Shrewsbury (constituency)

1918–1950: The Borough of Shrewsbury, and the Rural Districts of Atcham and Chirbury. 1950–1974: The Borough of Shrewsbury, and the Rural District of Atcham. 1974–2024: As prior but with redrawn boundaries. The constituency was coextensive with the Borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham, which became the Central area of Shropshire Council after that council's formation. 2024–present • The County of Shropshire electoral divisions of: Abbey; Bagley; Battlefield; Bayston Hill, Column and Sutton; Belle Vue; Bowbrook; Castlefields and Ditherington; Copthorne; Harlescott; Longden; Loton; Meole; Monkmoor; Porthill; Quarry and Coton Hill; Radbrook; Rea Valley; Sundorne; Tern; Underdale. In 2024, the Burnell and Severn Valley wards were transferred to South Shropshire. ==Constituency profile==

At its heart lies the town of Shrewsbury (2011 population 71,715), which is the county town of Shropshire. It is otherwise a rural constituency. Villages such as Bayston Hill, Ford, Dorrington, Condover, Minsterley, Pontesbury, Bomere Heath, Wroxeter and Atcham are included. Its southern edge is the northern side of the Shropshire Hills AONB. The landscape of the constituency features many small rivers which drain the fields and coppices into the upper plain of the River Severn, which cut straight through the area. The main roads through the area are the A5 and A49, providing links to nearby Telford as well as North Wales and the cities of Birmingham and Manchester. ==History==

Shrewsbury was founded in 1295 as parliamentary borough, returning two members to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. Famous MPs have included Sir Philip Sidney in 1581, Robert Clive (known as 'Clive of India') from 1761 to his death in 1774, and Benjamin Disraeli (later Prime Minister) in 1841–47. By the mid eighteenth century Shrewsbury was known as an independent constituency. The right of election was vested in resident burgesses paying scot and lot. By 1722 the number of voters exceeded 1300 but Parliament sharply reduced the number by excluding parts of Shrewsbury from the parliamentary borough. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, its representation was reduced to one Member of Parliament (MP). The parliamentary borough was abolished with effect from the 1918 general election, and the name transferred to a new county constituency. The constituency was renamed to "Shrewsbury and Atcham" for the period from 1983 to 2024, with the exact same boundaries as had been in effect from 1974-1983. On 10 December 2001, following his demand for a parliamentary debate before military intervention in Afghanistan, the incumbent Labour member, Paul Marsden, left the government's benches to join the Liberal Democrats; he remained there until 5 April 2005, when he sought to show strong solidarity with Labour Stop the War MPs by returning to his old party, becoming the first politician to cross the floor twice since Winston Churchill. During much of his time with the Liberal Democrats, Marsden was a senior health spokesman, shadowing the Secretary of State for Health and ministers. Shrewsbury and Atcham was part of the Shropshire region for the purpose of reporting the results of the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum; the region voted 56.9% in favour of leaving the European Union on a turnout of 77.5%. The seat returned to the name "Shrewsbury" as part of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies. This took effect from the 2024 United Kingdom general election. The constituency was won by Julia Buckley, who became the first Labour Party MP to represent the constituency under its name of Shrewsbury, as well as the first woman to represent the seat under either of its names. == Members of Parliament ==

Borough of Shrewsbury MPs 1295–1660 Constituency created in 1295 MPs 1660–1885 MPs 1885–1918 County constituency division of Shropshire Shrewsbury, 1918–1983 Shrewsbury and Atcham, 1983–2024 Shrewsbury, 2024–present == Election results ==

Graph Shrewsbury, 1830–1983 Elections in the 1830s Elections in the 1840s Elections in the 1850s Elections in the 1860s Slaney's death caused a by-election. Elections in the 1870s Clement's death caused a by-election. Elections in the 1880s Cotes was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election. Representation reduced to one Member Elections in the 1890s Elections in the 1900s Elections in the 1910s 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; • Unionist: George Lloyd • Liberal: Elections in the 1920s Elections in the 1930s Elections in the 1940s 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 from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected; • Conservative: Arthur Duckworth • Liberal: John Share Jones • Labour: Stanley Norman Chapman The outbreak of World War II in September 1939 caused general elections to be suspended until 1945. Elections in the 1950s Elections in the 1960s Elections in the 1970s Shrewsbury and Atcham, 1983–2024 up to the 2019 election.|alt= Elections in the 1980s Elections in the 1990s {{Election box winning candidate with party link Elections in the 2000s Elections in the 2010s Shrewsbury, 2024–present Elections in the 2020s == See also ==