Batley and Spen (UK Parliament constituency)

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Batley and Spen
Borough constituency

Batley and Spen shown within West Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire shown within England
Created: 1983
MP: Mike Wood
Party: Labour
Type: House of Commons
County: West Yorkshire
EP constituency: Yorkshire and the Humber

Batley and Spen is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It is a marginal seat between Labour and the Conservatives.

Contents

[edit] Boundaries

This constituency covers the town of Batley (mostly Labour-voting) and the surrounding Spen valley area (more Conservative-inclined).Unusually,the seat has swung more in Labour's favour since 1997. For the purposes of the next general election, Heckmondwike has been included as part of the constituency; a ward that is typically a Labour/BNP[1] stronghold, especially in the local elections. The BNP's representation in the town was cut in half due to a broad-based community campaign by Labour at the 2008 council elections which saw the sitting BNP councillor defeated.

[edit] Members of Parliament

The seat did not exist in its present form prior to 1983. It has seen not insignificant boundary changes during that time - most notably those changes that took effect for the 1997 General Election.

[edit] Election results

General Election 2005: Batley and Spen
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mike Wood 17,974 45.8 −4.1
Conservative Robert Light 12,186 31.1 −5.6
Liberal Democrat Neil Bentley 5,731 14.6 +4.3
British National Party Colin Auty 2,668 6.8 N/A
Green Clive Lord 649 1.7 +0.2
Majority 5,788 14.8
Turnout 39,208 62.3 +1.8
Labour hold Swing
General Election 2001: Batley and Spen
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mike Wood 19,224 49.9 +0.5
Conservative Elizabeth Peacock 14,160 36.7 +0.4
Liberal Democrat Kathryn Pinnock 3,989 10.3 +1.5
Green Clive Lord 595 1.5 +0.7
UK Independence Allen Burton 574 1.5 N/A
Majority 5,064 13.2
Turnout 38,542 60.5 −12.6
Labour hold Swing

[edit] See also

v • d • e
Constituencies in Yorkshire and the Humber
Labour
Barnsley Central • Barnsley East and Mexborough • Barnsley West and Penistone • Batley and Spen • Bradford North • Bradford South • Bradford West • Brigg and Goole • Calder Valley • City of York • Cleethorpes • Colne Valley • Dewsbury • Don Valley • Doncaster Central • Doncaster North • Elmet • Great Grimsby • Halifax • Hemsworth • Huddersfield • Hull East • Hull North • Hull West and Hessle • Keighley • Leeds Central • Leeds East • Leeds North East • Leeds West • Morley and Rothwell • Normanton • Pontefract and Castleford • Pudsey • Rother Valley • Rotherham • Scunthorpe • Selby • Sheffield Attercliffe • Sheffield Brightside • Sheffield Central • Sheffield Heeley • Sheffield Hillsborough • Wakefield • Wentworth
Conservative
Liberal Democrat
Yorkshire and the Humber European constituency: Labour (2) • Conservative (2) • Liberal Democrats (1) • UKIP (1)
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