Stoke-on-Trent Central

Stoke-on-Trent Central is a constituency in Staffordshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Gareth Snell of the Labour Party, who had previously represented the constituency between 2017 and 2019. He succeeded Jo Gideon of the Conservative Party who defeated him in the general election of 2019. Gideon did not seek re-election in 2024, having announced in early 2023 that she would be standing down.

Boundaries

Historic

1950–1955: Wards 10 to 18 and 28 of the county borough of Stoke-on-Trent.

1955–1983: Wards 9 to 16 of the county borough of Stoke-on-Trent.

1983–2010: The Abbey, Berryhill, Brookhouse, Hanley Green, Hartshill, Shelton and Stoke West wards of the City of Stoke-on-Trent.

2010–2024: Abbey Green, Bentilee and Townsend, Berryhill and Hanley East, Hanley West and Shelton, Hartshill and Penkhull, Northwood and Birches Head, and Stoke and Trent Vale ''in the City of Stoke-on-Trent''.

Current

Under the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency was defined as composing the following as they existed on 1 December 2020:

* The City of Stoke-on-Trent wards of: Abbey Hulton and Townsend; Bentilee and Ubberley; Birches Head and Central Forest Park; Boothen and Oak Hill; Eaton Park; Etruria and Hanley; Fenton East; Fenton West and Mount Pleasant; Hanley Park and Shelton; Hartshill and Basford; Joiner's Square; Meir Hay; Penkhull and Stoke; Sandford Hill; Sneyd Green; Springfields and Trent Vale.

''In order to bring the electorate within the permitted range, significant parts of the Stoke-on-Trent South constituency were transferred in, including the town of Fenton. In addition, the boundary with Stoke-on-Trent North were re-aligned to take account of changes to ward boundaries.''

Following a further local government boundary review in the City of Stoke-on-Trent which came into effect in May 2023, the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:

* The City of Stoke-on-Trent wards of: Abbey Hulton; Basford & Hartshill; Bentilee, Ubberley & Townsend; Birches Head & Northwood; Boothen; Etruria and Hanley (nearly all); Bucknall & Eaton Park; Fenton East; Fenton West & Mount Pleasant; Hanley Park, Joiner's Square & Shelton; Hartshill Park & Stoke; Meir Hay North, Parkhall & Weston Coney (part); Moorcroft & Sneyd Green (part); Penkhull & Springfields; Sandford Hill; Trent Vale & Oak Hill; and a very small part of Longton & Meir Hay South.

Constituency Profile

The contribution of the city to Britain's economy and history is prominent as home to Staffordshire Potteries: Aynsley, Burleigh, Doulton, Dudson, Heron Cross, Minton, Moorcroft, Twyford and Wedgwood, most in this particular seat.

The constituency has a majority of residents from a clear-cut working-class background, many of whom work or have worked in trade union-represented industries. Of these, many were employed in The Potteries, the smaller foundries or in nearby hubs for the civil infrastructure and automotive industries; the latter of these remains an important source of employment in the region. The constituency's housing—overwhelmingly low-rise, and in some cases highly ornate Victorian terraces and semi-detached houses—is, compared with Staffordshire as a whole, a relatively dense urban network of streets.

Owing to a reduction in clay and coal excavation works in the area, and canal trade, this seat has the highest unemployment rates of the three Stoke seats; this seat has 6.2% of workless registered unemployment benefit claimants, compared to a national average of 3.8% and regional average of 4.7%.

History

The constituency was created for the 1950 general election as the successor to the Hanley Division of Stoke-on-Trent. The large town had first gained representation by way of the "Great Reform Act" in 1832.

Political history

Statistics are confusing as to the current status of the area, reflecting the great demographic—in particular, economic sector—changes in the constituency. Tristram Hunt's result at the 2015 general election gave the seat the 60th-most marginal majority of the Labour Party's 232 seats, measured by percentage of majority. Labour's continuous tenure of Stoke-on-Trent Central from 1950 to 2019 placed it among the approximately 120 constituencies of the 232 which returned Labour members in 2015—all their predecessor areas included—to have withstood landslides for the Conservative Party during the intervening period (such as the 1983 general election). Stoke-on-Trent Central ranked highest for political apathy at the 2015 election, recording the lowest turnout in the United Kingdom.Why Stoke-on-Trent is a microcosm of the battle for Labour's soul
''The Guardian'', 15 January 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2017.

Tristram Hunt resigned as an MP in January 2017, and Labour's Gareth Snell won the subsequent by-election, with the then leader of UKIP, Paul Nuttall coming in second place. Snell retained the seat at the general election later that year, but was defeated by Jo Gideon at the 2019 general election, the first time the seat or its predecessor had been represented by the Conservative Party since 1935. Gideon did not contest the 2024 general election and the seat was recaptured by Snell, with Reform UK relegating the Conservatives into third place. Turnout in 2024 dropped to just 48%.

Prominent members

Barnett Stross was awarded the Order of the White Lion in recognition of his role in the development of relations between the UK and Czechoslovakia, and for his role in the renewal of the substantial village of Lidice; he also led statutory efforts that began specific protection of workers against industrial disease.

Mark Fisher was for 13 months the Minister for the Arts at the outset of the Blair ministry.

Tristram Hunt was the Shadow Secretary of State for Education in the Labour Party's Shadow Cabinet from October 2013 until September 2015. He resigned as an MP in 2017 to take up the post of Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Members of Parliament

Elections

Election graph

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

Vote changes are made with reference to the 2015 general election, not to the 2017 by-election.

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

See also

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

References

External links

Stoke-on-Trent Central UK Parliament constituency
(boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at ''MapIt UK''

(boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at ''MapIt UK''

(boundaries from June 2024) at ''MapIt UK''

{{Coord, 53.01, -2.16, type:adm3rd_region:GB-STS, display=title

Parliamentary constituencies in Staffordshire
Politics of Stoke-on-Trent
Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1950