Bath (UK Parliament constituency)

Bath
County constituency
for the House of Commons

Constituency location within Bath and North East Somerset, Somerset

Outline map

Location of Somerset within England.
County Somerset
Population 88,859 (2011 census)[1]
Electorate 66,690 (December 2010)[2]
Current constituency
Created 1295
Member of parliament Ben Howlett (Conservative)
Number of members Two (1295–1918)
One (1918–present)
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency South West England

Bath is a constituency[n 1] in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom[n 2] represented by Ben Howlett of the Conservative Party.

Perhaps its best-known representatives have been the two with international profiles: William Pitt the Elder (Prime Minister 1766–1768) and Chris Patten.[n 3]

History

Bath is an ancient constituency which has been constantly represented in Parliament since boroughs were first summoned to send members in the 13th century.

The unreformed constituency (before 1832)

Bath was one of the cities summoned to send members in 1295 and represented ever since, although Parliaments in early years were sporadic. Like almost all English constituencies before the Great Reform Act of 1832, it originally returned two members to each Parliament.

The precise way in which its MPs were chosen in medieval times is unknown. It is recorded that "election was by the Mayor and three citizens being sent from thence to the county court who in the name of the whole community, and by the assent of the community, returned their representatives"; but what form the "assent of the community" took is unrecorded, even assuming it was not a complete dead letter. By the 17th century elections had become more competitive, and the means of election in Bath had been formalised to a franchise restricted to the Mayor, Aldermen and members of the Common Council (the City Corporation), a total of thirty voters. The freemen of the city challenged this state of affairs in 1661 and again in 1705 claiming the right to vote and petitioning against the election of the candidates chosen by the corporation, but on both occasions the House of Commons, which at the time was still the final arbiter of such disputes, decided against them. The Commons resolution of 27 January 1708, "That the right of election of citizens to serve in Parliament for this city is in the mayor, aldermen and common-council only", settled the matter until 1832.

Bath was the biggest of the English boroughs where the right to vote was restricted to the corporation (at the time of the 1801 census it was one of the ten largest towns or cities in England by population), and almost unique in that the voters generally exercised their powers responsibly and independently. As was the case elsewhere, the Common Council was not popularly elected, all vacancies being filled by co-option by the remaining members, so that once a united interest gained majority control it was easy to retain it. Most corporation boroughs quickly became pocket boroughs in this way, the nomination of their MPs being entirely under the influence of a patron who may have given some large benefaction to the area or simply used bribery to ensure only supporters or croneys became members of the corporation. But in Bath, the Common Council retained its independence in most periods and took pride in electing suitable MPs who either had strong local connections or a national reputation. Nor was there any suggestion of bribery or other corruption, prolific in other "independent" constituencies. Pitt the Elder wrote to the corporation in 1761, on the occasion of his re-election as Bath's MP, to pay tribute to "a city ranked among the most ancient and most considerable in the kingdom, and justly famed for its integrity, independence, and zeal for the public good".

But even in Bath the limited electorate who voted for the MP in question expected that MP to work to procure favours for their constituents and enterprises to a degree that would be considered utterly corrupt today. By exercising efforts successfully in this direction, MPs could in return expect a degree of control over the voters that differed little from patronage in pocket boroughs except that its duration was limited. Thus the lawyer Robert Henley, MP from 1747 and Recorder of Bath from 1751, seems to have been assumed to have had control over both seats while he remained Bath's MP and immediately after; yet when he was transferred to the House of Lords, Pitt replaced him on the understanding of being independently chosen. Pitt himself then acquired similar influence: the Council vetoed Viscount Ligonier's suggestion that he should be succeeded by his nephew when he was elevated the Lords in 1763, but instead allowed Pitt to nominate a candidate to be his new colleague, and voted overwhelmingly for him when he was opposed by a local man. But Pitt's influence also waned when he fell out with the Council over the Treaty of Paris.

In the final years before the Reform Act, however, local magnates exerted more control-like influence in Bath. Oldfield, writing early in the 19th century, stated that at that time the Marquess of Bath nominated one member and John Palmer the other; both were former MPs for the City (the Marquess having sat under the title Viscount Weymouth), but neither was still in the Commons – each had a family member sitting in their stead as MP for Bath. Palmer had succeeded as MP Earl Camden[n 4] who held one of the nominations before 1802. At the time of the Reform Act, the Marquess of Bath was still being listed as influencing one of the seats, though the second was considered independent once more.

The reformed constituency (1832–1918)

The Great Reform Act opened up the franchise to all resident (male) householders whose houses were valued at least £10 a year and imposed uniform voting provisions for boroughs. Reflecting not just the city's medium size but its general property values, this multiplied Bath's electorate by a factor of almost 100[n 5], and created a competitive and generally marginal constituency which swung between Whig and Conservative control. The constituency boundaries were also slightly extended, but only to take in those areas where the city proper had filled. Bath's most notable MP during this period was probably the Conservative social reformer Lord Ashley, better remembered under his eventual title of 7th Earl of Shaftesbury for the Factory Acts, the first of which came into effect while he was MP for Bath.

The franchise was further reformed in 1867 and 1885 with only minor boundary changes. Bath was lucky to retain double-member representation in the 1885 reforms – its electorate of under 7,000 was near the lower limit, a situation that lasted until 1918 reforms. The continued Liberal strength was unusual for a prosperous and predominantly middle-class town, and the seats could until 1918 not be considered safe for the Conservatives.

The modern single-member constituency (since 1918)

Bath's representation was reduced to a single member in 1918. The Conservatives held the seat continuously until 1992 except in the 1923 Parliament, and until World War II generally won comfortably – Liberals retained strength so that the non-Conservative vote was split and Labour could not rise above third place until the landslide of 1945, when the Conservative James Pitman achieved a very marginal majority. From 1945 to 1975 Bath Labour presented the main challengers came within 800 votes of taking the seat in 1966.

The Liberal revival in the 1970s saw the two more left-wing parties swap places, helped by the adoption of a nationally known candidate, Christopher Mayhew who had defected from the Labour Party. The formation of the SDP–Liberal Alliance made Bath a realistic target. The SDP came 1500 votes from winning in 1987 under Malcolm Dean. In 1992, Conservative Chris Patten was ousted by Liberal Democrat Don Foster in a narrow defeat widely blamed on Patten's strategising, campaign leading and communicating as Conservative Party chairman rather than canvassing his own constituents. At each election since 1992 a different [Conservative candidate has taken second place.

The boundary changes implemented in 1997 took Bathampton, Batheaston, Bathford, Charlcombe and Freshford from the Wansdyke district, containing about 7,000 voters – these were given elsewhere in 2010. Nominally this had slightly higher tendency to prefer a Conservative candidate but, the national government suffering from sleaze, in 1997 Don Foster more than doubled his almost 4,000 vote majority to over 9,000 votes. After winning two intervening elections, in 2010 Foster achieved his highest majority to date of 11,883 votes. This result followed the trend in the south-west led by the election performance of Nick Clegg and reflects a loss of the villages mentioned.

Trivia

Bath is one of only two UK Parliament constituencies to be surrounded by another constituency. Bath is entirely surrounded by the North East Somerset constituency. The other constituency, York Central, is entirely surrounded by York Outer.

Boundaries

Current boundaries

Following the review of the constituencies in the former county of Avon carried out by the Boundary Commission for England, as of the 2010 general election the constituency covers only the city of Bath, and none of the surrounding rural area. Between 1997 and 2010, it also included some outlying villages such as Southstoke and Freshford now in the North East Somerset constituency. The changes in 2010 also resulted in Bath becoming a borough constituency, instead of a county constituency as it was before.

The constituency's electoral wards are:[n 6]

Historic boundaries

Members of Parliament

The current Member of Parliament is Ben Howlett of the Conservative Party.

William Pitt the Elder was briefly Prime Minister from 30 July 1766 while a Bath MP ending when on 4 August 1766 he was raised to the peerage as Earl of Chatham.

Members of Parliament 1295–1640

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
ParliamentFirst memberSecond member
1386 Sewal Fraunceys John Honybrigge[3]
1388 (Feb) John Palmer Edmund Ford[3]
1388 (Sep)William Shropshire Roger Skinner[3]
1390 (Jan) Richard Clewer William Rous[3]
1390 (Nov)
1391 Hugh de la Lynde Nicholas Sambourne I[3]
1393 Hugh de la Lynde Thomas Ryton[3]
1394 John Touprest John Marsh I[3]
1395 Robert Draper John Marsh I[3]
1397 (Jan) Robert Aunger John Marsh I[3]
1397 (Sep) Hugh de la Lynde John Chaunceys[3]
1399 John Chaunceys John Whittocksmead[3]
1401
1402John Whittocksmead John Haygoby[3]
1404 (Jan)
1404 (Oct)
1406 Thomas Rymour Henry Bartlett[3]
1407 Henry Bartlett John Whittocksmead[3]
1410 Henry Bartlett John Whittocksmead[3]
1411
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May) Richard Widcombe Roger Hobbes[3]
1414 (Apr) John Marsh II Walter Rich[3]
1414 (Nov) Richard Widcombe William Radstock[3]
1415
1416 (Mar)William Chapman[4]
1416 (Oct)
1417 Ralph Hunt Walter Rich[3]
1419 Richard Widcombe John Marsh II[3]
1420 Richard Widcombe William Philips[3]
1421 (May) Richard Widcombe John Marsh II[3]
1421 (Dec) Walter Rich Robert Newlyn[3]
1510–1523No names known[5]
1529 John Bird Thomas Welpley[5]
1536 ?
1539 John Reynold John Clement[5]
1542 ?
1545 Matthew Colthurst Silvester Sedborough[5]
1547 Richard Denys John Clerke[5]
1553 (Mar) ?
1553 (Oct) Richard Chapman Edward Ludwell[5][6]
1554 (Apr) William Crowche Edward Ludwell[5]
1554 (Nov) John Story William Crowche[5]
1555 ?Henry Hodgkins ?[5]
1558 Edward Ludwell John Bale[5]
1558/9 Edward St Loe William Robinson[7]
1562/3 Edward Ludwell, died
and replaced 1566 by John Gwynne		 Thomas Turner[7]
1571 Edward Baber George Pearman[7]
1572 George Pearman Edward Baber[7]
1584 Thomas Ayshe William Shareston[7]
1586 Thomas Ayshe William Shareston[7]
1588 John Court John Walley[7]
1593 William Shareston William Price[7]
1597 William Shareston William Heath[7]
1601 William Shareston William Heath[7]
1604–1611 William Shareston Christopher Stone
1614 Sir James Ley Nicholas Hyde
1621–1622 Sir Robert Phelips Sir Robert Pye
1624 Sir Robert Pye John Malet
1625 Nicholas Hyde
sat for Bristol
replaced by Ralph Hopton		 Edward Hungerford
1626 Richard Gay William Chapman
1628–1629 John Popham Sir Walter Long
1629–1640No Parliaments summoned

Members of Parliament 1640–1918

YearFirst member[8] Second party
April 1640 Sir Charles Berkley Alexander Popham
November 1640 William BassettRoyalist Alexander PophamParliamentarian
February 1642 Bassett disabled from sitting – seat vacant
1645 James Ashe
1653 Bath was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament
1654 Alexander Popham[9] Bath had only one seat in the First and
Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
1656 James Ashe
January 1659 John Harrington
May 1659 One seat vacant
March 1660 Alexander Popham William Prynne
November 1669 Sir Francis Popham
November 1669 Sir William Bassett
1675 Sir George Speke
1679 Sir Walter Long
1681 The Viscount Fitzhardinge Sir William Bassett
1690 Joseph Langton
1693 William Blathwayt Whig
1695 Sir Thomas Estcourt
1698 Alexander Popham
1707 Samuel Trotman
1710 John Codrington
1720 Robert Gay
1722 General George Wade[10]
1727 Robert Gay
1734 John Codrington
1741 Philip Bennet
1747 Robert Henley
1748 General Sir John Ligonier[11]
1757 William Pitt the Elder Whig
1763 Major-General Sir John Sebright
1766 John Smith
1774 Abel Moysey
1775 Lieutenant-General Sir John Sebright
1780 Hon. John Jeffreys Pratt[12]
1790 Viscount Weymouth
1794 Sir Richard Pepper Arden
1796 Lord John Thynne
1801 John Palmer
1808 Charles Palmer
1826 Earl of Brecknock
1830 Charles Palmer Whig
1832 John Arthur Roebuck
1837 The Viscount Powerscourt Conservative William Heald Ludlow Bruges Conservative
1841 Viscount Duncan Whig John Arthur Roebuck
1847 Lord Ashley Conservative
1851 George Treweeke Scobell Whig
1852 Thomas Phinn Whig
1855 (Sir) William Tite Whig
1857 Sir Arthur Hallam Elton Whig
1859 Liberal Arthur Edwin Way Conservative
1865 James Macnaghten McGarel-Hogg Conservative
1868 Donald Dalrymple Liberal
May 1873 Viscount Chelsea Conservative
June 1873 Viscount Grey de Wilton Conservative
October 1873 (Sir) Arthur Divett Hayter Liberal
February 1874 Nathaniel Bousfield Conservative
1880 Edmond Wodehouse Liberal
1885 Robert Stickney Blaine Conservative
1886 Liberal Unionist Colonel Robert Laurie Conservative
1892 Colonel (Sir) Charles Wyndham Murray Conservative
1906 Donald Maclean Liberal George Peabody Gooch Liberal
1910 Lord Alexander Thynne Conservative Sir Charles Hunter Conservative
October 1918 Charles Talbot Foxcroft Conservative
1918 Representation reduced to one Member

Members of Parliament since 1918

YearMember[8] Party
1918 Charles Foxcroft Unionist
1923 Frank Raffety Liberal
1924 Charles Foxcroft Unionist
1929 Hon. Charles Baillie-Hamilton Unionist
1931 Loel Guinness Conservative
1945 Sir James Pitman Conservative
1964 Sir Edward Brown Conservative
1979 Chris Patten Conservative
1992 Don Foster Liberal Democrats
2015 Ben Howlett Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Bath[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Ben Howlett [14] 17,833 37.8 +6.4
Liberal Democrat Steve Bradley [15] 14,000 29.7 −26.9
Labour Ollie Middleton [16][17] 6,216 13.2 +6.3
Green Dominic Tristram [18] 5,634 11.9 +9.6
UKIP Julian Deverell [19] 2,922 6.2 +4.3
Independent Loraine Morgan-Brinkhurst [20][21] 499 1.1 +1.1
English Democrat Jenny Knight 63 0.1 +0.1
Majority 3,833 8.1 −7
Turnout 47,167 77.5 5.7
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat Swing +16.7
General Election 2010: Bath[22][23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrat Don Foster 26,651 56.6 +11.2
Conservative Fabian Richter 14,768 31.4 −0.5
Labour Hattie Ajderian 3,251 6.9 −7.5
Green Eric Lucas 1,120 2.4 −3.6
UKIP Ernie Warrender 890 1.9 +0.2
Christian Steve Hewett 250 0.5 N/A
Independent A.N.ON 69 0.1 N/A
Independent Sean Geddis 56 0.1 N/A
All The South Party Robert Craig 31 0.1 N/A
Majority 11,883 25.2 +15.1
Turnout 47,086 71.8 +2.7
Liberal Democrat hold Swing +5.8

Elections in the 2000s

The 2005 general election saw two more candidates stand than in 2001, both of whom were independent. All parties apart from the Liberal Democrats ran different candidates.

General Election 2005: Bath[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrat Don Foster 20,101 43.9 −6.6
Conservative Sian Dawson 15,463 33.7 +4.6
Labour Harriet Ajderian 6,773 14.8 −0.9
Green Eric Lucas 2,494 5.4 +2.2
UKIP Richard Crowder 770 1.7 +0.2
Independent Patrick Cobbe 177 0.4 N/A
Independent Graham Walker 58 0.1 N/A
Majority 4,638 10.1 −11.3
Turnout 45,836 68.6 +3.7
Liberal Democrat hold Swing −5.6
General Election 2001: Bath[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrat Don Foster 23,372 50.5 +2.0
Conservative Ashley Fox 13,478 29.1 −2.1
Labour Marilyn Hawkings 7,269 15.7 −0.7
Green Michael Boulton 1,469 3.2 +2.1
UKIP Andrew Tettenborn 708 1.5 +0.9
Majority 9,894 21.4 +4.1
Turnout 46,296 64.9 −11.3
Liberal Democrat hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Bath[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrat Don Foster 26,169 48.5 −0.4
Conservative Alison McNair 16,850 31.2 −9.4
Labour Tim Bush 8,828 16.4 +8.6
Referendum Tony Cook 1,192 2.2 N/A
Green Richard Scrase 580 1.1 +0.3
UKIP Peter Sandell 315 0.6 N/A
Natural Law Nicholas Pullen 55 0.1 N/A
Majority 9,319 17.3 +10.2
Turnout 53,989 76.2 −9.3
Liberal Democrat hold Swing
General Election 1992: Bath[27][28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrat Don Foster 25,718 48.9 +6.3
Conservative Christopher Francis Patten 21,950 41.8 −3.6
Labour Mrs Pamela Rosemary Richards 4,102 7.8 −2.8
Green Duncan McCanlis 433 0.8 −0.5
Liberal Mrs May Joan Barker 172 0.3 +0.3
Anti-Federalist League Alan Sked 117 0.2 +0.2
Independent John Albert S. Rumming 79 0.2 +0.2
Majority 3,768 7.2 +4.4
Turnout 52,571 82.4 +2.9
Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative Swing +4.9

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Bath[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Christopher Francis Patten 23,515 45.4
Social Democratic James Malcolm Dean 22,103 42.7
Labour Jenny Smith 5,507 10.6
Green Derek Wall 687 1.3
Majority 1,412 2.7
Turnout 79.4
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1983: Bath[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Christopher Francis Patten 22,544 47.1
Social Democratic James Malcolm Dean 17,240 36.0
Labour A. J. Pott 7,259 15.2
Ecology D. Grimes 441 0.9
Progressive Liberal R. S. Wandle 319 0.7
World Government Sidney Gilbert Young 67 0.1
Majority 5,304 11.1
Turnout 74.4
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Bath
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Christopher Francis Patten 23,025 46.4
Liberal Christopher Paget Mayhew 13,913 28.0
Labour M. Baber 11,407 23.0
Ecology D. Grimes 1,082 2.2
National Front T. Mundy 206 0.4
Majority 9,112 18.4
Turnout 78.1
Conservative hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Bath
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir Edward Joseph Brown 18,470 37.7
Liberal Christopher Paget Mayhew 16,348 33.4
Labour Malcolm Leslie Bishop 14,011 28.6
United Democratic John Vernon Kemp 150 0.3
Majority 2,122 4.3
Turnout 78.6
Conservative hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Bath
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir Edward Joseph Brown 20,920 40.8
Liberal P. Downey 15,738 30.7
Labour Malcolm Leslie Bishop 14,396 27.9
Independent Conservative H. B. de Laterriere 204 0.4
World Government Sidney Gilbert Young 118 0.2
Majority 5,182 10.1
Turnout 83.0
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1970: Bath
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir Edward Joseph Brown 22,344 49.0
Labour David Wright Young 16,493 36.1
Liberal Roger H. Crowther 5,957 13.1
World Government Sidney Gilbert Young 840 1.8
Majority 5,851 12.8
Turnout 45,634 77.1
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Bath
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir Edward Joseph Brown 19,344 43.0
Labour Frederick S. Moorhouse 18,544 41.2
Liberal Roger H. Crowther 7,095 15.8
Majority 800 1.8
Turnout 44,983 80.5
Conservative hold Swing +3.2
General Election 1964: Bath
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir Edward Joseph Brown 22,255 46.5
Labour Frederick S. Moorhouse 16,464 34.4
Liberal Dr. Brian R. Pamplin 8,795 18.4
World Government Sidney Gilbert Young 318 0.7
Majority 5,791 12.1
Turnout 45,832 84.2
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Bath
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Isaac James Pitman 24,048 50.33
Labour George E Mayer 17,515 36.66
Liberal George Allen 6,214 13.01
Majority 6,533 13.67
Turnout 47,777 83.60
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1955: Bath
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Isaac James Pitman 24,489 51.94
Labour Thomas W Richardson 17,646 37.43
Liberal Miss Barbara Burwell 5,011 10.63
Majority 6,843 14.51
Turnout 47.146 82.46
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1951: Bath
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Isaac James Pitman 27,826 55.26
Labour C J Victor Mishcon 22,530 44.74
Majority 5,296 10.52
Turnout 85.64
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1950: Bath
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Isaac James Pitman 23,070 47.16
Labour Hugh Bruce Oliphant Cardew 19,340 39.54
Liberal Philip W. Hopkins 6,508 13.30
Majority 3,730 7.63
Turnout 87.28
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Bath
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Isaac James Pitman 20,196 43.6
Labour Lady Dorothy Archibald 18,120 39.2
Liberal Philip W. Hopkins 7,952 17.2
Majority 2,076 4.5
Conservative hold Swing

Election in the 1930s

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 and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

General Election 14 November 1935: Bath[35]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Thomas Loel Evelyn Bulkeley Guinness 20,670 56.6 -7.4
Liberal Sidney Reginald Daniels 8,650 23.7 +2.4
Labour George Gilbert Desmond 7,185 19.7 +5.0
Majority 12,020 32.9 -9.8
Turnout 74.5 -6.0
Conservative hold Swing -4.7
General Election 27 October 1931: Bath[35]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Thomas Loel Evelyn Bulkeley Guinness 24,696 64.0 +17.1
Liberal Sidney Reginald Daniels 8,241 21.3 -8.8
Labour George Gilbert Desmond 5,680 14.7 -8.3
Majority 16,455 42.6 +25.8
Turnout 80.6 -0.7
Conservative hold Swing +12.9

Election in the 1920s

Sidney Daniels
General Election 30 May 1929: Bath[35]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Hon. Charles William Baillie-Hamilton 17,845 46.9 +1.8
Liberal Sidney Reginald Daniels 11,485 30.1 +0.8
Labour George Gilbert Desmond 8,769 23.0 -2.7
Majority 6,360 16.8 +1.0
Turnout 81.3 +8.5
Unionist hold Swing +0.5
Bath by-election, 1929 [35]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Hon. Charles William Baillie-Hamilton 11,171 45.1 -10.7
Liberal Sidney Reginald Daniels 7,255 29.3 -1.3
Labour George Gilbert Desmond 6,359 25.7 +12.1
Majority 3916 15.8 -9.4
Turnout 24,785 72.8 -11.7
Unionist hold Swing -4.6
General Election 29 October 1924: Bath
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Charles Talbot Foxcroft 16,067 55.8 +7.4
Liberal Frank Walter Raffety 8,800 30.6 -21.0
Labour Walter Barton Scobell 3,914 13.6 +13.6
Majority 7,267 25.2 28.4
Turnout 84.5 +5.4
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +14.2
General Election 6 December 1923: Bath
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Frank Walter Raffety 13,694 51.6 +19.6
Unionist Charles Talbot Foxcroft 12,830 48.4 -1.8
Majority 864 3.2 21.4
Turnout 79.1 -3.3
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +10.7
E.H. Spender
General Election 15 November 1922: Bath[36]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Charles Talbot Foxcroft 13,666 50.2 -24.6
Liberal Edward Harold Spender 8,699 32.0 n/a
Labour Herbert Henry Elvin 4,849 17.8 -7.4
Majority
Turnout 82.4
Unionist hold Swing

Election in the 1910s

General Election 1918: Bath
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist 15,605 n/a
Labour Alfred James Bethell 5,244 n/a
Majority n/a
Turnout n/a
Unionist win

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;

Hardy
General Election December 1910: Bath [39]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Lord Alexander George Boteville Thynne 3,875
Conservative Sir Charles Roderick Hunter 3,841
Liberal George Peabody Gooch 3,631
Liberal George Alexander Hardy 3,585
Majority
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing
General Election January 1910: Bath [39]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Lord Alexander George Boteville Thynne 3,961
Conservative Sir Charles Roderick Hunter 3,889
Liberal Donald Maclean 3,771
Liberal George Peabody Gooch 3,757
Majority
Turnout
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing

Elections in the 1900s

Maclean
General Election 1906: Bath [40]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Donald Maclean 4,102
Liberal George Peabody Gooch 4,069
Conservative Lord Alexander George Boteville Thynne 3,123
Conservative Sir Charles Wyndham Murray 3,088
Majority 946
Turnout
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing
Murray
General Election 1900: Bath [40][41]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Charles Wyndham Murray 3,486
Liberal Unionist Rt Hon. Edmond Robert Wodehouse 3,439
Liberal Donald Maclean 2,605
Liberal Alpheus Cleophas Morton 2,549
Majority 834
Turnout
Conservative hold Swing

See also

Notes and references

Notes
  1. ↑ A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ↑ Previously represented by two MPs in the House of Commons of England
  3. ↑ Conservative Party chairman 1990–1992 and last Governor of Hong Kong.
  4. ↑ Formerly known as John Jeffreys Pratt
  5. ↑ 2,853 voters registered at the first reformed election, in December 1832)
  6. ↑ These form the City of Bath in Bath and North East Somerset
References
  1. ↑ "Bath: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  2. ↑ "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  4. ↑ http://historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/member/chapman-william
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  6. ↑ Wroughton, John (2006). Tudor Bath – Life and strife in the little city, 1485–1603. Bath: Lansdown Press. pp. 58–59. ISBN 0-9520249-6-9.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  8. 1 2 "Bath". The History of Parliament. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  9. ↑ Popham was also elected for Wiltshire
  10. ↑ Field Marshal from 1743
  11. ↑ Created Viscount Ligonier (in the Peerage of Ireland), December 1757
  12. ↑ Styled Viscount Bayham from May 1786
  13. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  14. ↑ Bath Conservatives (2 November 2013). "Ben Howlett selected as Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Bath". Archived from the original on 4 October 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  15. ↑ BathNES Liberal Democrats (May 2014). "Bath Lib Dems Select Steve Bradley for 2015". Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  16. ↑ Western Daily Press (3 December 2013). "Bath Labour candidate Ollie Middleton could become youngest-ever MP". Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  17. ↑ Bath Labour (18 February 2014). "Ollie Middleton selected as Bath Labour PPC". Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  18. ↑ bath.greenparty.org.uk (11 March 2014). "Dominic Tristram Selected As PPC For Bath". Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  19. ↑ Bath UKIP (25 February 2014). "Bath UKIP Selects Julian Deverell To Contest Bath Seat In 2015 Generel Election". Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  20. ↑ Jaynes, Anita. "Independent bids to become first female MP for Bath". Excaliber. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  21. ↑ Bath Chronicle (29 January 2015). "Councillor Loraine Morgan-Brinkhurst to stand in General Election as independent MP candidate for Bath". Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  22. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  23. ↑ "BBC – Election 2010 – Bath". BBC News.
  24. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  25. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  26. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  27. ↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  28. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  29. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  30. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  31. ↑ Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 6 May 1939
  32. ↑ 8 May 1937, Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette
  33. ↑ Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 26 February 1938
  34. ↑ Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 1 April 1939
  35. 1 2 3 4 British parliamentary election results 1818–1949, Craig, F. W. S.
  36. ↑ British parliamentary election results 1885–1918, Craig, F.W.S.
  37. ↑ Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 2 May 1914
  38. ↑ Taunton Courier, and Western Advertiser, 21 Jan 1914
  39. 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  40. 1 2 The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  41. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901

Sources

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
vacant. Last was Buckingham in 1765		 Constituency represented by the Prime Minister
1766 		Succeeded by
vacant. Next was Banbury in 1770

Coordinates: 51°22′51″N 2°21′37″W / 51.3809°N 2.3603°W / 51.3809; -2.3603

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