Tatton

Coordinates: 53°18′43″N 2°23′02″W / 53.312°N 2.384°W / 53.312; -2.384

Tatton County constituency
Tatton shown within Cheshire, and Cheshire shown within England
Created:	1983
MP:	George Osborne
Party:	Conservative
Type:	House of Commons
County:	Cheshire
EP constituency:	North West England

Tatton is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Tatton is the most affluent constituency in the North of England. It is also the third wealthiest in the UK after Kensington and Chelsea & Cities of London and Westminster.^[1]

Boundaries

The constituency is in Cheshire in the north-west of England. It covers the north-western part of the Cheshire East unitary authority, including the towns of Knutsford and Wilmslow, and a number of villages such as Alderley Edge, Chelford, Handforth and Mobberley. It also covers the north-west part of the Cheshire West and Chester unitary authority, including some of the outskirts of Northwich.

The constituency is named after Tatton Park, a stately home within the constituency.

Boundary review

Following their review of parliamentary representation in Cheshire, in 2007 the Boundary Commission for England made minor changes to the existing arrangement as a consequence of population changes. The electoral wards included in this modified constituency were (as at 12 April 2005) ^[2]:

• From the borough of Macclesfield - Alderley Edge, Chelford, Dean Row, Fulshaw, Handforth, High Legh, Hough, Knutsford Bexton, Knutsford Nether, Knutsford Norbury Booths, Knutsford Over, Lacey Green, Mere, Mobberley, Morley and Styal, and Plumley
• From the borough of Vale Royal - Barnton, Cogshall, Lostock and Wincham, Rudheath & South Witton, Seven Oaks and Marston,and Shakerley.

The changes were approved in 2007 and will come into effect at the 2010 general election ^[3].

History

The constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the seats of Runcorn, Cheadle, Northwich & Knutsford. It was held by the Conservative Neil Hamilton until 1997.

Tatton shot to fame during the 1997 general election campaign, becoming one of the most high-profile constituencies at that election. Following Hamilton's implication in the Cash for Questions scandal of the 1990s, the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats withdrew their candidates in favour of the former BBC journalist, Martin Bell, who stood as an Independent (although those two parties supported his "anti-corruption" campaign). Bell was ultimately victorious, with a majority of over 11,000 over Hamilton.

Bell did not contest the seat at the 2001 election, and the seat was won by Conservative George Osborne with a majority of 8,611 (20.8%). Osborne held the seat at the 2005 election with an increased majority, and became the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer that year. Tatton is middle-class commuter territory for Manchester, with Labour strong in only two wards (Barnton, Rudheath and South Witton), with most of the remainder being firmly Conservative.

Members of Parliament

Election results

References

1. ^ http://www.abstracts.co.uk/knutsford.html
2. ^ The boroughs of Macclesfield and Vale Royal, along with their constituent wards, were abolished on 1 April 2009, when they became part of the new unitary authorities of Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester respectively; however, the boundaries of the parliamentary constituency remain fixed according to the wards in operation at 12 April 2005
3. ^ The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007, S.I. 2007/1681
4. ^ [1], UK Polling Report

Sources

• Data for the 2005 election are from the BBC.

• Data for the 2001 election are from http://www.election.demon.co.uk/.

• Data for the 1997 and 1992 results are taken from The Guardian.

• Data for 1983 and 1987 elections taken from http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk.htm

See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in Cheshire