1983 - Parliament UK

HOUSE OF COMMONS
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
FACTSHEET
No 22
GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS, 9 JUNE 1983
Revised June 1984
SEE HOUSE OF COMMONS LIBRARY RESEARCH NOTE 117 FOR TEXT
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The Public Information Office is grateful to the Statistical Section of the House
of Commons Library Research Division for their co-operation in allowing us to
issue as a Factsheet this edition of a note prepared by them for the use of
Members of Parliament. The Paper presents some analyses of voting in the
General Election of June 1983. The figures on which it is based come from
FWS Craig's compilation Britain Votes 3, (Chichester, Parliamentary Research
Services, 1984) which can be regarded as more reliable than the sources used
for previous editions of this Factsheet. Many of the analyses presented below
have not been published elsewhere.
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In the past the concept of swing has been widely discussed after general
elections. The existence in 1983 of three main party groups, and also the
substantial changes in constituency boundaries since 1979, mean that the
concept of swing is virtually meaningless. No figures on swing, therefore, are
included in this paper.
CONTENTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Summary of voting by party, UK
Votes cast for each party by standard region
Seats won by each party by standard region
Percentage distribution of votes cast by region
Percentage distribution of seats won by region
Changes since 1979 in parties' share of vote, by region
The largest and smallest majorities, by party
The largest and smallest turnouts, by country
Women candidates and Members
Largest and smallest constituencies by number of electors
and by country
Largest and smallest constituencies by area and country
TABLE 1
SUMMARY OF VOTING
Votes
% share
of votes
Conservatives
Labour
Liberal/SDP Alliance
Scottish National
Plaid Cymur
Ecology
National Front
British National
Communist
Workers' Revolutionary
Northern Ireland
parties (a)
Other
13,012,316
8,456,934
7,780,949
331,975
125,309
54,299
27,065
14,621
11,606
3,798
42.4
27.6
25.4
1.1
0.4
0.2
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
764,474
87,791
2.5
0.3
94
196
17
0
45
195
TOTAL
30,671,137
100.0
2,578
650
739
Candidates
MPs
elected
633
633
633 (b)
72
38
109
60
54
35
21
Lost
deposits
397
209
23 (b)
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
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Party
5
119
11 (b)
53
32
109
60
54
35
21
(a) All figures excIude the Ecology Party candidate in Antrim N who is included in the Ecology figures.
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The figures break down as follows:
Party
Ulster unionist
Democratic Unionist
SOUP
Sinn Pain
Alliance
Workers Party
Others
(b)
Votes
% share
of votes
Candidates
MPs
elected
Lost
deposits
259,952
152,749
137,012
102,701
61,275
14,650
36,135
34.0
20.0
17.9
13.4
8.0
1.9
4.7
16
14
17
14
12
14
7
11
3
1
1
0
0
1
1
4
7
7
7
14
5
of which, Liberal candidates 322, MPs elected 17, lost deposits 5,
SDP candidates 311, MR5 elected 6, lost deposits 6.
Additional Source: Political Parties.
TABLE 2
VOTES CAST FOR MAIN PARTIES, BY STANDARD REGION
ENGLAND
North
Yorkshire &
Humberside
East Midlands
East Anglia
South East (b)
south West
West Midlands
North West
WALES
SCOTLAND
NORTHERN
IRELAND (c)
LAB
ALLIANCE
NAT (a)
11,711,519 6,862,422
6,714,957
-
684,120
424,987
1,013,311 925,084
1,013,384 600,624
539,418 216,906
4,593,712 1,924,854
1,295,737 370,541
1,261,378 874,190
1,405,451 1,266,103
669,377
517,098
298,624
2,490,105
836,547
655,982
822,237
-
589,128
499,310
801,487
TOTAL
183,748 25,472,646
2,507
1,700,742
13,516
17,266
2,934
92,773
19,129
12,444
23,179
2,621,288
2,148,372
1,057,882
9,101,444
2,521,954
2,803,994
3,516,970
373,358
692,634
125,309
331,975
7,151
7,830
1,608,986
2,824,580
-
-
-
764,925
764,925
13,012,316 8,456,934
7,780,949
437,284
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(a) Plaid Cymru and SNP only
(b) of which, Greater London
OTHER
603,858
990,654
-
UNITED KINGDOM
co
py
CON
CON
LAB
ALLIANCE
OTHER
TOTAL
1,517,105
1,031,539
853,360
55,774
3,457,778
(c) See Table 1 for breakdown (which excludes one Ecology Party candidate)
963,654 30,671,137
SEATS WON BY PARTY AND STANDARD REGION
CON
ENGLAND
North
Yorks & Humberside
East Midlands
East Anglia
South East (c)
South West
West Midlands
North West
WALES
SCOTLAND
NORTHERN
IRELAND (d)
UNITED KINGDOM
LAB ALLIANCE (a)
NAT (b)
OTHER
TOTAL
-
523
36
54
42
20
192
48
58
73
362
148
13
8
24
34
18
162
44
36
36
26
28
8
1
27
1
22
35
2
2
1
3
3
2
-
14
21
20
41
2
8
2
2
-
38
72
-
-
-
-
17
17
209
23
4
17
650
397
North
South East
South West
Scotland
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(a) The SDP seats are distributed as follows:
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TABLE 3
1
1
1
3
The Other 17 seats are held by Liberals
(b) Plaid Cymru and SNP only
(c) of which, Greater London
(d) See table 1 for breakdown
CON
LAB
ALLIANCE
TOTAL
56
26
2 (1 Lib, 1 SDP)
84
TABLE 4
PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF VOTES CAST
IN EACH REGION BY MAIN PARTY
North
Yorks & Humberside
East Midlands
East Anglia
South East (b)
South West
West Midiands
North West
WALES
SCOTLAND
NORTHERN
IRELAND (c)
UNITED KINGDOM
LAB
ALLIANCE
NAT (a)
OTHER
TOTAL
46.0
26.9
26.4
-
0.7
100.0
34.6
38.7
47.2
51.0
50.5
51.4
45.0
40.0
40.2
35.3
28.0
20.5
21.1
14.7
31.2
36.0
25.0
25.5
24.1
28.2
27.4
33.2
23.4
23.4
-
0.1
0.5
0.8
0.3
1.0
0.8
0.4
0.7
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
37.5
35.1
23.2
24.5
7.8
11.8
0.4
0.3
100.0
100.0
27.6
25.4
1.50
3.1
100.0
100.0
31.0
28.4
42.4
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ENGLAND
CON
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(a) Plaid Cymru and SNP only
(b) of which, Greater London
CON
LAB
ALLIANCE
OTHER
TOTAL
43.9
29.8
24.7
1.6
100.0
(c) See Table 1 for breakdown (which excludes one Ecology Party candidate)
TABLE 5
PERCENTAGE DISTRIBIPTION OF SEATS WON IN EACH
REGION BY MAIN PARTY
North
Yorks & Eumberside
East Midlands
East Anglia
South East (a)
South West
West Midlands
North West
WALES
SCOTLAND
NORTHERN IRELAND
UNITED KINGDOM
of which, Greater London
69.2
28.3
22.2
44.4
81.0
90.0
84.4
91.7
62.1
49.3
36.8
29.2
..
61.1
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(a)
LAB ALLIANCE
OTHER
TOTAL
2.5
..
100.0
72.2
51.9
19.0
5.0
14.1
2.1
38.0
47.9
5.6
3.7
..
5.0
1.6
6.3
..
2.7
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
52.6
56.9
..
32.2
5.3
11.1
3.5
5.3
2.8
100.0
3.2
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
CON
LAB
ALLIANCE
67.7
31.0
2.4
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py
ENGLAND
CON
TOTAL
100.0
TABLE 6 shows changes since May 1979 in the main parties' shares of the vote by region.
Before the recent boundary changes, some constituencies overlapped regional boundaries and it was
therefore necessary to allocate constituencies to regions on a 'best-fit' basis. The new constituencies do
not cross regional (or county) boundaries.
The figures show how the Conservative Party's relatively small loss of votes was concentrated in
the industrial regions. These are the regions in which Labour's losses were least, with their largest losses
coming in East Anglia, the East Midlands and the South East. The Alliance's gains were widespread,
with the highest increases in Scotland (largely at the expense of the SNP) and Wales.
CHANCES SINCE MAY 1979 IN MAJOR PARTIES
SHARE OF VOTE BY RECION (PERCENTAGES)
TABLE 6
CON
-1.2
SCOTLAND
-0.5
-9.2
-9.5
-10.2
-12.1
-10.7
-9.9
-8.9
-6.8
+12.4
+10.7
+9.9
+12.2
+12.1
+10.7
+11.9
+10.5
-1.4
-0.4
-0.1
-0.3
-0.5
-0.5
-0.9
-1.2
-9.4
+12.6
-2.1 (c) (d)
-3.0
-6.5
+15.5
-6.0 (e)
..
..
..
..
-1.5
-9.3
+11.6
-0.8
CON
LAB
ALLIANCE
OTHER
-2.1
-9.8
+12.8
-0.8
NORTHERN IRELAND
UNITED KINGDOM
(a) Compared with Liberal vote in 1979
(b) Of which, Greater London
+11.5
-1.9
-0.8
+0.5
+0.2
-0.9
-0.2
-2.1
-3.6
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North
Yorks & Humberside
East Midlands
East Anglia
South East (a)
South West
West Midlands
North West
WALES
-9.8
OTHER
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ENGLAND
LAB ALLIANCE (a)
(c) The "other" vote in 1979 included the Speaker
(d) The Plaid Cymcru share fell by 0.2 per cent
(e) The SNP share fell by 5.5 per cent
Additional source: CSO Regional Statistics 15, 1980.Table 3.8
TABLE 7
THE LARGEST AND SMALLEST MAJORITIES, BY PARTY
LARGEST CONSERVATIVE MAJORITIES
1
2
3
4
5
Peter Hordern
Michael Grylls
Patrick McNair-Wilson
Nicholas Winterton
John Major
Horsham
Surrey North West
New Forest
Macclesfield
Huntingdon
21,785
21,018
20,895
20,679
20,348
Blaenau Gwent
Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney
Rhondda
Manchester Central
Motherwell North
23,625
22,730
21,310
18,485
17,894
1
2
3
4
5
Rt Man Michael Foot
Ted Rowlands
Allan Rogers
Robert Litherland
James Hamilton
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LARGEST LABOUR MAJORITIES
SMALLEST CONSERVATIVE MAJORITIES
Derek Spencer
Ken Hargreaves
Jeremy Hanley
Richard Ottaway
Rt Hon Norman St John-Stevas
Leicester South
Hyndburn
Richmond & Barnes
Nottingham North
Chelmsford
7
21
74
362
378
Carlisle
Bradford South
Wollerhampton NE
Birmingham Erdington
Crewe & Nantwich
71
110
214
231
290
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1
2
3
4
5
SMALLEST LABOUR MAJORITIES
1
2
3
4
5
Ron Lewis
Thomas Torney
Mrs Renee Short
Robin Corbett
Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody
SDP MAJORITIES
Largest
Smallest
Robert Maclennan
Ian Wrigglesworth
Caithness & Sutherland
Stockton South
6,843
103
LIBERAL MIJORITIES
Largest
Smallest;
David Penhaligon
Alex Carlile
Truro
Montgomery
10,480
668
Logan Valley
Antrim East
17,216
367
ULSTER UNIONIST MAJORITIES
Largest
Smallest
Jams Holyneaux
Roy Beggs
The overall turnout in the 1983 General Election was 72.7 per ant.
The turnouts in each country of the United Kingdom were as follows:
England
Scotland
Wales
Northern Ireland
72.5%
72.7%
76.1%
72.9%
TABLE 8 shows the highest and lowest turnouts in each of these countries.
TABLE 8
LARGEST AND SMALLEST TURNOUTS (PER CENT)
ENGLAND
81.1
80.4
80.1
80.0
79.8
79.7
79.6
79.6
79.6
79.6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
City of London and Westminster South
Newham South
Hackney South & Shoreditch
Peckham
Hackney N. & Stoke Newington
Bow and Poplar
Bethnal Green and Stepney
Chelsea
Newham North West
Holborn and St Pancras
51.8
53.6
53.9
54.5
54.7
55.4
55.6
56.1
56.1
60.2
Glasgow Central
Edinburgh Central
Aberdeen North
Glasgow Springburn
Glasgow Provan
62.8
64.9
65.0
65.1
65.2
Cardiff West
Cardiff South & Penarth
Swansea East
Cardiff Central
Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney
69.6
71.0
71.5
72.1
72.5
co
py
Leicestershire North West
Cornwall North
Devon North
Isle of Wight
Yeovil
Pendle
Richmond and Barnes
Truro
Bury North
Gloucestershire West
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1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
SCOTLAND
1
2
3
4
5
Strathkelvin & Bearsden
Renfrew W & Inverclyde
Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale
East Kilbride
Ayr
79.4
78.1
77.8
77.0
76.7
1
2
3
4
5
WALES
1
2
3
4
5
Carmarthen
Meirionnydd Nant Conwy
Brecon and Radnor
Ynys Mon
Montgomery
82.1
81.3
80.1
79.6
79.2
1
2
3
4
5
NORTHERN IRELAND
1
2
3
4
5
Fermanagh & S. Tyrone
Mid Ulster
Foyle
Down South
Londonderry East
88.7
84.4
78.1
76.7
76.3
1
2
3
4
5
Strangford
Antrim East
Antrim South
Down North
Lagan Valley
65.0
65.1
65.6
66.3
67.6
The low numbers of women Members of Parliament relative to their numbers in the
population have given rise to considerable comment in recent years. TABLE 9
shows figures on women candidates and elected Members at the 1983 election.
The Labour Party put up the highest number of women candidates, although the
highest proportion was fielded by the Ecology Party. The proportions of candidates
who were female are, however, much higher than the proportions of those elected,
with only 3.5 per cent of the membership of the new House of Commons being female.
For historical details of women MPs see Factsheet No 5.
TABLE 9
WOMEN CANDIDATES
40
78
32
43
9
6
27
45
6.3
12.3
9.9
13.8
12.5
15.8
24.8
9.8
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Conservative
Labour
Liberal
SDP
Scottish National
Plaid Cymru
Ecology
Other
as % all
candidates
TOTAL
280
Additional source: Political Parties
Number
as % all
Members
co
py
Number
WOMEN
MEMBERS ELECTED
10.9
13
10
0
0
0
0
0
0
3.3
4.8
..
..
..
..
..
..
23
3.5
THE SIZE OF CONSTITUENCIES
Despite the re-organisation of parliamentary boundaries resulting from the third reports of the
Boundary Commissioners there is still considerable variation in the size of constituencies as TABLE 10
shows. The largest constituency in the United Kingdom is the lsle of Wight which has a total electorate of
95,357. This is over four times the size of the smallest - Western Isles - which has a total electorate of
23,020. TABLE 10 contains details of the largest and smallest constituencies within the four countries of the
United Kingdom. The figures in brackets are the percentage differences between the electorate and the
electoral quota. The electoral quotas for 1983/84 are derived as follows:
England
Wales
Scotland
Northern Ireland
35,569,230
2,138,384
3,934,220
1,061,185
Total
seats
Electors per
constituency/
electoral quota
co
py
Total
electors (a)
523
38
72
17
68,010
56,273
54,642
62,423
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Note:
(a) Including attainers - those on the Register aged under 18 on 17 February 1983
but becoming 18 during the currency of the register - and service voters.
Some of the constituencies with the smallest electorates do, however, cover the largest areas
as can he seen from, TABLE 11 which lists the largest and smallest constituencies in Great
Britain by land area.
TABLE 10
LARGEST AND SMALLEST ELECTORATES BY COUNTRY 1983 REGISTER (a)
LARGEST
Electorate (% difference from quota (b))
SMALLEST
Electorate (% difference from quota (b))
ENGLAND
Isle of Wight
Crosby
Devizes
Eastleigh
East Berkshire
Horsham
Westbury
Cirencester and Tewkesbury
Harrow East
South Colchester and Maldon
95,357
84,550
84,409
83,523
82,502
81,473
81,324
81,078
80,837
80,553
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Hammersmith
Surbiton
Walthamstow
Kensington
Newham NW
Newham South
Old Bexley & Sidcup
Greenwich
Fulham
Coventry NW
46,507
47,425
48,842
50,123
50,295
50,862
50,942
52,091
52,224
52,541
(-31.6)
(-30.3)
(-28.2)
(-26.3)
(-26.0)
(-25.2)
(-25.1)
(-23.4)
(-23.2)
(-22.7)
68,741 (+22.2)
64,548 (+14.7)
64,211 (+14.1)
64,153 (+14.0)
63,698 (+13.2)
1
2
3
4
5
Meirionnydd Nant Conwy
Montgomery
Caernarfon
Brecon and Radnor
Islwyn
30,798
37,913
44,663
47,817
50,806
(-45.3)
(-32.6)
(-20.6)
(-15.0)
(-9.7)
66,244 (+21.2)
65,822 (+20.5)
64,266 (+17.6)
63,810 (+16.8)
63,469 (+16.7)
1
2
3
4
WALES
Pembroke
Llanelli
Carmarthen
Caerphilly
Vale of Glamorgan
SCOTLAND
1
2
3
4
5
Ar
ch
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1
2
3
4
5
(+40.2)
(+24.3)
(+24.1)
(+22.8)
(+21.3)
(+19.8)
(+19.6)
(+19.2)
(+18.9)
(+18.4)
co
py
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Gordon
Ayr
Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber
Aberdeen North
Dundee East
Western Isles
Orkney and Shetland
Caithness and Sutherland
Tweeddale, Ettrick
and Lauderdale
5 Roxburgh & Berwickshire
23020
30399
31201
37518
(-57.9)
(-44.4)
(-42.9)
(-31.3)
42157
(-22.8)
1
2
3
4
5
54115
56065
59372
59931
60404
(-13.3)
(-10.2)
(-4.9)
(-4.0)
(-3.2)
NORTHERN IRELAND
1
2
3
4
5
Fermanagh & South Tyrone
East Londonderry
Foyle
South Down
Mid Ulster
68,913
68,215
67,918
67,723
64,840
(+20.4)
(+9.3)
(+8.8)
(+8.5)
(+3.9)
Belfast South
Belfast East
East Antrim
South Antrim
Belfast West
Notes:
(a) Based on the total electorate, ie including attainers and service voters
(b) The electorate quota is the number of electors per constituency in each country
Source: OPCS Monitor 83/2
TABLE 11
LARGEST AND SMALLEST CONSTITUENCIES
BY AREA AND BY COUNTRY
LARGEST
SMALLEST
Area
(hectares)
Area
(hectares)
ENGLAND
327,964
250,992
233,012
231,456
218,136
214,465
196,506
193,091
171,421
166,123
WALES
301,269
227,038
212,537
206,429
193,514
572
609
623
693
719
741
748
833
845
872
1. Cardiff Central
2. Cardiff West
3. Swansea West
4. Cardiff South & Penarth
5. Cardiff North
1,684
3,143
3,357
3,905
4,189
1. Glasgow, Garscadden
2. Glasgow, Central
3. Edinburgh, Central
4. Glasgow, Hillhead
5. Edinburgh, Leith
1,270
1,380
1,426
1,461
1,506
Ar
ch
iv
e
1. Brecon and Radnor
2. Ceredigion & Pembroke
North
3. Carmarthen
4. Montgomery
5. Meirionnydd Nant Conwy
1. Chelsea
2. Peckham
3. Kensington
4. Fulham
5. Bethnal Green & Stepney
6. Islington North
7. Islington South & Finsbury
8. Westminster North
9. Hackney North and
Stoke Newington
10. Vauxhall
co
py
1. Penrith and the Border
2. Hexham
3. Richmond (Yorks)
4. Berwick Upon, Tweed
5. Skipton and Ripon
6. Torridge & West Devon
7. Ryedale
8. Westmorland & Lonsdale
9. Leominster
10. Ludlow,
SCOTLAND
1. Bass, Cromarty & Skye
2. Inverness, Nairn
and Lochaber
3. Caithness & Sutherland
4. Argyll and Bute
5. North Tayside
954,680
870,708
788,297
661,362
485,104
NORTHERN IRELAND
No figures for constituency areas in Northern Ireland are readily available
Note: Area figures for Scotland relate to land and inland water
Sources: Table A OPCS Parliamentary Constituency
Monitors CEN 81 PCM 14-25.

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