# Altrincham (UK Parliament constituency)

Altrincham was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1945. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

## History and boundaries

Altrincham was created under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 from the much larger two-member constituencies of Mid Cheshire and East Cheshire, as one of eight new single-member divisions of the county of Cheshire.
Under the Representation of the People Act 1918, it was redefined to cover the urban districts of Altrincham, Ashton upon Mersey, Bowdon, Cheadle and Gatley, Hale, Handforth, Lymm and Sale, and part of the rural district of Bucklow, all in Cheshire. The boundaries were broadly similar, with Bramhall (then part of Hazel Grove and Bramhall UD) being transferred to Knutsford.
Subsequent reorganisations of local authority areas resulted in Ashton upon Mersey being absorbed into Sale, which later became a municipal borough; Altrincham being expanded to include the parish of Timperley, also becoming a municipal borough; and Handforth being absorbed into the urban district of Wilmslow.
The House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1944 set up Boundary Commissions to carry out periodic reviews of the distribution of parliamentary constituencies. It also authorised an initial review to subdivide abnormally large constituencies (those exceeding an electorate of 100,000) in time for the 1945 election. This was implemented by the Redistribution of Seats Order 1945 under which Cheshire was allocated one additional seat, by splitting the Altrincham Division into two seats:
* Altrincham and Sale Parliamentary Borough, comprising the two respective municipal boroughs; and
* Bucklow County Division, comprising the urban districts of Bowdon, Cheadle and Gatley, Hale and Lymm and the part of the rural district of Bucklow. It also included the former parishes of Baguley, Northenden and Northen Etchells which had been absorbed into the county borough of Manchester.
The part comprising the former urban district of Handforth was transferred to Knutsford.

## Members of Parliament

* Constituency created (1885)
| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | John Brooks | Conservative |
| | 1886 by-election | Sir William Cunliffe Brooks | Conservative |
| | 1892 | Coningsby Disraeli | Conservative |
| | 1906 | William Crossley | Liberal |
| | 1910, December | John Kebty-Fletcher | Conservative |
| | 1913 by-election | George Hamilton | Conservative |
| | 1922 | Sir George Hamilton | Conservative |
| | 1923 | Robert Alstead | Liberal |
| | 1924 | Cyril Atkinson | Conservative |
| | 1933 by-election | Sir Edward Grigg | Conservative |
| 1945 | 1945 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Altrincham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Brooks | 4,798 | 54.3 | |
| | Liberal | Isaac Saunders Leadam | 4,046 | 45.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 752 | 8.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,844 | 84.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,497 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
Brooks' death caused a by-election.
By-election, 26 Mar 1886: Altrincham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Cunliffe Brooks | 4,508 | 53.5 | −0.8 |
| | Liberal | Isaac Saunders Leadam | 3,925 | 46.5 | +0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 583 | 7.0 | −1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,433 | 80.3 | −4.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,497 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −0.8 | |
General election 1886: Altrincham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Cunliffe Brooks | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Altrincham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Coningsby Disraeli | 5,056 | 54.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Isaac Saunders Leadam | 4,258 | 45.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 798 | 8.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,314 | 84.3 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,048 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1895: Altrincham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Coningsby Disraeli | 5,264 | 57.5 | +3.2 |
| | Liberal | Alexander Mere Latham | 3,889 | 42.5 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,375 | 15.0 | +6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,153 | 79.3 | −5.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,547 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.2 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Altrincham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Coningsby Disraeli | 5,685 | 57.6 | +0.1 |
| | Liberal | E F Alford | 4,177 | 42.4 | −0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,508 | 15.2 | +0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,862 | 75.5 | −3.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,061 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.1 | |
General election 1906: Altrincham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Crossley | 8,321 | 59.5 | +17.1 |
| | Conservative | Coningsby Disraeli | 5,672 | 40.5 | −17.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,649 | 19.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,025 | 84.8 | +9.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,492 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +17.1 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Altrincham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Crossley | 8,709 | 52.7 | −6.8 |
| | Conservative | Walter Keppel | 7,808 | 47.3 | +6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 901 | 5.4 | −13.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,517 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −6.9 | |
General election December 1910: Altrincham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Kebty-Fletcher | 8,002 | 50.4 | +3.1 |
| | Liberal | William Crossley | 7,883 | 49.6 | −3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 119 | 0.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,885 | 84.0 | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | | |
1913 Altrincham by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | George Hamilton | 9,409 | 53.6 | +3.2 |
| | Liberal | Lawrence Ughtred Kay-Shuttleworth | 8,147 | 46.4 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,262 | 6.8 | +6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,556 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +3.2 | |
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: Collingwood George Clements Hamilton
* Liberal: Edward Powell
General election, 1918: Altrincham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | George Hamilton | 20,421 | 72.7 | +22.3 |
| | Labour | George Middleton | 7,685 | 27.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,736 | 45.4 | +44.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,106 | 68.5 | −15.5 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Altrincham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | George Hamilton | 19,361 | 53.8 | −18.9 |
| | Liberal | Robert Alstead | 11,692 | 32.5 | New |
| | Labour | George Benson | 4,930 | 13.7 | −13.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,669 | 21.3 | −24.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,983 | 79.8 | +11.3 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1923: Altrincham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robert Alstead | 19,046 | 54.2 | +21.7 |
| | Unionist | George Hamilton | 16,081 | 45.8 | −8.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,965 | 8.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,127 | 76.6 | −3.2 |
| | Liberal gain from Unionist | Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | +14.9 | |
General election 1924: Altrincham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Cyril Atkinson | 24,439 | 61.0 | +15.2 |
| | Liberal | Robert Alstead | 15,654 | 39.0 | −15.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,785 | 22.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,093 | 84.8 | +8.2 |
| | Unionist gain from Liberal | Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +15.2 | |
General election 1929: Altrincham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Cyril Atkinson | 28,512 | 50.7 | −10.3 |
| | Liberal | Robert Alstead | 18,475 | 32.9 | −6.1 |
| | Labour | Alfred Dobbs | 9,242 | 16.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,037 | 17.8 | −4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,229 | 80.8 | −4.0 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −2.1 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election, 1931: Altrincham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Cyril Atkinson | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Altrincham by-election, 14 June 1933 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Grigg | 25,392 | 51.2 | +0.5 |
| | Liberal | Philip Oliver | 15,892 | 32.0 | −0.9 |
| | Labour | James Hudson | 8,333 | 16.8 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,500 | 19.2 | +1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,617 | 63.4 | −17.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.7 | |
* Percentage change and swing are calculated from 1929.
General election, 1935: Altrincham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Grigg | 50,719 | 70.2 | +19.0 |
| | Labour | Abraham Moss | 21,493 | 29.8 | +13.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 29,226 | 40.4 | +21.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 72,212 | 72.0 | +8.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.0 | |

### Elections in the 1940s

A General Election was due to take place before the end of 1940, but was postponed due to the Second World War. By 1939, the following candidates had been selected to contest this constituency;
* Conservative: Edward Grigg
* Labour: C F C Donnelly