# Penistone (UK Parliament constituency)

Penistone was a Parliamentary constituency covering the town of Penistone in Yorkshire and surrounding countryside. 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 voting system.

## History

The constituency was created for the 1918 general election and abolished for the 1983 general election.

## Boundaries

1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Clayton West, Denby and Cumberworth, Gunthwaite and Ingbirchworth, Hoyland Swaine, Kirkburton, Penistone, Shelley, Shepley, Skelmanthorpe, Stocksbridge, and Thurlstone, and the Rural Districts of Penistone and Wortley.
1950–1955: The Urban Districts of Denby Dale, Dodworth, Hoyland Nether, Kirkburton, Penistone, and Stocksbridge, and the Rural Districts of Penistone and Wortley.
1955–1983: The Urban Districts of Dodworth, Hoyland Nether, Penistone, and Stocksbridge, and the Rural Districts of Penistone and Wortley.
The area formerly covered by this constituency was then placed mostly in the Barnsley West and Penistone constituency and partly in the Sheffield Hillsborough constituency.
Following a later boundary review, the Penistone and Stocksbridge constituency which came into force at the 2010 general election roughly covered a similar area to the old Penistone constituency.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1918 | Sydney Arnold | Liberal |
| | 1921 by-election | William Gillis | Labour |
| | 1922 | William Pringle | Liberal |
| | 1924 | Rennie Smith | Labour |
| | 1931 | Clifford Glossop | Conservative |
| | 1935 | Henry McGhee | Labour |
| | 1959 by-election | John Mendelson | Labour |
| | 1978 by-election | Allen McKay | Labour |
| 1983 | 1983 | constituency abolished: see Barnsley West and Penistone | constituency abolished: see Barnsley West and Penistone |

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

General election 1979: Penistone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Allen McKay | 28,010 | 49.1 | −5.1 |
| | Conservative | Ian James Dobkin | 18,309 | 32.1 | +8.1 |
| | Liberal | David Chadwick | 10,772 | 18.9 | −2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,701 | 17.0 | −13.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,091 | 78.9 | +4.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
1978 Penistone by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Allen McKay | 19,424 | 45.5 | −8.7 |
| | Conservative | Ian James Dobkin | 14,053 | 32.9 | +8.9 |
| | Liberal | David Chadwick | 9,241 | 21.6 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,371 | 12.6 | −17.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,718 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Penistone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Mendelson | 27,146 | 54.2 | +4.5 |
| | Conservative | G. C. W. Harris | 12,011 | 24.0 | −1.2 |
| | Liberal | David Chadwick | 10,900 | 21.8 | −1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,135 | 30.2 | +5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,057 | 74.7 | −9.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Penistone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Mendelson | 27,797 | 49.7 | −9.0 |
| | Conservative | A. D. Wilkinson | 14,084 | 25.2 | −2.5 |
| | Liberal | David Chadwick | 13,140 | 23.5 | +9.9 |
| | Campaign for Social Democracy | M. Eaden | 867 | 1.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,713 | 24.5 | −6.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,888 | 84.1 | +10.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1970: Penistone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Mendelson | 31,615 | 58.7 | −3.6 |
| | Conservative | Alan Pickup | 14,897 | 27.7 | +4.3 |
| | Liberal | Derick Mirfin | 7,347 | 13.6 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,718 | 31.0 | −7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,859 | 73.9 | −5.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Penistone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Mendelson | 31,419 | 62.3 | +4.2 |
| | Conservative | Bryan Askew | 11,817 | 23.4 | −2.2 |
| | Liberal | Ronald Swinden | 7,191 | 14.3 | −2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,602 | 38.9 | +6.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,427 | 78.9 | −2.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1964: Penistone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Mendelson | 29,784 | 58.1 | −3.0 |
| | Conservative | Bryan Askew | 13,095 | 25.6 | −13.3 |
| | Liberal | Ronald Swinden | 8,372 | 16.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,689 | 32.5 | +10.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,251 | 81.1 | −1.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Penistone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Mendelson | 31,117 | 61.1 | −1.2 |
| | Conservative | John Bedford Deby | 19,809 | 38.9 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,308 | 22.2 | −2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,926 | 83.0 | +3.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
1959 Penistone by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Mendelson | 25,315 | 64.1 | +1.8 |
| | Conservative | John Bedford Deby | 14,196 | 35.9 | −1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,119 | 28.2 | +3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,511 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.8 | |
General election 1955: Penistone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Henry McGhee | 29,432 | 62.3 | −1.9 |
| | Conservative | Laurence B. Fulton | 17,796 | 37.7 | +1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,636 | 24.6 | −3.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,228 | 80.0 | −5.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1951: Penistone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Henry McGhee | 36,169 | 64.2 | +2.2 |
| | Conservative | Denton Hinchcliffe | 20,145 | 35.8 | +7.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,024 | 28.4 | −5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,314 | 85.1 | −2.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1950: Penistone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Henry McGhee | 34,979 | 62.0 | −3.8 |
| | Conservative | Denton Hinchcliffe | 16,128 | 28.6 | −5.6 |
| | Liberal | Anthony F Smith | 5,316 | 9.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,851 | 33.4 | +1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,423 | 87.7 | +12.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Penistone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Henry McGhee | 40,180 | 65.8 | +12.3 |
| | Conservative | R. G. Davies | 20,869 | 34.2 | −12.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,311 | 31.6 | +24.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 61,049 | 75.1 | +1.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Penistone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Henry McGhee | 23,869 | 53.5 | +17.9 |
| | Conservative | Clifford Glossop | 20,783 | 46.5 | −1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,086 | 7.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,652 | 73.3 | −8.6 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
General election 1931: Penistone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Clifford Glossop | 19,556 | 47.7 | +19.8 |
| | Labour | Rennie Smith | 14,584 | 35.6 | −9.6 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Neville | 6,821 | 16.7 | −10.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,972 | 12.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,961 | 81.9 | +0.3 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Penistone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rennie Smith | 17,286 | 45.2 | +6.7 |
| | Unionist | Francis George Bibbings | 10,640 | 27.9 | −6.2 |
| | Liberal | Ashley Mitchell | 10,277 | 26.9 | −0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,646 | 17.3 | +12.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,203 | 81.6 | +1.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 46,810 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.5 | |
General election 1924: Penistone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rennie Smith | 10,997 | 38.5 | +5.0 |
| | Unionist | Charles Hodgkinson (soldier) | 9,718 | 33.1 | +4.5 |
| | Liberal | William Pringle | 7,799 | 27.4 | −9.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,279 | 4.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,514 | 80.6 | +8.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,358 | | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal | Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | +7.3 | |
General election 1923: Penistone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Pringle | 9,164 | 36.9 | +1.1 |
| | Labour | Rennie Smith | 8,329 | 33.5 | −0.2 |
| | Unionist | Charles Hodgkinson (soldier) | 7,369 | 29.6 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 835 | 3.4 | +1.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,862 | 71.8 | −1.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 34,612 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.7 | |
General election 1922: Penistone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Pringle | 8,924 | 35.8 | −3.6 |
| | Labour | William Gillis | 8,382 | 33.7 | N/A |
| | Unionist | Charles Hodgkinson (soldier) | 7,600 | 30.5 | −5.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 542 | 2.1 | −1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,906 | 73.1 | +14.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 34,071 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +1.1 | |
1921 Penistone by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Gillis | 8,560 | 36.2 | New |
| | Liberal | William Pringle | 7,984 | 33.7 | −5.7 |
| | National Liberal | James Peace Hinchcliffe | 7,123 | 30.1 | −6.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 576 | 2.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,667 | 71.7 | +13.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,988 | | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal | Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Penistone :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Sydney Arnold | 7,338 | 39.4 | |
| C | Unionist | Phillip Gatty Smith | 6,744 | 36.2 | |
| | Independent Labour | Frederick William Southern | 4,556 | 24.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 594 | 3.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,638 | 58.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 31,928 | | |
| | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) | Liberal win (new seat) |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

## Sources

* Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "P" (part 1)
* Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources (Election results since 1951)