# Birmingham Small Heath (UK Parliament constituency)

Birmingham Small Heath was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Small Heath area of Birmingham. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
The constituency was created for the 1950 general election, and abolished for the 1997 general election, when it was partly replaced by the new Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath constituency.

## Boundaries

Throughout its existence the constituency (as can be inferred from its name) included Small Heath ward, but that district was linked with various adjoining parts of the inner-city area of Birmingham. In its first three incarnations the constituency was to the south east of the city centre. Its boundaries moved more to the east of the city centre in the 1983 redistribution.
1950–1955: The County Borough of Birmingham wards of Duddeston, Saltley, and Small Heath. Before 1950 Duddeston ward had been part of Birmingham Duddeston and the other two wards had been part of Birmingham Yardley.
1955–1974: The County Borough of Birmingham wards of Deritend, Saltley, and Small Heath. Deritend ward was formerly part of Birmingham Sparkbrook. Duddeston ward was transferred to Birmingham Ladywood.
1974–1983: The County Borough of Birmingham wards of Duddeston, Newtown, Saltley, and Small Heath. Duddeston ward had formerly been in Birmingham Ladywood. Deritend ward was transferred to Birmingham Edgbaston.
1983–1997: The City of Birmingham wards of Aston, Nechells, and Small Heath. 72.7% of the new constituency came from the old one, 11.9% from Birmingham Handsworth (Aston ward) and smaller amounts from Birmingham Sparkbrook (6.1%), Birmingham Erdington (4.9%), Birmingham Yardley (2.6%) and Birmingham Ladywood (1.7%).
In the 1997 redistribution, this constituency disappeared. Small Heath ward joined a new seat of Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath, while Aston and Nechells wards became part of the redrawn Birmingham Ladywood.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party | Notes |
| 1950 | Fred Longden | Labour | Died October 1952 |
| 1952 by-election | William Wheeldon | Labour | Died October 1960 |
| 1961 by-election | Denis Howell | Labour | Previously MP for Birmingham All Saints 1955–59; Minister for Sport 1964-70 & 1974-79 |
| 1992 | Roger Godsiff | Labour | Subsequently, MP for Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath |
| 1997 | constituency abolished: see Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath | constituency abolished: see Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Birmingham Small Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Fred Longden | 31,985 | 62.8 | |
| | Conservative | J. Pagett | 15,556 | 30.6 | |
| | Liberal | F.G. Smith | 3,365 | 6.6 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,429 | 32.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,906 | 79.3 | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
General election 1951: Birmingham Small Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Fred Longden | 31,079 | 63.4 | +0.6 |
| | Conservative | Francis Charles Irwin | 15,156 | 30.9 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal | F.G. Smith | 2,779 | 5.7 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,923 | 32.5 | +0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,014 | 77.2 | −2.1 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | +0.5 | |
1952 Birmingham Small Heath by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | William Wheeldon | 19,491 | 67.0 | +3.6 |
| | Conservative | Edith Pitt | 9,614 | 33.0 | +2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,877 | 34.0 | +1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,105 | 46.6 | −30.6 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | −2.9 | |
General election 1955: Birmingham Small Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | William Wheeldon | 22,444 | 60.8 | −2.6 |
| | Conservative | John William Bissell | 14,484 | 39.2 | +8.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,960 | 21.6 | −10.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,928 | 65.8 | −11.4 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | −6.2 | |
General election 1959: Birmingham Small Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | William Wheeldon | 19,213 | 57.4 | −3.4 |
| | Conservative | Bernard Charles Owens | 14,282 | 42.6 | +3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,931 | 14.8 | −6.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,495 | 65.7 | −0.1 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | −3.4 | |

### Elections in the 1960s

1961 Birmingham Small Heath by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Denis Howell | 12,182 | 59.2 | +1.8 |
| | Conservative | Bernard Charles Owens | 5,923 | 28.8 | −13.8 |
| | Liberal | W. Kirk | 2,476 | 12.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,259 | 30.4 | +15.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,581 | 42.6 | −23.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −7.8 | |
General election 1964: Birmingham Small Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Denis Howell | 17,010 | 60.4 | +3.0 |
| | Conservative | Anthony J Prescott | 10,233 | 36.3 | −6.3 |
| | Communist | George Jelf | 926 | 3.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,777 | 24.1 | +9.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,169 | 60.9 | +18.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.4 | |
General election 1966: Birmingham Small Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Denis Howell | 18,075 | 69.5 | +9.1 |
| | Conservative | Francis Henry Gerard Heron Goodhart | 7,471 | 28.7 | −7.6 |
| | Communist | George Jelf | 477 | 1.8 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,604 | 40.8 | +16.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,023 | 59.6 | −1.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +8.4 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Birmingham Small Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Denis Howell | 13,794 | 61.1 | −8.4 |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Budgen | 6,923 | 30.6 | +1.9 |
| | Liberal | Gordon H. Herringshaw | 1,754 | 7.8 | New |
| | British Commonwealth Party | Saeeduz Zafar | 117 | 0.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,871 | 30.5 | −10.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,588 | 57.9 | −1.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −5.2 | |
General election February 1974: Birmingham Small Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Denis Howell | 19,319 | 57.3 | −3.8 |
| | Liberal | D.G. Minnis | 7,441 | 22.1 | +14.3 |
| | Conservative | R. O'Connor | 6,941 | 20.6 | −14.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,878. | 35.2 | +4.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,701 | 66.0 | +8.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Birmingham Small Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Denis Howell | 19,703 | 66.5 | +9.2 |
| | Conservative | R. O'Connor | 5,648 | 19.1 | −1.5 |
| | Liberal | D. Caney | 4,260 | 14.4 | −7.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,055 | 47.4 | +12.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,611 | 57.6 | −8.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.4 | |
General election 1979: Birmingham Small Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Denis Howell | 17,735 | 60.5 | −6.0 |
| | Conservative | D.J. Savage | 6,268 | 21.4 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal | D.G. Minnis | 4,470 | 15.2 | +0.8 |
| | National Front | M. Caffery | 490 | 1.7 | New |
| | Socialist Unity | C.C. Adamson | 349 | 1.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,467 | 39.1 | −8.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,312 | 62.9 | +5.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −4.2 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Birmingham Small Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Denis Howell | 22,874 | 63.8 | +3.3 |
| | Conservative | Paul Nischal | 7,262 | 20.2 | −1.2 |
| | SDP | Andrew Bostock | 5,722 | 16.0 | +0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,612 | 43.6 | +4.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,858 | 60.4 | −2.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.3 | |
General election 1987: Birmingham Small Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Denis Howell | 22,787 | 66.3 | +2.5 |
| | Conservative | Paul Nischal | 7,266 | 21.1 | +0.9 |
| | Liberal | John Hemming | 3,600 | 10.5 | −5.5 |
| | Green | Alan Clawley | 559 | 1.6 | New |
| | Communist | Peter Sheppard | 154 | 0.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,521 | 45.2 | +1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,366 | 60.6 | +0.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.7 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Birmingham Small Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roger Godsiff | 22,675 | 65.3 | −1.0 |
| | Conservative | Abdul Chaudhary | 8,686 | 24.8 | +3.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Haydn A. Thomas | 2,515 | 7.2 | −3.3 |
| | Green | Hazel M. Clawley | 824 | 2.4 | +0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,989 | 40.5 | −4.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,700 | 62.8 | +2.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −2.4 | |