# Birmingham Aston (UK Parliament constituency)

52°30′N 1°53′W﻿ / ﻿52.5°N 1.88°W﻿ / 52.5; -1.88
Birmingham Aston was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1918 to 1974 it elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post system of election.

## History

The constituency was created for the 1918 general election, when the boundaries of the city of Birmingham had been expanded. One of the areas included in the city's expansion was the Aston area, which had formerly been part of Warwickshire. From 1885 to 1918, Aston Manor was a borough constituency in Warwickshire.

## Boundaries

1918–1950: Parts of the County Borough of Birmingham wards of All Saints', Aston, Lozells, and St Mary's. The newly created seat was smaller and more the northern part of central Birmingham than Aston Manor had been.
1950–1955: The County Borough of Birmingham wards of Aston, Lozells, and St Paul's.
1955–1974: The County Borough of Birmingham wards of Aston, Gravelley Hill, and Stockland Green. The latter two wards had formerly been part of Birmingham Erdington. St Paul's ward became part of Birmingham Ladywood. Lozells ward was transferred to Birmingham Handsworth.
In the 1974 redistribution, this constituency disappeared. Aston ward became part of Birmingham Handsworth, while Gravelley Hill and Stockland Green wards became part of Birmingham Erdington.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1918 | Sir Evelyn Cecil | Coalition Conservative |
| | 1922 | Sir Evelyn Cecil | Conservative |
| | 1929 | John Strachey | Labour |
| | February 1931 | John Strachey | New |
| | June 1931 | John Strachey | Independent |
| | October 1931 | Arthur Hope | Conservative |
| | 1939 by-election | Edward Kellett | Conservative |
| | 1943 by-election | Redvers Prior | Conservative |
| | 1945 | Woodrow Wyatt | Labour |
| | 1955 | Julius Silverman | Labour |
| Feb 1974 | Feb 1974 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Birmingham Aston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Evelyn Cecil | 9,997 | 62.4 | |
| | Labour | William Banfield | 4,451 | 27.8 | |
| | NFDDSS | James Henry Dooley | 1,561 | 9.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,546 | 34.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,009 | 45.2 | |
| | 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. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Birmingham Aston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Evelyn Cecil | 15,913 | 60.8 | −1.6 |
| | Labour | Joe Cotter | 10,279 | 39.2 | +11.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,634 | 21.6 | −13.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,192 | 72.5 | +27.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 36,113 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −6.5 | |
General election 1923: Birmingham Aston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Evelyn Cecil | 13,291 | 56.2 | −4.6 |
| | Labour | P. Bower | 7,541 | 31.8 | −7.4 |
| | Liberal | Joseph Conyers Tillotson | 2,846 | 12.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,750 | 24.4 | +2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,678 | 65.0 | −7.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 36,416 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +1.4 | |
General election 1924: Birmingham Aston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Evelyn Cecil | 14,244 | 54.6 | −1.6 |
| | Labour | John Strachey | 11,859 | 45.4 | +13.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,385 | 9.2 | −15.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,103 | 71.7 | +6.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 36,391 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −7.6 | |
General election 1929: Birmingham Aston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Strachey | 18,672 | 52.2 | +6.8 |
| | Unionist | John Whiteley | 17,114 | 47.8 | −6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,558 | 4.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,786 | 78.3 | +6.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 45,687 | | |
| | Labour gain from Unionist | Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +6.8 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Birmingham Aston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Arthur Hope | 22,959 | 70.9 | +23.1 |
| | Labour | T. J. May | 6,212 | 19.2 | −33.0 |
| | Independent | John Strachey | 3,236 | 10.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,747 | 51.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,407 | 73.5 | −4.8 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election 1935: Birmingham Aston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Arthur Hope | 18,933 | 68.8 | −2.1 |
| | Labour | Rudolph Putnam Messel | 8,578 | 31.2 | +12.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,355 | 37.6 | −14.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,511 | 64.5 | −9.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
1939 Birmingham Aston by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Kellett | 12,033 | 66.3 | −2.5 |
| | Labour | Samuel Segal | 6,122 | 33.7 | +2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,911 | 32.6 | −5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,155 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1940s

1943 Birmingham Aston by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Redvers Prior | 6,316 | 72.4 | +3.6 |
| | Common Wealth | Gilbert Hall | 1,886 | 21.6 | New |
| | Independent | Samuel Henry Davis | 515 | 6.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,430 | 50.8 | +13.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,717 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1945: Birmingham Aston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Woodrow Wyatt | 15,031 | 61.9 | +28.2 |
| | Conservative | Frederick Bruce Normansell | 9,264 | 38.1 | −28.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,767 | 23.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,295 | 67.75 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Birmingham Aston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Woodrow Wyatt | 28,867 | 60.8 | −1.1 |
| | Conservative | Charles Doughty | 16,826 | 35.4 | −2.7 |
| | Liberal | Arthur Embrey | 1,487 | 3.1 | New |
| | Independent | SW Keatley | 338 | 0.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,041 | 25.4 | +1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,518 | 78.4 | +10.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1951: Birmingham Aston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Woodrow Wyatt | 27,899 | 62.6 | +1.8 |
| | Conservative | Clement Sweet | 16,136 | 36.2 | +0.8 |
| | Independent | SW Keatley | 545 | 1.2 | +0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,763 | 26.4 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,580 | 74.6 | −3.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: Birmingham Aston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Julius Silverman | 25,546 | 59.7 | −2.9 |
| | Conservative | Frances Vale | 17,284 | 40.4 | +4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,262 | 19.3 | −7.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,830 | 71.6 | −3.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1959: Birmingham Aston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Julius Silverman | 21,518 | 53.1 | −6.6 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Beaumont-Dark | 18,894 | 46.8 | +6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,534 | 6.3 | −13.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,412 | 70.3 | −1.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Birmingham Aston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Julius Silverman | 19,512 | 54.7 | +1.6 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Beaumont-Dark | 16,146 | 45.3 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,366 | 9.4 | +3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,658 | 65.4 | −4.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1966: Birmingham Aston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Julius Silverman | 20,716 | 60.9 | +6.2 |
| | Conservative | Joseph R Kinsey | 13,316 | 39.1 | −6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,400 | 21.8 | +12.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,032 | 64.2 | −1.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Birmingham Aston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Julius Silverman | 15,456 | 55.1 | −5.8 |
| | Conservative | Arthur A Hill | 11,894 | 42.4 | +3.3 |
| | British Movement | Colin Jordan | 704 | 2.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,562 | 12.7 | −9.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,054 | 58.8 | −5.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |