Staffordshire Moorlands (UK Parliament constituency)

1983–1997: The District of Staffordshire Moorlands.

1997–2010: The District of Staffordshire Moorlands wards of Alton, Biddulph East, Biddulph Moor, Biddulph North, Biddulph South, Biddulph West, Caverswall, Cheddleton, Horton, Ipstones, Leek North East, Leek North West, Leek South East, Leek South West, Leekfrith, Longnor, Warslow, Waterhouses, Werrington, and Wetley Rocks, and the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme wards of Butt Lane, Kidsgrove, Newchapel, and Talke.

2010–2024: The District of Staffordshire Moorlands wards of Alton, Bagnall and Stanley, Biddulph East, Biddulph Moor, Biddulph North, Biddulph South, Biddulph West, Brown Edge and Endon, Caverswall, Cellarhead, Cheddleton, Churnet, Dane, Hamps Valley, Horton, Ipstones, Leek East, Leek North, Leek South, Leek West, Manifold, and Werrington, and the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme ward of Newchapel.

2024–present: The District of Staffordshire Moorlands wards of: Alton; Bagnall and Stanley; Biddulph East; Biddulph Moor; Biddulph North; Biddulph South; Biddulph West; Brown Edge and Endon; Caverswall; Cellarhead; Cheadle North East; Cheadle South East; Cheadle West; Cheddleton; Churnet; Dane; Hamps Valley; Horton; Ipstones; Leek East; Leek North; Leek South; Leek West; Manifold; Werrington.{{Cite web |title=The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/1230/schedules/made |at=Schedule 1 Part 8 West Midlands region}}

The constituency succeeded the former constituency of Leek at the 1983 general election.

The boundary changes which took effect at the 1997 general election proved to be among the most controversial of all those proposed by the Boundary Commission.{{Cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/results_constituencies/constituencies/534.stm |title=BBC NEWS | VOTE 2001 | RESULTS & CONSTITUENCIES | Staffordshire Moorlands |website=news.bbc.co.uk}} Initially only minor changes were to be made: two rural wards to transfer to Stone (newly created). However, in the same proposed boundary changes, the neighbouring community of Kidsgrove had been split between two constituencies, with two wards remaining in the constituency of Stoke-on-Trent North and two wards transferring to Newcastle-under-Lyme. At the local enquiry into the changes, it was argued that this division of Kidsgrove was unacceptable and the assistant commissioner consequently recommended that all four Kidsgrove wards be transferred instead to Staffordshire Moorlands. To make way for the 19,000 voters in Kidsgrove (to that date shown to be heavily Labour-supporting, two wards, Endon & Stanley and Brown Edge, were transferred to Stoke-on-Trent North, while two more rural wards were transferred to the Stone constituency. It was estimated that if the constituency had been fought on the pre-1997 boundaries, Charlotte Atkins would have gained the seat by a majority of about 1,500 votes.C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)

The boundary changes which took effect at the 2010 general election effectively reversed these changes: four of the five Kidsgrove wards transferred to Stoke-on-Trent North, with only one mainly rural ward, Newchapel, remaining in Staffordshire Moorlands. Brown Edge and Endon & Stanley returned to Staffordshire Moorlands. It was estimated that if the constituency had been fought at the 2005 election under the current boundaries, Labour would have lost the seat by 1,035 votes as opposed to the 2,438 votes that Charlotte Atkins won on that occasion.Rallings & M. Thrasher (eds) Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 2007){{Cite web|url=http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/guide/seat-profiles/staffordshiremoorlands/|title=UKPollingReport Election Guide 2010 » Staffordshire Moorlands}}

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the town of Cheadle was added from the abolished constituency of Stone in order to bring the electorate within the permitted range. The Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme ward of Newchapel was transferred to Stoke-on-Trent North.

The constituency covers a substantial rural area of north-east Staffordshire, northeast of Stoke-on-Trent, and borders Derbyshire and Cheshire. The largest towns are Leek, with its cobbled square and a high street lined with independent boutiques, the Churnet valley, Biddulph, in which the famous Biddulph Grange Gardens is located and Cheadle. The area also includes the wooded, hillside village of Rudyard with its long man-made lake and miniature railway, and about 30% is in a sparsely populated part of the Peak District of small villages, including Wetton, site of Old Hannah's Cave. Other rural villages such as Longnor and Alton, home to the theme park Alton Towers make up the constituency. The southern part of Dove Dale on the border features rock climbing as well as Jacob's Ladder and Bertram's cave and well.

Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 2.1% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/nov/17/unemployment-and-employment-statistics-economics Unemployment claimants by constituency] The Guardian

The forerunner seat, Leek, existed for nearly a century until 1983, and in its more recent history alternated between the Labour and Conservative parties three times after a Liberal had held the seat from 1910 until 1918. Despite this alternation, it was far from a bellwether (that is, a reflection of the national result), as Leek leaned more towards one party more than the other in two phases:

In the first, longer part of this period the seat was held mainly by William Bromfield (Lab), secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Textile Workers and Kindred Trades (ASTWKT), whose membership covered Staffordshire and South Cheshire, and then by the future Harold Davies (later Baron Davies of Leek), who as the main aide to Prime Minister Harold Wilson, was tasked with secret talks with Ho Chi Minh which failed due to a leak.

In the second part of this period David Knox, a pro-European Conservative, toward the left of his party, and a supporter of Ted Heath when he faced Margaret Thatcher's leadership challenge, helped to establish the Tory Reform Group. During his long tenure as MP for Leek, then Staffordshire Moorlands until 1997 he held the seat even during the Wilson-Callaghan government.

From its creation in 1983 this seat was indeed a bellwether for the national result, until 2024 when the seat remained Conservative despite the landslide majority for the Labour Party nationally. After Knox's retirement for the 1997 election, Charlotte Atkins held the seat for Labour until 2010 when it was captured by the current incumbent, Karen Bradley. There was a swing to the Conservatives in four consecutive elections (2010, 2015 and 2017, 2019), leading to a Conservative majority of over 37% in this seat in 2019. The majority reduced at the 2024 general election to less than 3%, when Bradley was re-elected with a reduced majority of 1,175 votes. Bradley served in the cabinet of both of Theresa May's governments, but returned to the backbenches after Boris Johnson became prime minister.

Leek prior to 1983

{{Election box begin|title=General election 2024: Staffordshire Moorlands}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Karen Bradley

|votes = 15,310

|percentage = 35.4

|change = −28.7

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Alastair Watson

|votes = 14,135

|percentage = 32.6

|change = +5.9

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Reform UK

|candidate = Dave Poole

|votes = 10,065

|percentage = 23.2

|change = N/A

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Green Party of England and Wales

|candidate = Helen Stead

|votes = 2,293

|percentage = 5.3

|change = +2.2

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = Graham Oakes

|votes = 1,499

|percentage = 3.5

|change = −2.6

}}

{{Election box majority

|votes = 1,175

|percentage = 2.8

|change = −34.6

}}

{{Election box turnout

|votes = 43,302

|percentage = 62.0

|change = −5.3

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = −17.3

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin

|title=General election 2019: Staffordshire Moorlands{{cite news |title=Staffordshire Moorlands Parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000966 |website=BBC News |publisher=BBC |access-date=30 November 2019}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link |party = Conservative Party (UK) |candidate = Karen Bradley |votes = 28,192 |percentage = 64.5 |change = +6.4 }}

{{Election box candidate with party link |party = Labour Party (UK) |candidate = Darren Price |votes = 11,764 |percentage = 26.9 |change = −7.0 }}

{{Election box candidate with party link |party = Liberal Democrats (UK) |candidate = Andrew Gant |votes = 2,469 |percentage = 5.7 |change = +2.4 }}

{{Election box candidate with party link |party = Green Party of England and Wales |candidate = Douglas Rouxel |votes = 1,231 |percentage = 2.8 |change = +1.6 }}

{{Election box majority |votes = 16,428 |percentage = 37.6 |change = +13.4 }}

{{Election box turnout |votes = 43,656 |percentage = 66.7 |change = −0.9 }}

{{Election box hold with party link |winner = Conservative Party (UK) |swing = +6.7 }}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin

|title=General election 2017: Staffordshire Moorlands}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Karen Bradley

|votes = 25,963

|percentage = 58.1

|change = +7.0

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party= Labour Party (UK)

|candidate= Dave Jones

|votes= 15,133

|percentage= 33.9

|change= +6.7

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Independent (politician)

|candidate = Nicholas Sheldon

|votes = 1,524

|percentage = 3.4

|change = New

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = Henry Jebb

|votes = 1,494

|percentage = 3.3

|change = −0.8

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Green Party of England and Wales

|candidate = Mike Shone

|votes = 541

|percentage = 1.2

|change = −1.7

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 10,830

|percentage = 24.2

|change = +0.3

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 42,713

|percentage = 67.6

|change =

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = +0.15

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 2015: Staffordshire Moorlands{{cite web|title=Election Data 2015|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=17 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017112223/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt|archive-date=17 October 2015}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Karen Bradley

|votes = 21,770

|percentage = 51.1

|change = +5.9

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Trudie McGuinness{{cite web |url=http://www.labour.org.uk/candidates |title=Labour's Candidates | the Labour Party |website=www.labour.org.uk |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130805211622/http://www.labour.org.uk/candidates |archive-date=5 August 2013 |url-status=dead}}

|votes = 11,596

|percentage = 27.2

|change = −2.7

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = UK Independence Party

|candidate = George Langley-Poole

|votes = 6,236

|percentage = 14.6

|change = +6.4

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = John Redfern{{cite web |url=http://www.libdems.org.uk/john_redfern |title=John Redfern PPC page |publisher=Liberal Democrats |access-date=1 March 2015 }}

|votes = 1,759

|percentage = 4.1

|change = −12.6

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Green Party of England and Wales

|candidate = Brian Smith{{cite web |url=http://westmidlands.greenparty.org.uk/general-election.html |title=general-election.html |access-date=14 February 2015 }}

|votes = 1,226

|percentage = 2.9

|change = New

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 10,174

|percentage = 23.9

|change = +8.6

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 42,587

|percentage =

|change =

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = +4.3

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 2010: Staffordshire Moorlands{{cite web|title=Election Data 2010|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=17 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726162034/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt|archive-date=26 July 2013}}{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/election2010/results/constituency/e41.stm|title=BBC News | Election 2010 | Constituency | Staffordshire Moorlands|website=news.bbc.co.uk}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Karen Bradley

|votes = 19,793

|percentage = 45.2

|change = +5.4

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Charlotte Atkins

|votes = 13,104

|percentage = 29.9

|change = −6.0

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = Henry Jebb

|votes = 7,338

|percentage = 16.7

|change = −0.8

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = UK Independence Party

|candidate = Steve Povey

|votes = 3,580

|percentage = 8.2

|change = +1.4

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 6,689

|percentage = 15.3

|change =

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 43,815

|percentage = 70.6

|change = +2.8

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|loser = Labour Party (UK)

|swing = +5.7

}}

{{election box end}}

Although its predecessor seat was narrowly retained by Labour in 2005, intervening boundary changes made the constituency notionally Conservative prior to the 2010 general election, and it is therefore listed as a hold rather than a gain. {{Cite web |title=The new Westminster constituencies - full list and how they've changed |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/apr/06/election-2010-parliamentary-constituencies-westminster |access-date=25 May 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=6 April 2010 }}{{Cite web |title=BBC News Election 2010: results by constituency |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/e41.stm |access-date=25 May 2024 |work=BBC News |date=7 May 2010 }}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 2005: Staffordshire Moorlands{{cite web|title=Election Data 2005|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2005ob.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=18 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054249/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2005ob.txt|archive-date=15 October 2011}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Charlotte Atkins

|votes = 18,126

|percentage = 41.0

|change = −8.0

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Marcus Hayes

|votes = 15,688

|percentage = 35.5

|change = +0.2

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = John Fisher

|votes = 6,927

|percentage = 15.7

|change = +1.8

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = UK Independence Party

|candidate = Stephen Povey

|votes = 3,512

|percentage = 7.9

|change = +6.1

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 2,438

|percentage = 5.5

|change = −8.2

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 44,253

|percentage = 64.0

|change = +0.1

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Labour Party (UK)

|swing = −4.1

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 2001: Staffordshire Moorlands{{cite web|title=Election Data 2001|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2001ob.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=18 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054450/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2001ob.txt|archive-date=15 October 2011}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Charlotte Atkins

|votes = 20,904

|percentage = 49.0

|change = −3.2

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Marcus Hayes

|votes = 15,066

|percentage = 35.3

|change = +2.7

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = John Redfern

|votes = 5,928

|percentage = 13.9

|change = +1.8

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = UK Independence Party

|candidate = Paul Gilbert

|votes = 760

|percentage = 1.8

|change = New

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 5,838

|percentage = 13.7

|change = −5.9

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 42,658

|percentage = 63.9

|change = −13.9

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Labour Party (UK)

|swing = −3.0

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1997: Staffordshire Moorlands{{cite web|title=Election Data 1997|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1997.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=18 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054424/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1997.txt|archive-date=15 October 2011}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Charlotte Atkins

|votes = 26,686

|percentage = 52.2

|change = +17.4

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = Andrew Ashworth

|votes = 16,637

|percentage = 32.6

|change = −14.0

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = Christina Jebb

|votes = 6,191

|percentage = 12.1

|change = −2.8

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Referendum Party

|candidate = David Stanworth

|votes = 1,603

|percentage = 3.1

|change = New

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 10,049

|percentage = 19.6

|change =

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 51,117

|percentage = 77.8

|change = −5.9

}}

{{Election box gain with party link|

|winner = Labour Party (UK)

|loser = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = +15.7

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1992: Staffordshire Moorlands{{cite web|title=Election Data 1992|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1992ob.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=18 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054418/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1992ob.txt|archive-date=15 October 2011}}{{cite web|

url=http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/ge92index.htm|title=Politics Resources|date=9 April 1992|work=Election 1992|publisher=Politics Resources|access-date=2010-12-06}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = David Knox

|votes = 29,240

|percentage = 46.6

|change = −6.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = JE Siddelley

|votes = 21,830

|percentage = 34.8

|change = +6.0

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)

|candidate = CR Jebb

|votes = 9,326

|percentage = 14.9

|change = −3.4

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Anti-Federalist League

|candidate = MC Howson

|votes = 2,121

|percentage = 3.4

|change = New

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Natural Law Party

|candidate = P Davies

|votes = 261

|percentage = 0.4

|change = New

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 7,410

|percentage = 11.8

|change = −12.3

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 62,778

|percentage = 83.7

|change = +3.3

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing = −6.2

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1987: Staffordshire Moorlands{{cite web|title=Election Data 1987|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1987.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=18 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054243/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1987.txt|archive-date=15 October 2011}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = David Knox

|votes = 31,613

|percentage = 52.9

|change = −0.9

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Vera Ivers

|votes = 17,186

|percentage = 28.8

|change = +4.6

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Social Democratic Party (UK)

|candidate = James Corbett

|votes = 10,950

|percentage = 18.3

|change = −3.8

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 14,427

|percentage = 24.1

|change = −5.5

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 59,749

|percentage = 80.4

|change = +3.2

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

|swing =

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |

|title=General election 1983: Staffordshire Moorlands{{cite web|title=Election Data 1983|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1983.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=18 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054231/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1983.txt|archive-date=15 October 2011}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Conservative Party (UK)

|candidate = David Knox

|votes = 30,079

|percentage = 53.8

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labour Party (UK)

|candidate = Brian Campbell

|votes = 13,513

|percentage = 24.2

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Social Democratic Party (UK)

|candidate = Paul Gubbins

|votes = 12,370

|percentage = 22.1

|change =

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 16,566

|percentage = 29.6

|change =

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 55,962

|percentage = 77.2

|change =

}}

{{Election box new seat win|

|winner = Conservative Party (UK)

}}

{{Election box end}}

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Staffordshire
• List of parliamentary constituencies in West Midlands (region)

{{Reflist|group=n}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://mapit.mysociety.org/area/13378.html Staffordshire Moorlands UK Parliament constituency] (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• [https://mapit.mysociety.org/area/65907.html Staffordshire Moorlands UK Parliament constituency] (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
• [https://mapit.mysociety.org/area/168872.html Staffordshire Moorlands UK Parliament constituency] (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK

{{Constituencies in the West Midlands}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Coord |53.09|-1.98|type:adm3rd_region:GB-STS|display=title}}

Category:Parliamentary constituencies in Staffordshire

Category:Staffordshire Moorlands

Category:Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1983

Category:Politics of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme