The Thoresby Society

The constituency was created in 1997 and abolished in 2010.

Both were ancient medieval towns mentioned in Domesday Book and both had previously been represented in Parliament; Morley from 1885 until it was merged with Batley in 1918 and Rothwell from 1918 until it was abolished for the 1950 election. In the nineteenth century Morley specialised in the manufacture of shoddy and mining and by the late twentieth century several small industries and a thriving shopping centre operated there. Morley had a population of 44,440 in the 2011 census. Rothwell, originally dependent on agriculture and mining, became by the beginning of the twenty-first century an affluent vibrant town. It is part of the rhubarb triangle. In the 2011 census the Leeds Metropolitan Rothwell Ward had a population of 20,354.

 

 

BOUNDARIES

1997 - 2010 : The constituency was created from Middleton Ward, Morley North Ward, Morley South Ward, and Rothwell Ward.

TURNOUT

For elections after 1929 when universal suffrage had been granted

	Electorate	Total votes cast	Turnout
1997	68,434	45,897	67.0%
2001	71,815	38,442	53.5%
2005	72,248	42,495	58.82%

HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES RECORDED BY A WINNING CANDIDATE
1997 J. Gunnell (Labour) 26,836

LOWEST NUMBER OF VOTES RECORDED BY A WINNING CANDIDATE
2005 C. Challen (Labour) 20,570

HIGHEST MAJORITY RECORDED BY A WINNING CANDIDATE
1997 J. Gunnell (Labour) 14,750

LOWEST MAJORITY RECORDED BY A WINNING CANDIDATE
2001 C. Challen (Labour) 12,090

 

RESULTS

 

Boundary Commission 1995

1997 - 1st May

Morley & Rothwell
J. Gunnell (Labour) 26,836
A. Barraclough (Conservative) 12,086
M. Galdas (Liberal Democrat) 5,087
D. Mitchell Innes (Referendum) 1,359
R. Wood (British National) 381
P. Sammon (ProLife) 148

 

2001 - 7th June

Morley & Rothwell
C. Challen (Labour) 21,919
D. Schofield (Conservative) 9,829
S. Golten (Liberal Democrat) 5,446
J. Bardsley (United Kingdom Independence) 1,248

2005 - 5th May

Morley & Rothwell
C. Challen (Labour) 20,570
N. E. G. Vineall (Conservative) 8,227
B. S. Golton (Liberal Democrat) 6,819
R. P. Finnigan (Independent) 4,608
C. J. Benerley (British National) 2,271