Lichfield_(UK_Parliament_constituency)

Lichfield (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1997 onwards

Lichfield is a constituency^{[n 1]} in Staffordshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since its 1997 recreation by Michael Fabricant, a Conservative.^{[n 2]}

Quick Facts County, Electorate ...

Lichfield
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Lichfield in Staffordshire
Location of Staffordshire within England
County	Staffordshire
Electorate	73,085 (December 2010)^[1]
Current constituency
Created	1997
Member of Parliament	Michael Fabricant (Conservative)
Seats	One
Created from	Mid Staffordshire, Cannock & Burntwood, South East Staffordshire and Burton^[2]
1885–1950
Seats	One
Type of constituency	County constituency
Replaced by	Lichfield and Tamworth
1305–1885
Seats	Two until 1868, then One
Type of constituency	Borough constituency

Boundaries

Map of current boundaries

1918–1950: The Boroughs of Lichfield and Tamworth, the Urban Districts of Perry Barr and Rugeley, the Rural District of Lichfield, and parts of the Rural Districts of Tamworth and Walsall.
1997–2010: The District of Lichfield wards of All Saints, Alrewas, Armitage with Handsacre, Boney Hay, Central, Chadsmead, Chase Terrace, Chasetown, Colton and Ridwares, Curborough, Hammerwich, Highfield, King's Bromley, Leomansley, Longdon, Redslade, St John's, Stowe, Summerfield, and Whittington, and the Borough of East Staffordshire wards of Bagots and Yoxall.
2010–present: The District of Lichfield wards of All Saints, Alrewas and Fradley, Armitage with Handsacre, Boley Park, Boney Hay, Burntwood Central, Chadsmead, Chase Terrace, Chasetown, Colton and Mavesyn Ridware, Curborough, Hammerwich, Highfield, King's Bromley, Leomansley, Longdon, St John's, Stowe, Summerfield, and Whittington, and the Borough of East Staffordshire wards of Bagots, Needwood, and Yoxall.

The constituency includes the northern and central parts of the Lichfield local government district, including the cathedral city of Lichfield itself, Burntwood, and also the south-western portion of East Staffordshire district, including Yoxall, Barton-under-Needwood, and Abbots Bromley.

Proposed

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the next general election, due by January 2025, the constituency will be composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

The Borough of East Staffordshire wards of: Bagots; Needwood; Yoxall.¹
The District of Lichfield wards of: Alrewas & Fradley; Armitage with Handsacre; Boley Park; Boney Hay & Central; Chadsmead; Chase Terrace; Chasetown; Colton & the Ridwares; Curborough; Hammerwich with Wall; Highfield; Leomansley; Longdon; St. John’s; Stowe; Summerfield & All Saints; Whittington & Streethay (polling district AD).^[3]

Minor changes to the boundary with Tamworth.

¹ Following a local government boundary review in which came into effect in May 2023,^[4]^[5] the part in the Borough of East Staffordshire will now comprise the following wards or part wards from the next general election:

Bagots & Needwood; Blythe (Kingstone parish); Crown (Newborough parish).^[6]

History

The city was represented at most parliaments between 1305 (10 years after the Model Parliament)^{[clarification needed]}, in 1327 and again in 1353, but it then ceased to be represented until the mid 16th century, from when it sent two burgesses as members to Parliament until 1664, when representation was temporarily reduced to one member during The Protectorate (ended 1680)^{[citation needed]}, and again in 1868, when representation was permanently reduced to one. The constituency was abolished in 1950 but reconstituted, still as a single-member constituency, in 1997.

Constituency profile

This area has very little dependence on social housing and has low unemployment compared to other areas.^[7] In 2010 Michael Fabricant obtained the 52nd highest Conservative share of the vote, out of 650 seats, although in 1997 it was only held by a majority of 238 votes.^[8] In 2010 The Guardian described the constituency as a "pleasant cathedral city on border of West Midlands and the Potteries."^[9]

Members of Parliament

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

1305–1660

More information Parliament, First member ...

Parliament	First member	Second member
1313	William of Lichfield
1320	William the Taverner
1326–7	Stephen le Blount
1529	William Paget, 1st Baron Paget
1547	William Layton, died and replaced by Jan 1552 by Alexander Walker	Edmund Twyneho^[10]
1553 (Mar)	Mark Wyrley	William Fitzherbert^[10]
1553 (Oct)	Sir Philip Draycott	John Giffard^[10]
1554 (Apr)	Henry Vernon	John Taylor^[10]
1554 (Nov)	Mark Wyrley	Thomas Edwards^[10]
1555	Thomas Edwards	Francis Bulstrode^[10]
1558	Robert Weston	Richard Cupper^[10]
1559 (Jan)	Sir Henry Paget	Robert Weston^[11]
1562–3	Sir Henry Paget	Michael Pulteney^[11]
1571	Edward Fitzgerald	William Timperley^[11]
1572	Edward Fitzgerald	Arthur Bedell^[11]
1584 (Nov)	Richard Browne	James Weston^[11]
1586 (Sep)	Richard Broughton	John Goodman^[11]
1588 (Oct)	Richard Broughton	Richard Huddleston^[11]
1593	Sir John Wingfield	Richard Broughton^[11]
1597 (Oct)	Joseph Oldsworth	William Fowkes^[11]
1601	Anthony Dyott	Robert Browne^[11]
1604	Anthony Dyott	Thomas Crewe
1614	Sir John Egerton, died and replaced by Anthony Dyott	William Wingfield
1621	William Wingfield	Richard Weston
1624	Sir Simon Weston	Sir John Suckling, sat for Middlesex and replaced by William Wingfield
1625	Richard Dyott	William Wingfield
1626	Richard Dyott	William Wingfield
1628	Sir Richard Dyott	Sir William Walter
1629–1640	No Parliaments convened
1640 (Apr)	Sir Walter Devereux	Sir Richard Dyott
1640 (Nov)	Sir Walter Devereux died 1641 and replaced by Sir Richard Cave, Royalist disabled 1642^[12]	Michael Noble
1645	Michael Noble	Michael Biddulph of Elmhurst
1648	Michael Noble, died 1649	Only one member
1653	Lichfield not represented in Barebones Parliament
1654	Thomas Minors	Only one member
1656	Thomas Minors	Only one member
1659	Daniel Watson of Burton upon Trent^[13]	Thomas Minors

1660–1868

More information Election, First member ...

Election	First member^[14]		First party		Second party
1660 Apr		Michael Biddulph		Daniel Watson
1660 May		Thomas Minors		Daniel Watson
1661		John Lane		Sir Theophilus Biddulph, Bt
1667		Richard Dyott
1678		Sir Henry Lyttelton, Bt
1679 Feb		Sir Henry Lyttelton, Bt		Sir Michael Biddulph, Bt
1679 Aug		Daniel Finch later 2nd Earl of Nottingham		Sir Michael Biddulph, Bt
1685		Thomas Orme		Richard Leveson
1689		Robert Burdett		Sir Michael Biddulph, Bt
1690				Richard Dyott
1695				Sir Michael Biddulph, Bt
1698		Richard Dyott		Sir Michael Biddulph, Bt
1701 Jan				William Walmisley
1701				Sir Michael Biddulph, Bt
1705				Sir Henry Gough	Tory
1708		John Cotes		Sir Michael Biddulph, Bt
1710		John Cotes		Richard Dyott
1715		Walter Chetwynd		Samuel Hill
1718 Apr		William Sneyd
1718 Dec		Walter Chetwynd
1722		Walter Chetwynd		Richard Plumer
1731 by-election ^{[mpnotes 1]}		George Venables-Vernon later Baron Vernon		Richard Plumer
1734				Rowland Hill
1741				Sir Lister Holte, Bt
1747		Richard Leveson-Gower		Thomas Anson
1753 Nov by-election ^{[mpnotes 2]}		Sir Thomas Gresley, Bt^{[mpnotes 3]}
1754 Jan ^{[mpnotes 3]}		Henry Vernon
1754 Apr		Viscount Trentham later Marquess of Stafford
1755 by-election ^{[mpnotes 4]}		Henry Vernon
1761		John Levett^{[mpnotes 5]}
Feb 1762 ^{[mpnotes 5]}		Hugo Meynell
1768		Thomas Gilbert	Whig^[15]
1770 by-election ^{[mpnotes 6]}				George Adams then Anson	Whig^[15]
1789 by-election ^{[mpnotes 7]}				Thomas Anson later Viscount Anson	Whig^[15]
1795 by-election ^{[mpnotes 8]}		Lord Granville Leveson-Gower later Earl Granville	Whig^[15]
1799 by-election		Sir John Wrottesley, Bt	Whig^[15]
1806 Feb by-election ^{[mpnotes 9]}		Sir John Wrottesley, Bt	Whig^[15]	Sir George Anson	Whig^[16]^[15]^[17]
1806 Nov		George Granville Venables Vernon	Whig^[15]
1831		Sir Edward Scott, Bt	Whig^[15]
1837		Lord Alfred Paget	Whig^[18]^[16]^[19]^[15]
1841 by-election				Lord Leveson later Earl Granville	Whig^[15]^[20]^[21]^[22]^[23]
1846 by-election				Edward Lloyd-Mostyn later Baron Mostyn	Whig^[15]^[24]^[25]
1847				Viscount Anson later 2nd Earl of Lichfield	Whig^[26]^[20]
1854 by-election				The Lord Waterpark	Whig^[27]
1856 by-election				Viscount Sandon later Earl of Harrowby	Independent Whig^[28]^[29]
1859			Liberal	Augustus Anson	Liberal
1865		Richard Dyott	Conservative	Augustus Anson	Liberal
1868	Representation reduced to one member

1868–1950

More information Election, Member ...

	Member^[14]	Party
1868	Richard Dyott continuing	Conservative
1880 by-election	Theophilus John Levett	Conservative
1885	Parliamentary borough abolished

1885–1950, as Lichfield division of Staffordshire

More information Election, Member ...

	Member	Party
1885	Sir John Swinburne	Liberal
1892	Leonard Darwin	Liberal Unionist
1895	Henry Charles Fulford	Liberal
1896 by-election	Sir Courtenay Warner	Liberal
1919		Coalition Liberal
1922		National Liberal
1923	Frank Hodges	Labour
1924	Roy Wilson	Conservative
1929	James Lovat-Fraser	Labour
1931	James Lovat-Fraser	National Labour
1938	Cecil Poole	Labour
1950	Constituency abolished

Since 1997, as Lichfield county constituency

More information Election, Member ...

Election		Member	Party
	1997	Michael Fabricant^{[n 3]}	Conservative