# Wirral (UK Parliament constituency)

Wirral was a county constituency which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983, elected by the first past the post voting system.
The constituency was located on the Wirral Peninsula, historically part of Cheshire in North West England.

## History

Wirral was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election. As the population of the Wirral peninsula grew, its boundaries were redrawn to allow for additional constituencies to be created. From 1974, its territory was split between the newly created Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, part of the metropolitan county of Merseyside, and the borough of Ellesmere Port and Neston which remained part of Cheshire.
It was abolished for the 1983 general election, and was succeeded by the constituencies of Ellesmere Port and Neston, Wirral South and Wirral West.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: The Borough of Birkenhead, and the Hundred of Wirral.
Created as one of eight single-member divisions of Cheshire, replacing the three 2-member divisions. It covered the whole of the historical hundred of Wirral, which included Birkenhead, Wallasey, Neston, Bebington, Ellesmere Port and extended south to the City of Chester. Birkenhead was a separate parliamentary borough, but non-resident freeholders were entitled to vote in the constituency.
1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Bromborough, Ellesmere Port and Whitby, Higher Bebington, Hoylake and West Kirby, Lower Bebington, and Neston and Parkgate, and the Rural District of Wirral.
Wallasey was created as a new parliamentary borough. Southern-most parts transferred to the enlarged City of Chester constituency.
1950–1974: The Urban Districts of Ellesmere Port, Hoylake, Neston, and Wirral.
Parts of the constituency absorbed by the County Boroughs of Birkenhead and Wallasey transferred to the respective constituencies. Area comprising the Municipal Borough of Bebington formed the basis of the new constituency of that name. Other minor changes resulting from reorganisation of local authorities.
The Urban District of Ellesmere Port became a Municipal Borough in 1955.
1974–1983: The Urban Districts of Hoylake, Neston, and Wirral, and the County Borough of Birkenhead wards of Prenton and Upton.
Ellesmere Port transferred to the new constituency of Bebington and Ellesmere Port. Prenton transferred from Bebington, which was now abolished, and Upton transferred from Birkenhead.
From 1 April 1974 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election, Neston remained in Cheshire whilst the rest of the constituency comprised parts of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, but its boundaries were unchanged.
On abolition, Hoylake was included in Wirral West, Heswall (the main town in the Urban District of Wirral) in Wirral South and Neston in Ellesmere Port and Neston.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party | Notes |
| 1885 | Edward Cotton | Conservative | surname changed to Cotton-Jodrell |
| 1900 | Joseph Hoult | Conservative |
| 1906 | William Lever | Liberal |
| 1910 | Gershom Stewart | Conservative |
| 1923 | Stephen Dodds | Liberal |
| 1924 | John Grace | Conservative |
| 1931 | Christopher Clayton | Conservative |
| 1935 | Alan Graham | Conservative |
| 1945 | Selwyn Lloyd | Conservative |
| 1971 | Selwyn Lloyd | Speaker | Resigned 1976 |
| 1976 by-election | David Hunt | Conservative |
| 1983 | constituency abolished |

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

General election 1885: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Cotton | 4,756 | 59.3 | |
| | Liberal | James Tomkinson | 3,261 | 40.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,495 | 18.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,017 | 82.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,772 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Cotton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Cotton-Jodrell | 5,599 | 64.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Bernard March-Phillipps De Lisle | 3,051 | 35.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,548 | 29.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,650 | 74.5 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,610 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1895: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Cotton-Jodrell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Joseph Hoult | 6,084 | 54.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal | William Lever | 5,079 | 45.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,005 | 9.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,163 | 74.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,899 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1906: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Lever | 8,833 | 55.3 | +9.8 |
| | Conservative | Joseph Hoult | 7,132 | 44.7 | −9.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,701 | 10.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,965 | 82.3 | +7.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,388 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +9.8 | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gershom Stewart | 10,309 | 53.8 | +9.1 |
| | Liberal | E. Peter Jones | 8,862 | 46.2 | −9.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,447 | 7.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,171 | 85.9 | +3.6 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +9.1 | |
General election December 1910: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gershom Stewart | 10,043 | 56.5 | +2.7 |
| | Liberal | Arthur Jacob Ashton | 7,727 | 43.5 | −2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,316 | 13.0 | +5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,770 | 79.6 | −6.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
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: Gershom Stewart
* Liberal: Arthur Jacob Ashton
General election 1918: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Gershom Stewart | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Gershom Stewart | 12,888 | 51.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Stephen Roxby Dodds | 8,014 | 31.7 | New |
| | Labour | James Edward Cameron Grant | 4,363 | 17.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,874 | 19.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,265 | 74.0 | N/A |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |
General election 1923: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Stephen Roxby Dodds | 13,631 | 53.6 | +21.9 |
| | Unionist | Gershom Stewart | 11,791 | 46.4 | −4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,840 | 7.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,422 | 71.6 | −2.4 |
| | Liberal gain from Unionist | Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | +13.3 | |
General election 1924: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | John Grace | 17,705 | 60.2 | +13.8 |
| | Liberal | Stephen Roxby Dodds | 11,697 | 39.8 | −13.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,008 | 20.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,402 | 79.0 | +7.4 |
| | Unionist gain from Liberal | Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | | |
General election 1929: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | John Grace | 23,522 | 47.5 | −12.7 |
| | Liberal | Stephen Roxby Dodds | 15,158 | 30.6 | −8.2 |
| | Labour | George Beardsworth | 10,876 | 21.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,364 | 16.9 | −3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,556 | 78.7 | −0.3 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Christopher Clayton | 44,935 | 81.53 |
| | Labour | Stanley Wormald | 10,177 | 18.47 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 34,758 | 63.06 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,052 | 77.02 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1935: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Alan Graham | 41,617 | 72.58 |
| | Labour | Stanley Wormald | 15,801 | 27.52 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25,816 | 44.96 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,418 | 69.67 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1939–40:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
* Conservative: Alan Graham
* Liberal: Thomas Mercer Banks
* Labour: Lois Bulley
General election 1945: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Selwyn Lloyd | 42,544 | 51.40 | |
| | Labour | Lois Bulley | 25,919 | 31.32 | |
| | Liberal | Eric Dorman-Smith | 14,302 | 17.28 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,625 | 20.08 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 82,765 | 75.40 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Selwyn Lloyd | 29,232 | 57.05 |
| | Labour | HA Kelly | 15,993 | 31.21 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Mercer Banks | 6,018 | 11.74 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,239 | 25.84 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,243 | 85.92 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1951: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Selwyn Lloyd | 32,631 | 65.23 |
| | Labour | Reg Chrimes | 17,392 | 34.77 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,239 | 30.46 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,023 | 81.74 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1955: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Selwyn Lloyd | 33,027 | 67.40 |
| | Labour | Reg Chrimes | 15,976 | 32.60 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,051 | 34.80 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,003 | 76.46 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1959: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Selwyn Lloyd | 39,807 | 67.92 |
| | Labour | Frederick W Venables | 18,805 | 32.08 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21,002 | 35.84 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,612 | 82.52 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Selwyn Lloyd | 32,084 | 50.05 | |
| | Labour | Millicent Aspin | 17,445 | 27.21 | |
| | Liberal | Peter Howell Williams | 14,574 | 22.74 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,639 | 22.84 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 64,103 | 81.29 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1966: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Selwyn Lloyd | 31,477 | 48.12 |
| | Labour | Dennis V Hunt | 21,624 | 33.06 |
| | Liberal | Peter Howell Williams | 12,313 | 18.82 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,853 | 15.06 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 65,414 | 79.72 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.9 |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Selwyn Lloyd | 38,655 | 55.1 | +7.0 |
| | Labour | R Gordon Paterson | 22,197 | 31.7 | −1.4 |
| | Liberal | Geraldine Jones | 9,276 | 13.2 | −5.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,458 | 23.4 | +8.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 70,128 | 74.2 | −5.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Speaker | Selwyn Lloyd | 38,452 | 51.2 | −3.9 |
| | Labour | A. J. Whipp | 22,605 | 30.1 | −1.6 |
| | Liberal | Michael Gayford | 14,123 | 18.8 | +5.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,847 | 21.1 | −2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 75,180 | 81.5 | +7.3 |
| | Speaker gain from Conservative | Speaker gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Speaker | Selwyn Lloyd | 35,705 | 50.8 | −0.4 |
| | Labour | P. R. Thomas | 22,217 | 31.6 | +1.5 |
| | Liberal | Michael Gayford | 12,345 | 17.6 | −1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,488 | 19.2 | −1.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 70,267 | 75.5 | −6.0 |
| | Speaker hold | Speaker hold | Swing | | |
1976 Wirral by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Hunt | 34,675 | 66.78 | +15.97 |
| | Labour | Adrian Bailey | 10,562 | 20.34 | −11.26 |
| | Liberal | Michael Gayford | 5,914 | 11.39 | −6.21 |
| | English National | Frank Hansford-Miller | 466 | 0.90 | New |
| | Ind. Conservative | Hilary Miller | 307 | 0.59 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,112 | 46.44 | +27.24 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,924 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Speaker | Conservative gain from Speaker | Swing | | |
General election 1979: Wirral :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Hunt | 44,519 | 59.0 | +8.2 |
| | Labour | C. Ryder | 21,188 | 28.1 | −3.5 |
| | Liberal | R. Barnett | 9,769 | 12.9 | −4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,331 | 30.9 | +11.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 75,476 | 77.8 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |