# Richmond (Yorks) (UK Parliament constituency)

Richmond (Yorks) was a constituency in North Yorkshire in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was represented from 1910 by members of the Conservative Party. The last MP for Richmond was Rishi Sunak, the former Prime Minister and Conservative leader from 2022 to 2024.
Further to the completion of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, the seat had minor boundary changes and was renamed to Richmond and Northallerton, first contested at the 2024 general election.

## Constituency profile

The constituency was a safe seat for the Conservative Party, which has held it continuously since 1910 (if including the 11 years by the allied Unionist Party from 1918), and in the 2010 general election Richmond produced the largest numerical and percentage majority for a Conservative, 62.8% of the vote.
The Conservative MP and one-time Party leader William Hague held the seat from a by-election in 1989 until he retired from the Commons in 2015. He had held the posts of Leader of the Opposition (1997–2001), Foreign Secretary (2010–2014) and Leader of the House of Commons (2014–2015). His successor, Rishi Sunak, served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2020 to 2022 and as Prime Minister from 2022 to 2024, whilst Hague's predecessor, Leon Brittan, served as Home Secretary. The constituency thus produced three consecutive MPs who served in the Great Offices of State, two of whom served as Leader of the Conservative Party.
The constituency consisted of, in the west, the entire Richmondshire district and, in the east, the northern part of Hambleton District. It was a mostly rural seat with a mostly affluent population.

## History

Richmond was one of the parliamentary boroughs in the Unreformed House of Commons that dates to the middle of its long existence, first being represented in 1585. Medieval royal charters had specifically exempted the town from sending members to Parliament; at the time this was often seen as an expensive burden.
By the early eighteenth century it was controlled by the Yorke and Darcy families, who each nominated a member; the Darcys gained control in the 1760s and shortly afterwards the interest was purchased by Sir Lawrence Dundas, 1st Baronet, along with the Aske estate. The Dundases or their nominees would retain control of the borough's representation for many years; there was no contested election between 1722 and 1839 and then not another until 1866. The last Dundas family member would not retire from the seat until 1885. During this period the seat was a safe one for the Whigs and later the Liberals; since around 1918 it has been a safe seat for the Conservative Party, with majorities often more than 40%.
From 1983 the seat was represented by the cabinet minister Leon Brittan, after boundary changes saw his Cleveland and Whitby seat abolished; however he resigned from the Commons in December 1988 in order to take up the position of vice-president of the European Commission.

### 1989 by-election

The ensuing by-election, in February 1989, was won by William Hague: it was the last by-election won by a Conservative candidate during the Conservative Governments of 1979–1997. Hague's win has been attributed in part to the decision by the remnants of the Social Democratic Party (those members that objected to the merger with the Liberal Party the previous year) to contest the election as well as the newly merged Social and Liberal Democrats (who subsequently renamed themselves the Liberal Democrats). The SDP candidate, local farmer Mike Potter, came second, and Hague's majority of 2,634 was considerably smaller than the number of votes (11,589) for the SLD candidate, Barbara Pearce. Despite the Labour landslide of 1997, they did not come close to winning the seat, which stayed Conservative with a majority of 10,000. Hague retained the seat at every general election from then on, building the Conservative majority to 23,336, until his decision to step down at the 2015 election.

### 1992 change in main opposition candidate

In 1992 the Labour candidate until a few weeks before the election, David Abrahams, was deselected following a series of rows within the local party over his personal life and business interests. It emerged in 2007 that he used the name "David Martin" when dealing with tenants in his various rental properties in the Newcastle area, and that he had claimed that he lived with his wife and son, though he had never been married. Divorcee Anthea Bailey later told a local newspaper she and her 11-year-old son had posed as Mr Abrahams' family as part of a business arrangement so that Abrahams could create "the right impression".

### 2001–2024

At the 2001 general election Richmond became the Conservatives' safest seat in the UK, both in terms of the actual numerical majority and by percentage, the seat being held by William Hague, then the Conservative leader. Although the numerical majority was surpassed by Buckingham at the 2005 election, Richmond has a smaller electorate and had a greater proportion of Conservative voters so retained the second-largest percentage majority. Again in 2010, Richmond was the safest Conservative seat in the country in terms of numerical and percentage majority, though by 2019 it had slipped out of the top 15 safest Conservative seats. It has been represented since May 2015 by Rishi Sunak, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Conservative Party.

## Boundaries

1918–1950: The Borough of Richmond, the Urban Districts of Kirklington-cum-Upsland, Masham, and Northallerton, and the Rural Districts of Aysgarth, Bedale, Croft, Leyburn, Northallerton, Reeth, Richmond, Startforth, and Stokesley.
1950–1955: The Borough of Richmond, the Urban District of Northallerton, and the Rural Districts of Aysgarth, Croft, Leyburn, Masham, Northallerton, Reeth, Richmond, Startforth, and Stokesley.
1955–1974: As prior but with redrawn boundaries.
1974–1983: As prior but with redrawn boundaries.
1983–1997: The District of Richmondshire, and the District of Hambleton wards of Appleton Wiske, Bedale, Brompton, Broughton and Greenhow, Carlton Miniott, Crakehall, Great Ayton, Hillside, Leeming, Leeming Bar, Morton-on-Swale, Northallerton North East, Northallerton South East, Northallerton West, Osmotherley, Romanby, Romanby Broomfield, Rudby, Sowerby, Stokesley, Swainby, Tanfield, The Cowtons, The Thorntons, Thirsk, Topcliffe, and Whitestonecliffe.
1997–2010: The District of Richmondshire, and the District of Hambleton wards of Appleton Wiske, Brompton, Broughton and Greenhow, Great Ayton, Leeming Bar, Morton-on-Swale, Northallerton North East, Northallerton South East, Northallerton West, Osmotherley, Romanby, Romanby Broomfield, Rudby, Stokesley, Swainby, and The Cowtons.
2010–2024: The District of Richmondshire, and the former District of Hambleton wards of Bedale, Brompton, Broughton and Greenhow, Cowtons, Crakehall, Great Ayton, Leeming, Leeming Bar, Morton-on-Swale, Northallerton Broomfield, Northallerton Central, Northallerton North, Osmotherley, Romanby, Rudby, Stokesley, Swainby, and Tanfield.
The Richmond constituency covered the Richmondshire district and the northern part of the former Hambleton District. It is a mostly affluent rural area with a significant commuter population, covering parts of the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales National Parks, including Wensleydale and Swaledale. It contained the market towns of Northallerton, Richmond, Leyburn, Bedale, Hawes and Stokesley, along with Great Ayton and other villages. It also includes the largest army base in Europe, Catterick Garrison.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1585–1640

| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| 1584 | John Pepper | Marmaduke Wyvill |
| 1586 | Robert Bowes | Samuel Coxe |
| 1588 | James Dale | John Smythe |
| 1593 | Talbot Bowes | John Pepper |
| 1597 | Marmaduke Wyvill | Cuthbert Pepper |
| 1601 | Cuthbert Pepper | Talbot Bowes |
| 1604 | Sir John Savile | Richard Percevall |
| 1614 | Sir Talbot Bowes | Sir William Richardson |
| 1621 | Sir Talbot Bowes | William Bowes |
| 1624 | John Wandesford | Christopher Pepper |
| 1625 | Christopher Wandesford | Sir Talbot Bowes |
| 1626 | Christopher Wandesford | Matthew Hutton |
| 1628 | Sir Talbot Bowes | James Howell |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned | No Parliaments summoned |

### MPs 1640–1868

| Year | Year | First member | First party | Second member | Second party |
| | April 1640 | Sir William Pennyman, Bt. | Royalist | Maulger Norton | |
| | November 1640 | Sir William Pennyman, Bt. | Royalist | Sir Thomas Danby | Royalist |
| | August 1642 | Pennyman disabled to sit (Pennyman died August 1643) | Pennyman disabled to sit (Pennyman died August 1643) | | Sir Thomas Danby | Royalist |
| | September 1642 | Pennyman disabled to sit (Pennyman died August 1643) | Pennyman disabled to sit (Pennyman died August 1643) | Danby disabled to sit | Danby disabled to sit |
| | 1645 | Thomas Chaloner | | Francis Thorpe | |
| | 1653 | Richmond was unrepresented in Barebone's Parliament | Richmond was unrepresented in Barebone's Parliament | Richmond was unrepresented in Barebone's Parliament | Richmond was unrepresented in Barebone's Parliament |
| | 1654 | John Wastal | | Richmond had only one seat in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Richmond had only one seat in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |
| | 1656 | John Bathurst | | Richmond had only one seat in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Richmond had only one seat in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |
| | January 1659 | Sir Christopher Wyvill, Bt. | | John Bathurst | |
| | May 1659 | Thomas Chaloner | | Francis Thorpe | |
| | April 1660 | James Darcy | | Sir Christopher Wyvill, Bt. | |
| | 1661 | Sir John Yorke | | Joseph Cradock | |
| | 1662 | Sir John Yorke | | John Wandesford | |
| | 1664 | Sir William Killigrew | | John Wandesford | |
| | 1665 | Sir William Killigrew | | Marmaduke Darcy | |
| | 1679 | Humphrey Wharton | | Thomas Cradock | |
| | 1681 | Humphrey Wharton | | John Darcy, Lord Conyers | |
| | 1685 | Thomas Cradock | | John Darcy, Lord Conyers | |
| | January 1689 | Thomas Yorke | | John Darcy, Lord Conyers | |
| | February 1689 | Thomas Yorke | | Philip Darcy | |
| | 1690 | Sir Mark Milbanke, Bt | | Theodore Bathurst | |
| | 1695 | Thomas Yorke | | Sir Marmaduke Wyvill, Bt. | |
| | 1698 | Thomas Yorke | | James Darcy | |
| | 1701 | Thomas Yorke | | John Hutton | |
| | 1702 | Thomas Yorke | | James Darcy | |
| | May 1705 | Thomas Yorke | | Wharton Dunch | |
| | December 1705 | Thomas Yorke | | William Walsh | |
| | 1708 | Thomas Yorke | | Harry Mordaunt | |
| | 1710 | John Yorke | Whig | Harry Mordaunt | |
| | 1713 | Thomas Yorke | | Harry Mordaunt | |
| | 1717 | John Yorke | Whig | Harry Mordaunt | |
| | 1720 | John Yorke | Whig | Richard Abell | Whig |
| | 1722 | John Yorke | Whig | Conyers Darcy | Whig |
| | 1727 | Charles Bathurst | | Sir Marmaduke Wyvill, Bt. | |
| | 1728 | John Yorke | Whig | Sir Conyers Darcy | Whig |
| | 1747 | John Yorke | Whig | Earl of Ancram | |
| | 1757 | Thomas Yorke | | Earl of Ancram | |
| | 1761 | Sir Ralph Milbanke | | Earl of Ancram | |
| | 1763 | Sir Ralph Milbanke | | Thomas Dundas | |
| | March 1768 | Alexander Wedderburn | | Sir Lawrence Dundas, Bt | |
| | November 1768 | Alexander Wedderburn | | William Norton | |
| | 1769 | Charles John Crowle | | William Norton | |
| | 1774 | Thomas Dundas | | Sir Lawrence Dundas, Bt | |
| | January 1775 | Thomas Dundas | | Charles Dundas | |
| | December 1775 | William Norton | | Charles Dundas | |
| | 1780 | Marquess of Graham | | Sir Lawrence Dundas, Bt | |
| | 1781 | Marquess of Graham | | George Fitzwilliam | |
| | 1784 | Murrough O'Brien, 1st Marquess of Thomond | | Charles Dundas | |
| | 1786 | Murrough O'Brien, 1st Marquess of Thomond | | Sir Grey Cooper | |
| | 1790 | Murrough O'Brien, 1st Marquess of Thomond | | Lawrence Dundas | Whig |
| | 1796 | Charles George Beauclerk | | Lawrence Dundas | Whig |
| | 1798 | Arthur Shakespeare | Whig | Lawrence Dundas | Whig |
| | 1802 | Arthur Shakespeare | Whig | George Dundas | Whig |
| | 1806 | Arthur Shakespeare | Whig | Charles Lawrence Dundas | Whig |
| | 1808 | Lawrence Dundas | Whig | Charles Lawrence Dundas | Whig |
| | 1810 | Lawrence Dundas | Whig | Robert Chaloner | Whig |
| | January 1812 | George Dundas | Whig | Robert Chaloner | Whig |
| | October 1812 | Dudley Long North | Whig | Robert Chaloner | Whig |
| | 1818 | Thomas Dundas | Whig | Viscount Maitland | Whig |
| | 1820 | Thomas Dundas | Whig | Samuel Barrett Moulton Barrett | Whig |
| | 1828 | Thomas Dundas | Whig | Sir Robert Dundas | Whig |
| | 1830 | John Dundas | Whig | Sir Robert Dundas | Whig |
| | 1835 | Alexander Speirs | Whig | Thomas Dundas | Whig |
| | 1839 | Alexander Speirs | Whig | Sir Robert Dundas | Whig |
| | February 1841 | George Wentworth-FitzWilliam | Whig | Sir Robert Dundas | Whig |
| | June 1841 | John Dundas | Whig | William Ridley-Colborne | Whig |
| | 1846 | John Dundas | Whig | Henry Rich | Whig |
| | 1847 | Marmaduke Wyvill | Whig | Henry Rich | Whig |
| | 1859 | Marmaduke Wyvill | Liberal | Henry Rich | Liberal |
| | 1861 | Marmaduke Wyvill | Liberal | Sir Roundell Palmer | Liberal |
| | 1865 | John Dundas | Liberal | Sir Roundell Palmer | Liberal |
| | 1866 | Marmaduke Wyvill | Liberal | Sir Roundell Palmer | Liberal |
| Representation reduced to one member |||||||

### 1868–2024

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1868 | Sir Roundell Palmer | Liberal |
| 1872 by-election | Lawrence Dundas | Liberal |
| 1873 by-election | John Dundas | Liberal |
| 1885 | Sir Frederick Milbank, Bt | Liberal |
| 1886 | George Elliot | Conservative |
| 1895 | John Hutton | Conservative |
| 1906 | Francis Dyke Acland | Liberal |
| Jan 1910 | William Orde-Powlett | Conservative |
| 1918 | Sir Murrough Wilson | Unionist |
| 1929 | Thomas Dugdale | Conservative |
| 1959 | Timothy Kitson | Conservative |
| 1983 | Leon Brittan | Conservative |
| 1989 by-election | William Hague | Conservative |
| 2015 | Rishi Sunak | Conservative |
| 2024 | Constituency abolished See Richmond and Northallerton | Constituency abolished See Richmond and Northallerton |

## Election results 1831–2019
### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Rishi Sunak | 36,693 | 63.6 | −0.3 |
| | Labour | Thomas Kirkwood | 9,483 | 16.4 | −7.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Philip Knowles | 6,989 | 12.1 | +6.2 |
| | Green | John Yorke | 2,500 | 4.3 | +1.2 |
| | Yorkshire | Laurence Waterhouse | 1,077 | 1.9 | −1.8 |
| | Independent | Nick Jardine | 961 | 1.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 27,210 | 47.2 | +6.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,703 | 69.9 | −0.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.3 | |
General election 2017: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Rishi Sunak | 36,458 | 63.9 | +12.5 |
| | Labour | Dan Perry | 13,350 | 23.4 | +10.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tobie Abel | 3,360 | 5.9 | −0.5 |
| | Yorkshire | Chris Pearson | 2,106 | 3.7 | New |
| | Green | Fiona Yorke | 1,739 | 3.1 | −1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,108 | 40.5 | +4.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,013 | 70.5 | +5.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.2 | |
General election 2015: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Rishi Sunak | 27,744 | 51.4 | −11.4 |
| | UKIP | Matthew Cooke | 8,194 | 15.2 | New |
| | Labour | Mike Hill | 7,124 | 13.2 | −2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Harris | 3,465 | 6.4 | −12.7 |
| | Independent | John Blackie | 3,348 | 6.2 | New |
| | Green | Leslie Rowe | 2,313 | 4.3 | +1.5 |
| | Independent | Robin Scott | 1,811 | 3.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,550 | 36.2 | −7.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,999 | 64.7 | −2.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −13.3 | |
General election 2010: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Hague | 33,541 | 62.8 | +3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lawrence Meredith | 10,205 | 19.1 | +2.2 |
| | Labour | Eileen Driver | 8,150 | 15.3 | −5.3 |
| | Green | Leslie Rowe | 1,516 | 2.8 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,336 | 43.7 | +4.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,412 | 67.2 | +2.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.4 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Hague | 26,722 | 59.1 | +0.2 |
| | Labour | Neil Foster | 8,915 | 19.7 | −2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jacquie Bell | 7,982 | 17.7 | −0.2 |
| | Green | Leslie Rowe | 1,581 | 3.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,807 | 39.4 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,200 | 65.0 | −2.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.2 | |
General election 2001: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Hague | 25,951 | 58.9 | +10.0 |
| | Labour Co-op | Fay Tinnion | 9,632 | 21.9 | −5.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Thomas Forth | 7,890 | 17.9 | −0.5 |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Boney Steniforth | 561 | 1.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,319 | 37.0 | +15.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,034 | 67.4 | −6.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +8.0 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Hague | 23,326 | 48.9 | −13.0 |
| | Labour Co-op | Steven Merritt | 13,275 | 27.8 | +16.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jane Harvey | 8,773 | 18.4 | −7.3 |
| | Referendum | Alex Bentley | 2,367 | 5.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,051 | 21.1 | −15.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,741 | 73.4 | −5.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −13.9 | |
General election 1992: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Hague | 40,202 | 61.9 | +0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | George Irwin | 16,698 | 25.7 | −1.3 |
| | Labour | Ross Cranston | 7,523 | 11.6 | −0.2 |
| | Independent | A. Michael Barr | 570 | 0.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,504 | 36.2 | +2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 64,993 | 78.4 | +6.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.0 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

Richmond by-election, 1989 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Hague | 19,543 | 37.2 | −24.0 |
| | SDP | Mike Potter | 16,909 | 32.2 | New |
| | SLD | Barbara Pearce | 11,589 | 22.1 | −4.9 |
| | Labour | Frank Robson | 2,591 | 4.9 | −6.9 |
| | Green | Robert Upshall | 1,473 | 2.8 | New |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Screaming Lord Sutch | 167 | 0.3 | New |
| | Independent | Anthony Millns | 113 | 0.2 | New |
| | Corrective Party | Lindi St Clair | 106 | 0.2 | New |
| | Liberal | Nicholas Watkins | 70 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,634 | 5.0 | −29.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,561 | 64.4 | −7.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1987: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Leon Brittan | 34,995 | 61.2 | −1.4 |
| | Liberal | David Lloyd-Williams | 15,419 | 27.0 | −0.7 |
| | Labour | Frank Robson | 6,737 | 11.8 | +2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,576 | 34.2 | −0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,151 | 72.1 | +3.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.3 | |
General election 1983: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Leon Brittan | 32,373 | 62.6 | |
| | Liberal | David Raw | 14,307 | 27.7 | |
| | Labour Co-op | Barbara Hawkins | 4,997 | 9.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,066 | 34.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,677 | 68.7 | −3.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Timothy Kitson | 28,958 | 61.5 | +4.6 |
| | Liberal | G. Hodgson | 9,964 | 21.1 | −2.3 |
| | Labour | Ken Bratton | 8,173 | 17.4 | −2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,994 | 40.4 | +6.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,095 | 72.1 | −3.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.5 | |
General election October 1974: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Timothy Kitson | 23,156 | 56.9 | −1.3 |
| | Liberal | P. Waudby | 9,528 | 23.4 | −1.9 |
| | Labour | Ian Wilkie | 8,025 | 19.7 | +3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,628 | 33.5 | +0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,709 | 65.7 | −9.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.3 | |
General election February 1974: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Timothy Kitson | 26,994 | 58.2 | −4.6 |
| | Liberal | Elizabeth May Graham | 11,727 | 25.3 | +14.3 |
| | Labour | Edward Pearce | 7,659 | 16.5 | −9.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,267 | 32.9 | −3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,380 | 75.5 | +6.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -9.5 | |
General election 1970: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Timothy Kitson | 30,471 | 62.8 | +6.2 |
| | Labour | Michael Aldrich | 12,702 | 26.2 | +1.6 |
| | Liberal | John R. Smithson | 5,354 | 11.0 | −7.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,769 | 36.6 | +4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,527 | 68.4 | −2.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.3 | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Timothy Kitson | 23,541 | 56.6 | −2.3 |
| | Labour | W. Patrick Lisle | 10,210 | 24.6 | +3.9 |
| | Liberal | Clifford Keith Wain Schellenberg | 7,824 | 18.8 | −1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,331 | 32.0 | −6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,575 | 71.3 | −4.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1964: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Timothy Kitson | 25,345 | 58.9 | −16.5 |
| | Labour | Gordon A. Knott | 8,908 | 20.7 | −3.9 |
| | Liberal | Clifford Keith Wain Schellenberg | 8,787 | 20.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,437 | 38.2 | −12.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,040 | 75.6 | +4.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Timothy Kitson | 28,270 | 75.44 |
| | Labour | Mabel McMillan | 9,203 | 24.56 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,067 | 50.88 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,473 | 71.49 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1955: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Thomas Dugdale | 24,979 | 73.57 |
| | Labour | Richard Hoyle | 8,974 | 26.43 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,005 | 47.14 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,953 | 67.25 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1951: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Thomas Dugdale | 26,231 | 70.62 |
| | Labour | Richard Hoyle | 10,915 | 29.38 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,316 | 41.24 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,146 | 74.36 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1950: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Thomas Dugdale | 22,999 | 59.20 |
| | Labour | F.W. Beaton | 8,694 | 22.38 |
| | Liberal | Douglas Eugene Moore | 7,157 | 18.42 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,305 | 36.82 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,850 | 74.36 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Dugdale | 18,332 | 52.87 | −24.1 |
| | Liberal | M.W. Darwin | 9,427 | 27.19 | New |
| | Labour | George Henry Metcalfe | 6,104 | 17.60 | −5.1 |
| | Common Wealth | Roy Norman Chesterton | 813 | 2.34 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,905 | 25.68 | −28.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,676 | 68.38 | +0.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Dugdale | 25,088 | 77.03 | |
| | Labour | Alfred Jonathan Best | 7,369 | 22.70 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,719 | 54.33 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,457 | 68.10 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1931: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Dugdale | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Thomas Dugdale | 19,763 | 57.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal | John Dixon Hinks | 14,634 | 42.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,129 | 15.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,397 | 79.4 | N/A |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1924: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Murrough Wilson | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
General election 1923: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Murrough Wilson | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
General election 1922: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Murrough Wilson | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |

## Election results 1868–1918
### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Roundell Palmer | 375 | 81.2 | N/A |
| | Liberal | William Henry Roberts | 87 | 18.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 288 | 62.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 462 | 71.1 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 650 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1870s

Palmer resigned after being appointed Lord Chancellor and being elevated to the peerage, becoming Lord Selborne.
By-election, 7 November 1872: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Lawrence Dundas | 314 | 57.9 | −42.1 |
| | Independent Liberal | Charles Edward Brunskill Cooke | 228 | 42.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 86 | 15.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 542 | 79.5 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 682 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
Dundas succeeded to the peerage, becoming Earl of Zetland.
By-election, 27 May 1873: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Dundas | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1874: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Dundas | 313 | 54.7 | N/A |
| | Independent Liberal | Charles Edward Brunskill Cooke | 259 | 45.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 54 | 9.4 | −53.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 572 | 81.0 | +9.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 706 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Dundas | 447 | 75.8 | +21.1 |
| | Conservative | George Swinburne-King | 143 | 24.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 304 | 51.6 | +42.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 590 | 84.8 | +3.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 696 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1885: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Frederick Milbank | 4,869 | 53.0 | −22.8 |
| | Conservative | George Elliot | 4,320 | 47.0 | +22.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 549 | 6.0 | −45.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,189 | 81.8 | −3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,237 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −22.8 | |
General election 1886: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Elliot | 4,810 | 55.5 | +8.5 |
| | Liberal | Edmund Turton | 3,859 | 44.5 | −8.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 951 | 11.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,669 | 77.1 | −4.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,237 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +8.5 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Elliot | 4,340 | 50.9 | −4.6 |
| | Liberal | Edmund Turton | 4,181 | 49.1 | +4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 159 | 1.8 | −9.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,521 | 79.9 | +2.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,669 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -4.6 | |
General election 1895: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Hutton | 4,555 | 53.4 | +2.5 |
| | Liberal | Edmund Turton | 3,971 | 46.6 | −2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 584 | 6.8 | +5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,526 | 79.9 | 0.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,669 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.5 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Hutton | 4,573 | 59.5 | +6.1 |
| | Liberal | Geoffrey Howard | 3,117 | 40.5 | −6.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,456 | 19.0 | +12.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,690 | 74.2 | −5.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,369 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +6.1 | |
General election 1906: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Francis Dyke Acland | 4,470 | 50.6 | +10.1 |
| | Conservative | Lawrence Dundas | 4,368 | 49.4 | −10.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 102 | 1.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,838 | 87.4 | +13.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,112 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +10.1 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Orde-Powlett | 5,246 | 55.8 | +6.4 |
| | Liberal | Francis Dyke Acland | 4,163 | 44.2 | −6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,083 | 11.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,409 | 89.7 | +2.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,485 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.4 | |
General election December 1910: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Orde-Powlett | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
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: William Orde-Powlett
* Liberal:
General election 1918: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Murrough Wilson | 9,857 | 66.8 | N/A |
| | National Farmers Union | William Parlour | 4,907 | 33.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,950 | 33.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,764 | 48.1 | N/A |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

## Election results 1832–1868
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Robert Lawrence Dundas | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | John Dundas | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 273 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1835: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Thomas Dundas | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Alexander Speirs | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 278 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1837: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Thomas Dundas | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Alexander Speirs | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 272 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Dundas succeeded to the peerage, becoming 2nd Earl of Zetland and causing a by-election.
By-election, 12 March 1839: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Robert Lawrence Dundas | 162 | 66.9 |
| | Conservative | Miles Thomas Stapleton, 8th Baron Beaumont | 80 | 33.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 82 | 33.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 242 | 85.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 284 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

Speirs resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
By-election, 16 February 1841: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | George Wentworth-FitzWilliam | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 276 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1841: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Dundas | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | William Nicholas Ridley-Colborne | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 276 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Colborne's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 8 April 1846: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Henry Rich | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Rich was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, causing a by-election.
By-election, 13 July 1846: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Henry Rich | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1847: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Marmaduke Wyvill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Henry Rich | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 283 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Marmaduke Wyvill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Henry Rich | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 243 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1857: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Marmaduke Wyvill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Henry Rich | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 342 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1859: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Marmaduke Wyvill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | Henry Rich | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 327 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

Rich's resignation caused a by-election.
By-election, 9 July 1861: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Roundell Palmer | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Palmer was appointed Attorney General for England and Wales, causing a by-election.
By-election, 17 October 1863: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Roundell Palmer | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1865: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Roundell Palmer | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | John Dundas | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 316 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Dundas' death caused a by-election.
By-election, 6 March 1866: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Marmaduke Wyvill | 213 | 94.2 | N/A |
| | Liberal | William Henry Roberts | 13 | 5.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 200 | 88.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 226 | 71.5 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 316 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |

## Pre–1832 election results
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Whig | Robert Lawrence Dundas | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Whig | John Dundas | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1831: Richmond (Yorks) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Robert Lawrence Dundas | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | John Dundas | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 273 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |