Bootle is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the
Parliament of the United KingdomThe Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. It elects one
Member of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) by the first past the post system of election. Since 1990 the MP has been
Joe BentonJoseph Edward Benton is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Bootle since 1990.-Early life:...
of the
Labour PartyThe Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. The constituency has long been one of Labour's safest seats.
Boundaries
The constituency covers the southern part of the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in
MerseysideMerseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
. This comprises the town of
BootleBootle is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England, and a 'Post town' in the L postcode area. Formally known as Bootle-cum-Linacre, the town is 4 miles to the north of Liverpool city centre, and has a total resident population of 77,640.Historically part of...
itself and the southern parts of the town of
CrosbyCrosby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. Historically part of Lancashire it is situated north of Bootle, south of Southport, Formby and west of Netherton-History:...
, including the areas of
Great CrosbyGreat Crosby is an area of the town of Crosby, in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England.-Location:In 1907, the Victoria County History described Great Crosby's location thus: 'The ancient township of Great Crosby, which includes Waterloo, lies on the northern shore of the estuary...
, Waterloo, and
SeaforthSeaforth is a district within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. It is located to the north of Liverpool, between Bootle and Waterloo.-History:...
, around the urbanised bulk of the town. The constituency also contains other localities in south Sefton including
LitherlandLitherland is a suburban village in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. It was formerly an urban district, which included Seaforth and Ford...
, Netherton,
OrrellOrrell is the name given to an area in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England.Orrell is a residential area in the Liverpool postal code L20...
, and
FordFord is an area in the borough of Sefton, Merseyside, North West England.Ford is situated to the east of Crosby next to Rimrose Valley, and north of Litherland and is in the L21 postcode.-External links:**...
.
Boundary changes that came into force as a result of the 2010 general election being called saw the constituency grow to also include parts of the
old Crosby constituencyCrosby was a constituency in Merseyside, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until 2010. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
, with the electoral wards of Church and Victoria being added. These electoral wards contain most of southern
CrosbyCrosby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. Historically part of Lancashire it is situated north of Bootle, south of Southport, Formby and west of Netherton-History:...
around the urbanised bulk of the town including
Great CrosbyGreat Crosby is an area of the town of Crosby, in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England.-Location:In 1907, the Victoria County History described Great Crosby's location thus: 'The ancient township of Great Crosby, which includes Waterloo, lies on the northern shore of the estuary...
, Waterloo,
SeaforthSeaforth is a district within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. It is located to the north of Liverpool, between Bootle and Waterloo.-History:...
. Although these areas are more affluent than some parts of Bootle, it has not changed the seat from being anything other than a safe Labour one.
The Bootle constituency now consists of 8 electoral wards; Church,
VictoriaVictoria is a Metropolitan Borough of Sefton ward in the Bootle Parliamentary constituency that covers the locality of Great Crosby.-Councillors:-Elections of the 2010s:-References:...
,
FordFord is a Metropolitan Borough of Sefton ward in the Bootle Parliamentary constituency that covers the northern part of the locality of Litherland and all of Ford.-Councillors:-Elections of the 2010s:-References:...
,
LitherlandLitherland is a Metropolitan Borough of Sefton ward in the Bootle Parliamentary constituency that covers the southern part of the locality of Litherland.-Councillors:-Elections of the 2010s:-References:...
,
DerbyDerby is a Metropolitan Borough of Sefton ward in the Bootle Parliamentary constituency that covers the area of the town of Bootle centred around the Derby park for which the ward is named after.-Councillors:-Elections of the 2010s:...
,
LinacreLinacre is a Metropolitan Borough of Sefton ward in the Bootle Parliamentary constituency that covers the area of the town of Bootle historically known as Linacre and which contains Bootle centre, the New Strand Shopping Centre, and Gladstone Dock....
,
Netherton and OrrellNetherton and Orrell is a Metropolitan Borough of Sefton ward in the Bootle Parliamentary constituency that covers the southern part of the locality of Netherton, and all of the area of Orrell.-Councillors:-Elections of the 2010s:...
,
St. OswaldSt. Oswald is a Metropolitan Borough of Sefton ward in the Bootle Parliamentary constituency that covers the northern part of the locality of Netherton.-Councillors:-Elections of the 2010s:-References:...
.
Members of Parliament
| Election | Member |
Party |
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1885 -Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
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Thomas Myles Sandys Colonel Thomas Myles Sandys was a British army officer and Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1911....
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ConservativeThe Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
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1911 by-election The Bootle by-election, 1911 was a by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Bootle in Merseyside on 27 March 1911...
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Andrew Bonar Law |
ConservativeThe Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
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1918The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
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Sir Thomas Royden, Bt. Thomas Royden, 1st Baron Royden was an English businessman and Conservative Party politician.He was the son of Sir Thomas Royden, 1st Baronet , a Conservative politician and head of the Thomas Royden & Sons shipping company...
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Coalition Conservative |
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1922The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
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James Burnie James Burnie MC was an English businessman and Liberal Party politician.-Family and education:Burnie was born in Bootle, Lancashire, the son of Joseph Burnie a local businessman. He was educated at St John’s School, Bootle and at Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby. In 1910 he married Ruth E....
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Liberal The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
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1924- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
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Vivian Leonard Henderson |
ConservativeThe Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
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1929-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
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John Kinley John Kinley was a British Labour Party politician.Kinley was Member of Parliament for Bootle from 1929 to 1931 and from 1945 to 1955, preceding Simon Mahon.- External links :...
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Labour The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
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1931The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
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Chichester de Windt Crookshank Lieutenant Colonel Chichester de Windt Crookshank was the Unionist Member of Parliament for the constituency of Berwick and Haddington from the 1924. He lost that seat in the 1929; in the 1931 general election he returned as Conservative MP for Bootle. He retired at the end of that Parliament....
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ConservativeThe Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
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1935The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
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Eric Errington |
ConservativeThe Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
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1945The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
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John Kinley John Kinley was a British Labour Party politician.Kinley was Member of Parliament for Bootle from 1929 to 1931 and from 1945 to 1955, preceding Simon Mahon.- External links :...
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Labour The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
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1955The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year...
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Simon Mahon Simon Mahon was a British Labour Party politician.Simon Mahon was born into an Irish Roman Catholic family in Bootle that was immersed in Liverpool Labour politics. His father, Alderman Simon Mahon , was a well-known local politician, who also stood unsuccessfully for Parliament...
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Labour The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
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1979The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
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Allan Roberts Allan Roberts was a British politician who was a Labour Member of Parliament from 1979 until his death. A teacher and social worker before his election, he was a member of the left-wing of the party.-Early life:...
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Labour The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
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1990 by-election |
Michael Carr Michael Carr was a British Labour Party politician who served as Member of Parliament for Bootle for 57 days in 1990 from his election until his death. He was a dockworker who later became a trade union official, but his political rise was assisted by the help he gave the Labour Party leadership...
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Labour The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
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1990 by-election |
Joe Benton Joseph Edward Benton is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Bootle since 1990.-Early life:...
|
Labour The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
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History
The constituency was originally a safe
ConservativeThe Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
seat, being represented by Conservative Party Leader Andrew Bonar Law from 1911 until 1918. A
LiberalThe Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
seat in the 1920s, it then became a Conservative - Labour
marginalMarginal may refer to:* For marginal constituency in politics, see “Marginal seat”* For the manga, see Marginal * For marginal model in hierarchical linear modeling, see “Marginal model”...
in the 1930s. It is now a safe seat for the
Labour PartyThe Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, who have held it continually since the
1945 general electionThe United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
. In each general election since
1997The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
until 2010, it was the safest seat for any party in Britain.
In 1990, there were two
by-electionA by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
s in Bootle. The first followed the death of
Allan RobertsAllan Roberts was a British politician who was a Labour Member of Parliament from 1979 until his death. A teacher and social worker before his election, he was a member of the left-wing of the party.-Early life:...
on 21 February, and was held on 24 May. That by-election was notable for the
Social DemocratA Social Democratic Party was formed in the United Kingdom in 1981 by a group of dissident Labour Party Members of Parliament : Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams, who became known as the "Gang of Four"....
candidate, Jack Holmes (representing the part of the SDP opposed to the 1988 merger with the
LiberalsThe Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
and formation of the Liberal Democrats), being beaten by
Screaming Lord SutchDavid Edward Sutch , also known as "Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow", or simply "Screaming Lord Sutch", was a musician from the United Kingdom...
of the
Official Monster Raving Loony PartyThe Official Monster Raving Loony Party is a registered political party established in the United Kingdom in 1983 by musician and politician David Sutch , better known as Screaming Lord Sutch.-History:...
. The victorious Labour candidate,
Michael CarrMichael Carr was a British Labour Party politician who served as Member of Parliament for Bootle for 57 days in 1990 from his election until his death. He was a dockworker who later became a trade union official, but his political rise was assisted by the help he gave the Labour Party leadership...
, died after just 57 days in office on 20 July 1990.
The second by-election, held on 8 November 1990, was won by Labour's
Joe BentonJoseph Edward Benton is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Bootle since 1990.-Early life:...
. Benton has held the seat since then, usually with huge majorities. In the
2005 electionThe United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
the seat was the safest with a 63.8% majority, and also had the highest share of the vote.
Elections in the 2010s
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1940s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
General election of December 1910
In the General Election December 1910,
Thomas Myles SandysColonel Thomas Myles Sandys was a British army officer and Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1911....
,
ConservativeThe Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
was elected unopposed.
Elections in the 1900s
In the
1900 general election-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
,
Thomas Myles SandysColonel Thomas Myles Sandys was a British army officer and Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1911....
,
ConservativeThe Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
was elected unopposed.
Elections in the 1890s
In the
1895 general electionThe United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery...
,
Thomas Myles SandysColonel Thomas Myles Sandys was a British army officer and Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1911....
,
ConservativeThe Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
was elected unopposed.
Elections in the 1880s
In the
1886 general election-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
,
Thomas Myles SandysColonel Thomas Myles Sandys was a British army officer and Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1911....
,
ConservativeThe Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
was elected unopposed.
Sources
- Election results, 1950 - 2005
- F. W. S. Craig
Frederick Walter Scott Craig was a Scottish psephologist and compiler of the standard reference books covering United Kingdom Parliamentary election results. He originally worked in public relations, compiling election results in his spare time which were published by the Scottish Unionist Party...
, British Parliamentary Election Results 1885 - 1918
- F. W. S. Craig
Frederick Walter Scott Craig was a Scottish psephologist and compiler of the standard reference books covering United Kingdom Parliamentary election results. He originally worked in public relations, compiling election results in his spare time which were published by the Scottish Unionist Party...
, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918 - 1949