# Runcorn (UK Parliament constituency)

Runcorn was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Runcorn in Cheshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

## History

Runcorn was created for the 1950 general election from parts of several constituencies.
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 primarily between the re-established constituency of Eddisbury and the new constituencies of Halton and Warrington South.

## Boundaries

For its entire existence the constituency consisted of the Urban Districts of Runcorn and Lymm, and the Rural District of Runcorn.
The Urban District of Runcorn was transferred from Northwich and Lymm was previously part of the abolished constituency of Bucklow. The Rural District of Runcorn (including Frodsham, Helsby, Grappenhall and Stockton Heath) was previously split between Knutsford, Northwich and the abolished Eddisbury constituency.
From local government boundary changes on 1 April 1974 until the constituency was abolished at the next parliamentary boundary review which came into effect for the 1983 general election, the constituency comprised parts of the expanded Borough of Warrington and the newly formed Borough of Halton, and the District of Vale Royal, but its boundaries were unchanged.
On abolition, the western half of Runcorn was included in the new constituency of Halton along with the town of Widnes (on the northern side of the River Mersey). The eastern half of the town formed part of the Weaver Vale constituency, along with Northwich, Frodsham, Helsby and surrounding areas.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1950 | Dennis Vosper | Conservative |
| | 1964 | Mark Carlisle | Conservative |
| 1983 | 1983 | constituency abolished: see Halton & Warrington South | constituency abolished: see Halton & Warrington South |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950:Runcorn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Dennis Vosper | 22,145 | 54.04 | |
| | Labour | L H Wharrad | 14,063 | 34.32 | |
| | Liberal | Harold Griffiths | 4,768 | 11.64 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,082 | 19.72 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,976 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election 1951: Runcorn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Dennis Vosper | 24,821 | 62.36 | +8.32 |
| | Labour | John Hindle | 14,980 | 37.64 | +3.32 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,841 | 24.72 | +5.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,801 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.5 | |
General election 1955: Runcorn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Dennis Vosper | 24,682 | 64.05 | +1.69 |
| | Labour | David Barker | 13,852 | 35.95 | −1.69 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,830 | 28.10 | +3.38 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,534 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1959: Runcorn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Dennis Vosper | 26,615 | 65.79 | +1.74 |
| | Labour | Joel Barnett | 13,837 | 34.21 | −1.74 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,778 | 31.58 | +3.48 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,452 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Runcorn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Carlisle | 21,586 | 49.00 | −16.79 |
| | Labour | Paul Lyall Jackson | 14,127 | 32.07 | −2.14 |
| | Liberal | Robert Walter Jordan | 8,343 | 18.94 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,459 | 16.93 | −14.65 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,056 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1966: Runcorn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Carlisle | 21,472 | 48.40 | −0.60 |
| | Labour | Michael J E Taylor | 16,290 | 36.72 | +4.65 |
| | Liberal | Terence Anthony Maher | 6,606 | 14.89 | −4.05 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,182 | 11.68 | −5.25 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,368 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Runcorn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Carlisle | 25,272 | 53.52 | +5.12 |
| | Labour | Michael J E Taylor | 16,204 | 34.32 | −2.40 |
| | Liberal | Christopher K Sumner | 5,741 | 12.16 | −2.73 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,068 | 19.20 | +7.44 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,217 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Runcorn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Carlisle | 26,374 | 45.87 | −7.65 |
| | Labour | Michael John Ellerington Taylor | 19,106 | 33.23 | −1.09 |
| | Liberal | Peter Michael Brenton | 12,020 | 20.90 | +8.74 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,268 | 12.64 | −6.56 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,500 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Runcorn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Carlisle | 25,047 | 46.15 | +0.28 |
| | Labour | Anthony John Eccles | 19,579 | 36.07 | +2.84 |
| | Liberal | David Sanders | 9,188 | 16.93 | −3.97 |
| | Independent | Noel Dobson | 464 | 0.85 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,468 | 10.08 | −2.56 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,278 | 77.62 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1979: Runcorn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Carlisle | 32,907 | 51.48 | +5.33 |
| | Labour | George Joseph Maudsley | 22,226 | 34.77 | −1.30 |
| | Liberal | Richard Charles Kemp | 8,783 | 13.74 | −3.19 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,681 | 16.71 | +6.64 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 63,916 | 77.83 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |