 77.5 | +4.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |