# Doncaster (UK Parliament constituency)

Doncaster was a Parliamentary constituency covering the town of Doncaster in England. It was created in 1885 and abolished in 1983.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: The Borough of Doncaster, and parts of the Sessional Divisions of Lower Strafforth and Tickhill, and Upper Strafforth and Tickhill.
1918–1950: The Borough of Doncaster, and the Urban Districts of Adwick-le-Street and Bentley-with-Arksey.
1950–1983: The County Borough of Doncaster.
The area formerly covered by this constituency is now mostly in the Doncaster Central and Doncaster North constituencies.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | Walter Shirley Shirley | Liberal |
| | 1888 by-election | Hon. Henry Wentworth-FitzWilliam | Liberal Unionist |
| | 1892 | Charles James Fleming | Liberal |
| | 1895 | Frederick Fison | Conservative |
| | 1906 | Charles Norris Nicholson | Liberal |
| | 1918 | Reginald Nicholson | Liberal |
| | 1922 | Wilfred Paling | Labour |
| | 1931 | Hugh Molson | Conservative |
| | 1935 | Alfred Short | Labour |
| | 1938 by-election | John Morgan | Labour |
| | 1941 by-election | Evelyn Walkden | Labour |
| | 1950 | Ray Gunter | Labour |
| | 1951 | Anthony Barber | Conservative |
| | 1964 | Harold Walker | Labour |
| 1983 | 1983 | constituency abolished: see Doncaster Central & Doncaster North | constituency abolished: see Doncaster Central & Doncaster North |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harold Walker | 22,184 | 48.9 | −2.4 |
| | Conservative | P. Beard | 19,208 | 42.4 | +8.3 |
| | Liberal | Gerald Broadhead | 3,646 | 8.0 | −6.7 |
| | National Front | M. Day | 300 | 0.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,976 | 6.5 | −10.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,338 | 75.0 | +2.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harold Walker | 22,177 | 51.3 | +3.4 |
| | Conservative | J. Wilkinson | 14,747 | 34.1 | −2.4 |
| | Liberal | W. J. Davidson | 6,336 | 14.7 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,430 | 17.2 | +5.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,260 | 72.8 | −8.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harold Walker | 23,041 | 47.9 | −2.8 |
| | Conservative | K. I. Tunnicliffe | 17,565 | 36.5 | −6.9 |
| | Liberal | W. J. Davidson | 7,590 | 15.6 | +9.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,476 | 11.4 | +4.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,196 | 81.7 | +6.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1970: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harold Walker | 22,658 | 50.7 | −6.0 |
| | Conservative | Peter Davies | 19,431 | 43.4 | +0.1 |
| | Liberal | Tom Blades | 2,648 | 5.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,227 | 7.3 | −6.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,737 | 74.8 | −6.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harold Walker | 25,777 | 56.7 | +6.8 |
| | Conservative | J. M. Whittaker | 19,689 | 43.3 | −4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,088 | 13.4 | +11.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,466 | 81.2 | −1.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1964: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harold Walker | 23,845 | 49.9 | +3.5 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Barber | 22,732 | 47.6 | −6.0 |
| | Independent | Gerald Broadhead | 1,201 | 2.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,113 | 2.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,778 | 82.7 | −1.8 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Anthony Barber | 26,521 | 53.6 | +1.8 |
| | Labour | Ted Garrett | 22,935 | 46.4 | −1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,586 | 7.3 | +3.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,456 | 84.5 | +3.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Anthony Barber | 24,598 | 51.8 | +1.4 |
| | Labour | Ray Gunter | 22,938 | 48.3 | −1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,660 | 3.5 | +2.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,536 | 81.8 | −4.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1951: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Anthony Barber | 25,005 | 50.4 | +1.3 |
| | Labour | Ray Gunter | 24,621 | 49.6 | −1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 384 | 0.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,626 | 86.2 | +0.6 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election 1950: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ray Gunter | 24,449 | 50.9 | −19.3 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Barber | 23,571 | 49.1 | +19.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 878 | 1.8 | −38.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,020 | 85.6 | +11.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Evelyn Walkden | 40,050 | 70.2 | +12.6 |
| | Conservative | Henry Archibald Taylor | 16,999 | 29.8 | −12.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,051 | 40.4 | +25.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,049 | 74.5 | −3.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
In the 1941 Doncaster by-election, Evelyn Walkden was elected unopposed.

### Elections in the 1930s

1938 Doncaster by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Morgan | 31,735 | 61.3 | +3.7 |
| | National Liberal | Alex Monteith | 20,027 | 38.7 | −3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,708 | 22.6 | +7.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,762 | 75.4 | −2.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Alfred Short | 29,963 | 57.6 | +12.5 |
| | Conservative | Hugh Molson | 22,011 | 42.4 | −2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,952 | 15.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,974 | 77.7 | 0.0 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
General election 1931: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hugh Molson | 27,205 | 54.9 | +30.5 |
| | Labour | Wilfred Paling | 22,363 | 45.1 | −10.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,842 | 9.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,068 | 77.7 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Wilfred Paling | 25,295 | 56.0 | +3.3 |
| | Unionist | Ernest Albert Phillips | 11,016 | 24.4 | −22.9 |
| | Liberal | J. T. Clarke | 8,842 | 19.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,279 | 31.6 | +26.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,103 | 77.6 | +0.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 58,213 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +13.1 | |
General election 1924: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Wilfred Paling | 16,496 | 52.7 | −7.9 |
| | Unionist | A. S. Matthews | 14,800 | 47.3 | +7.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,696 | 5.4 | −15.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,296 | 77.0 | +8.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 40,633 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −7.9 | |
General election 1923: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Wilfred Paling | 16,198 | 60.6 | +14.1 |
| | Unionist | William St Andrew Warde-Aldam | 10,514 | 39.4 | +10.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,684 | 21.2 | +3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,712 | 68.4 | −9.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 39,027 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.7 | |
General election 1922: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Wilfred Paling | 13,437 | 46.5 | +21.5 |
| | Unionist | Robert Calverley Allington Bewicke-Copley | 8,279 | 28.7 | N/A |
| | National Liberal | Reginald Nicholson | 7,161 | 24.8 | −50.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,158 | 17.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,877 | 77.4 | +18.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 37,310 | | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal | Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | +35.9 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Liberal | Reginald Nicholson | 15,431 | 75.0 | +17.0 |
| | Labour | Robert Morley | 5,153 | 25.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,278 | 50.0 | +34.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,584 | 58.6 | −15.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,114 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||
General election December 1910: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Nicholson | 9,240 | 58.0 | −2.1 |
| | Conservative | Charles Warwick Whitworth | 6,696 | 42.0 | +2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,544 | 16.0 | −4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,936 | 74.1 | −8.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 21,511 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −2.1 | |
General election January 1910: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Nicholson | 10,654 | 60.1 | −2.2 |
| | Conservative | Charles Warwick Whitworth | 7,085 | 39.9 | +2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,569 | 20.2 | −4.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,739 | 82.5 | +2.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 21,511 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −2.2 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1906: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Nicholson | 9,315 | 62.3 | +13.7 |
| | Conservative | Frederick Fison | 5,646 | 37.7 | −13.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,669 | 24.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,961 | 80.1 | +2.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,682 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +13.7 | |
General election 1900: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frederick Fison | 6,512 | 51.4 | +0.8 |
| | Liberal | A. W. Black | 6,147 | 48.6 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 365 | 2.8 | +1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,659 | 77.8 | −6.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,276 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.8 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1895: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frederick Fison | 6,098 | 50.6 | +1.8 |
| | Liberal | Joseph Walton | 5,957 | 49.4 | −1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 141 | 1.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,055 | 84.6 | +6.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,247 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.8 | |
General election 1892: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Fleming | 5,831 | 51.2 | −0.2 |
| | Liberal Unionist | William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam | 5,552 | 48.8 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 279 | 2.4 | −0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,383 | 78.4 | +3.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,521 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −0.2 | |

### Elections in the 1880s

By-election, 23 Feb 1888: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam | 5,634 | 51.0 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal | Joseph Balfour | 5,423 | 49.0 | −2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 211 | 2.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,057 | 83.4 | +8.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,252 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +2.4 | |
General election 1886: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Walter Shirley | 5,060 | 51.4 | −3.3 |
| | Liberal Unionist | William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam | 4,792 | 48.6 | +3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 268 | 2.8 | −6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,852 | 74.9 | −4.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,157 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −3.3 | |
General election 1885: Doncaster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Walter Shirley | 5,680 | 54.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Alfred Gathorne-Hardy | 4,700 | 45.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 980 | 9.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,380 | 78.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,157 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |