# Stone (UK Parliament constituency)

Stone was a constituency in Staffordshire in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was represented since its 1997 recreation by Sir Bill Cash, a Conservative. On 9 June 2023, he announced his intention to stand down at the 2024 general election.
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished. Subject to moderate boundary changes, it will be reformed as Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge, to be first contested at the 2024 general election.

## Constituency profile

This was a mostly rural seat to the south of the Stoke-on-Trent conurbation. Electoral Calculus described the seat as "Strong Right" characterised by retired, socially conservative voters who strongly supported Brexit.

## Boundaries

Stone was in the top decile in geographical size in England. It covered the area from Madeley in the north to the west of Newcastle-under-Lyme, then ran south and out to the outskirts of Market Drayton, running down to the northern edge of Newport. The boundary headed north alongside the western boundary of Stafford around the north of Stafford and down its eastern boundary. It ran across the north of Abbots Bromley before reaching its eastern end. It continued to the west of Uttoxeter in the Burton constituency. It then extended eastwards between the Burton constituency and up to Cheadle and to the south of Stoke-on-Trent. The towns of Eccleshall, Cheadle and Stone were within the constituency.
2010–2024: The Borough of Stafford wards of Barlaston and Oulton, Chartley, Church Eaton, Eccleshall, Fulford, Gnosall and Woodseaves, Milwich, St Michael's, Stonefield and Christchurch, Swynnerton, and Walton, the District of Staffordshire Moorlands wards of Cheadle North East, Cheadle South East, Cheadle West, Checkley, and Forsbrook, and the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme wards of Loggerheads and Whitmore, and Madeley.
1997–2010: The Borough of Stafford wards of Barlaston, Chartley, Church Eaton, Eccleshall, Fulford, Gnosall, Milwich, Oulton, St Michael's, Stonefield and Christchurch, Swynnerton, Walton, and Woodseaves, the District of Staffordshire Moorlands wards of Alton, Cheadle North East, Cheadle South East, Cheadle West, Checkley, Forsbrook, and Kingsley, and the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme wards of Loggerheads, Madeley, and Whitmore.
1918–1950: The Urban District of Stone, and the Rural Districts of Blore Heath, Cheadle, Mayfield, Newcastle-under-Lyme, and Stone.
There were various alterations to the constituency shape in boundary changes put in place for the 2010 general election. Stone took the areas covered by the Bradley, and Salt and Enson civil parish from the neighbouring Stafford constituency. In turn, the parishes of Hixon, Ellenhall, and Ranton, were moved back from Stone to Stafford. In the largest alteration, the north-eastern parishes covering Kingsley, Oakamoor, Alton, Farley, and Cotton, were all moved to the altered Staffordshire Moorlands.
From the 2024 general election, the constituency will be merged with parts of the current South Staffordshire and Dudley South constituencies to form the new constituency of Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge. Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, will stand as the Conservative candidate in place of Bill Cash who announced his retirement from the House of Commons in June 2023.

## History

The earlier constituency of the same name that existed 1918-1950 elected Conservatives, all three officers who had fought with some distinction in either of the two World Wars.
A new Stone constituency was created for the 1997 general election, when Parliament approved for Staffordshire the additional seat proposed by the Boundary Commission. The constituency was formed from parts of the Stafford, Staffordshire Moorlands and Mid Staffordshire.
Presenting a safe seat for the Conservatives and proving to be one, its creation reduced the Conservative majority in the Staffordshire Moorlands and Stafford constituencies, both of which were gained by a Labour Party member at the 1997 general election.

## Abolition

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished prior to the 2024 general election, with its contents distributed to a newly created seat and four neighbouring constituencies:
* The town of Stone to the new constituency of Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge
* The villages of Checkley, Forsbrook, Barlaston, Fulford, Swynnerton and Oulton to Stoke on Trent South
* The town of Cheadle to Staffordshire Moorlands
* Western rural areas, including the town of Eccleshall, to Stafford
* The village of Madeley to Newcastle-under-Lyme

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1918–1950

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1918 | Sir Smith Child, Bt. | Coalition Conservative |
| 1922 | Sir Joseph Lamb | Conservative |
| 1945 | Hugh Fraser | Conservative |
| 1950 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

### MPs 1997–2024

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1997 | Sir Bill Cash | Conservative |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Stone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bill Cash | 31,687 | 63.6 | +0.4 |
| | Labour | Mike Stubbs | 11,742 | 23.6 | −4.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alec Sandiford | 4,412 | 8.9 | +4.5 |
| | Green | Tom Adamson | 2,002 | 4.0 | +2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,945 | 40.0 | +5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,843 | 71.8 | −2.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.6 | |
General election 2017: Stone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bill Cash | 31,614 | 63.2 | +8.5 |
| | Labour Co-op | Sam Hale | 14,119 | 28.2 | +8.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Lewis | 2,222 | 4.4 | −0.9 |
| | UKIP | Edward Whitfield | 1,370 | 2.7 | −13.5 |
| | Green | Sam Pancheri | 707 | 1.4 | −1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,495 | 35.0 | +0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,032 | 73.8 | +3.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.2 | |
General election 2015: Stone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bill Cash | 25,733 | 54.7 | +4.1 |
| | Labour | Sam Hale | 9,483 | 20.2 | −0.5 |
| | UKIP | Andrew Illsley | 7,620 | 16.2 | +10.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Lewis | 2,473 | 5.3 | −17.1 |
| | Green | Wenslie Naylon | 1,191 | 2.5 | +1.5 |
| | Independent | John Coutouvidis | 531 | 1.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,250 | 34.5 | +6.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,031 | 70.1 | −0.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 2010: Stone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bill Cash | 23,890 | 50.6 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Tinker | 10,598 | 22.4 | +3.8 |
| | Labour | Joanne Lewis | 9,770 | 20.7 | −9.0 |
| | UKIP | Andrew Illsley | 2,481 | 5.3 | +2.0 |
| | Green | Damon Hoppe | 490 | 1.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,292 | 28.2 | +8.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,229 | 70.5 | +3.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −0.8 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Stone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bill Cash | 22,733 | 48.3 | −0.8 |
| | Labour | Mark Davis | 13,644 | 29.0 | −6.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Stevens | 9,111 | 19.4 | +4.3 |
| | UKIP | Mike Nattrass | 1,548 | 3.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,089 | 19.3 | +6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,036 | 66.9 | +0.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.0 | |
General election 2001: Stone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bill Cash | 22,395 | 49.1 | +2.3 |
| | Labour | John Palfreyman | 16,359 | 35.8 | −3.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brendan McKeown | 6,888 | 15.1 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,036 | 13.3 | +6.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,642 | 66.3 | −12.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Election in the 1990s

General election 1997: Stone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bill Cash | 24,859 | 46.8 | |
| | Labour | John Wakefield | 21,041 | 39.6 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barry Stamp | 6,392 | 12.0 | |
| | Liberal | Ann Winfield | 545 | 1.0 | |
| | Natural Law | Dinah Grice | 237 | 0.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,818 | 7.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,074 | 77.8 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |

### Election in the 1940s

General election 1945: Stone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugh Fraser | 20,279 | 42.9 | −18.1 |
| | Labour | W Simcock | 18,173 | 38.4 | −0.6 |
| | Liberal | John Wedgwood | 8,853 | 18.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,106 | 4.5 | −17.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,305 | 72.6 | +6.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Stone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Joseph Lamb | 20,498 | 61.0 | −1.1 |
| | Labour | WI Simcock | 13,099 | 39.0 | +20.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,399 | 22.0 | −20.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,597 | 66.3 | −8.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1931: Stone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Joseph Lamb | 20,327 | 62.1 | +22.1 |
| | Liberal | Walter Meakin | 6,407 | 19.6 | −8.7 |
| | Labour | WI Simcock | 5,993 | 18.3 | −9.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,920 | 42.5 | +26.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,727 | 74.6 | −2.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Stone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Joseph Lamb | 13,965 | 44.0 | −13.3 |
| | Liberal | Walter Meakin | 8,975 | 28.3 | +4.5 |
| | Labour | George Belt | 8,792 | 27.7 | +8.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,990 | 15.7 | −17.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,732 | 76.9 | +2.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 41,268 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −8.9 | |
General election 1924: Stone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Joseph Lamb | 12,856 | 57.3 | +6.5 |
| | Liberal | Walter Meakin | 5,351 | 23.8 | −25.4 |
| | Labour | C.A. Brook | 4,245 | 18.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,505 | 33.5 | +31.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,452 | 74.9 | +7.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 29,994 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +16.0 | |
General election 1923: Stone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Joseph Lamb | 10,001 | 50.8 | +12.5 |
| | Liberal | Walter Meakin | 9,687 | 49.2 | +13.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 314 | 1.6 | −1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,688 | 67.5 | −3.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 29,151 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −0.5 | |
General election 1922: Stone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Joseph Lamb | 7,742 | 38.3 | −8.4 |
| | Liberal | George Townsend | 7,198 | 35.7 | +1.3 |
| | Agriculturalist | W.L. Steel | 5,243 | 26.0 | +7.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 544 | 2.6 | −9.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,183 | 71.4 | +9.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 28,273 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −4.9 | |

### Election in the 1910s

General election 1918: Stone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Smith Child | 7,568 | 46.7 | |
| | Liberal | George Townsend | 5,573 | 34.4 | |
| | Agriculturalist | Joseph Lamb | 3,056 | 18.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,995 | 12.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,197 | 62.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 26,113 | | |
| | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||