Stoke-on-Trent South (UK Parliament constituency)

Stoke-on-Trent South is a constituency created in 1950, and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Allison Gardner, a Labour party representative.

Boundaries

Historic

1950–1955: The County Borough of Stoke-on-Trent wards numbers 19 to 26.

1955–1983: The County Borough of Stoke-on-Trent wards numbers 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24.

1983–2010: The City of Stoke-on-Trent wards of Blurton, Fenton Green, Great Fenton, Longton South, Meir Park, Trentham Park, and Weston.

2010–2024: The City of Stoke-on-Trent wards of Blurton, Fenton, Longton North, Longton South, Meir Park and Sandon, Trentham and Hanford, and Weston and Meir North.

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 Borough of Stafford wards of: Barlaston; Fulford; Swynnerton & Oulton.
• The District of Staffordshire Moorlands wards of: Checkley; Forsbrook.
• The City of Stoke-on-Trent wards of: Blurton East; Blurton West and Newstead; Broadway and Longton East; Dresden and Florence; Hanford and Trentham; Hollybush and Longton West; Lightwood North and Normacot; Meir North; Meir Park; Meir South; Weston Coyney.

Significant changes, with northern parts, including the town of Fenton, being transferred to Stoke-on-Trent Central. To compensate and bring the electorate within the permitted range, the parts in the Stafford and Staffordshire Moorlands local authorities were added from the abolished constituency of Stone.

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 Borough of Stafford wards of: Barlaston; Fulford; Swynnerton & Oulton.
• The District of Staffordshire Moorlands wards of: Checkley; Forsbrook.
• The City of Stoke-on-Trent wards of: Blurton; Dresden & Florence; Hanford, Newstead & Trentham; Hollybush; Lightwood North & Normacot; Longton & Meir Hay South (nearly all); Meir Hay North, Parkhall & Weston Coney (majority); Meir North; Meir Park; Meir South.

Constituency profile

The seat is non-rural and in the upper valley of the Trent covering half of the main city of the Potteries, a major ceramics centre since the 17th century.

A former safe Labour seat, like the other Stoke-on-Trent constituencies, it includes the city's most middle-class electoral wards of Meir and Trentham that contrast with much of the neighbouring, predominantly lower income, population of the other wards.

The seat is home to Stoke City F.C. whose Bet365 Stadium is at the northern edge of the constituency.

Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 equal to the regional average of 4.7% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.

History

Political history

The constituency was created for the 1950 general election as the successor to the Stoke Division of Stoke-on-Trent. It also included parts of the abolished Stone constituency which had been absorbed by the County Borough of Stoke-on-Trent.

The constituency and its predecessor were safe Labour seats from 1935 until the 2010s when it became marginal. It was won by the Conservative Party for the first time in 2017 when Jack Brereton became its MP. At the 2019 general election, the Conservatives increased their majority to over 11,000 votes; with a vote share of 62%. This was overturned in the 2024 election when, despite boundary changes favorable to the Conservatives, Labour's Allison Gardner won the seat, albeit with a small majority of 627 votes.

Prominent members

Jack Ashley (later Lord Ashley) became deaf as a result of an operation, but his disability campaigns led to major enactments and public sector changes to improve ordinary life for deaf people, including the inclusion of sign language in television programmes and campaigns to help other disabled people.

Members of Parliament

Stoke-on-Trent/"Stoke" prior to 1950

Election		Member	Party
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1950	Ellis Smith	Template:Party shortname linked
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1966	Jack Ashley	Template:Party shortname linked
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1992	George Stevenson	Template:Party shortname linked
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2005	Rob Flello	Template:Party shortname linked
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2017	Jack Brereton	Template:Party shortname linked
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2024	Allison Gardner	Template:Party shortname linked

Elections

File:Stoke South election results.png

Stoke South election results

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Allison Gardner	Template:Replace	34.7
		Jack Brereton	13,594	33.2
		Michael Bailey	8,851	21.6
		Alec Sandiford	1,577	3.9
		Asif Mehmood	1,372	3.4
		Peggy Wiseman	1,207	2.9
		Carla Parrish	120	0.3
Majority			627	1.5
Turnout			40,942	59.7
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+15.0

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jack Brereton	Template:Replace	62.2
		Mark McDonald	13,361	33.7
		Rosalyn Gordon	1,611	4.1
Majority			11,271	28.5
Turnout			39,604	61.4
	hold		Swing	+13.4

General election 2017: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jack Brereton	Template:Replace	49.1
		Rob Flello	19,788	47.5
		Ian Wilkes	808	1.9
		Jan Zablocki	643	1.5
Majority			663	1.6
Turnout			41,690	63.1
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+4.1

General election 2015: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Rob Flello	Template:Replace	39.2
		Joe Rich	12,780	32.7
		Tariq Mahmood	8,298	21.2
		Peter Andras	1,309	3.3
		Luke Bellamy	1,029	2.6
		Matthew Wright	372	1.0
Majority			2,539	6.5
Turnout			39,107	57.3
	hold		Swing	–2.0

General election 2010: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Rob Flello	Template:Replace	38.8
		James Rushton	11,316	28.4
		Zulfiqar Ali	6,323	15.9
		Michael Coleman	3,762	9.4
		Mark Barlow	1,363	3.4
	Staffordshire Independent Group	Terry Follows	1,208	3.0
		Mark Breeze	434	1.1
Majority			4,130	10.4
Turnout			39,852	58.8
	hold		Swing	–6.2

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Rob Flello	Template:Replace	46.9
		Mark Deaville	9,046	23.9
		Andrew Martin	5,894	15.6
		Mark Leat	3,305	8.7
		Neville Benson	1,043	2.8
		Grant Allen	805	2.1
Majority			8,618	23.0
Turnout			37,820	53.6
	hold		Swing	–3.1

General election 2001: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		George Stevenson	Template:Replace	53.8
		Philip Bastiman	8,877	24.6
		Christopher Coleman	4,724	13.1
		Adrian Knapper	1,703	4.7
		Steven Batkin	1,358	3.8
Majority			10,489	29.2
Turnout			36,028	51.4
	hold		Swing	–5.2

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		George Stevenson	Template:Replace	62.0
		Sheila Scott	10,342	22.4
		Peter Barnett	4,710	10.2
		Richard Adams	1,103	2.4
		Alison Micklem	580	1.3
		Steven Batkin	568	1.2
		Brian Lawrence	288	0.6
Majority			18,303	39.6
Turnout			46,236	66.1
	hold		Swing	+13.3

General election 1992: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		George Stevenson	Template:Replace	49.8
		Roger Ibbs	19,471	36.7
		Fred Jones	6,870	13.0
		Elizabeth Lines	291	0.5
Majority			6,909	13.1
Turnout			53,012	74.3
	hold		Swing	+1.7

Elections of the 1980s

General election 1987: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jack Ashley	Template:Replace	47.5
		Dennis Hartshorne	19,741	37.8
		Peter Wild	7,669	14.69
Majority			5,053	9.68
Turnout			52,204	73.73
	hold		Swing

General election 1983: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jack Ashley	Template:Replace	48.0
		Peter Maxwell	16,506	33.6
		William Walley	9,050	18.4
Majority			7,105	14.4
Turnout			49,167	69.6
	hold		Swing	-6.0

Elections of the 1970s

General election 1979: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jack Ashley	Template:Replace	58.75
		R Rayner	17,364	32.27
		D Chantrey	4,829	8.98
Majority			14,246	26.48
Turnout			53,803	72.52
	hold		Swing

General election October 1974: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jack Ashley	Template:Replace	61.18
		S Heath	14,204	28.31
		E Johnson	5,278	10.52
Majority			16,495	32.87
Turnout			50,181	69.09
	hold		Swing

General election February 1974: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jack Ashley	Template:Replace	56.83
		S Newall	15,981	28.70
		M Smith	7,578	13.61
		S Lomas	481	0.86
Majority			15,669	28.13
Turnout			55,690	77.38
	hold		Swing

General election 1970: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jack Ashley	Template:Replace	60.24
		RJ Apps	13,344	38.70
		SJ Lomas	364	1.06
Majority			7,426	21.54
Turnout			34,478	50.66
	hold		Swing

Elections of the 1960s

General election 1966: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Jack Ashley	Template:Replace	61.65
		FW Thornton	14,769	33.26
		SJ Lomas	2,262	5.09
Majority			12,611	28.39
Turnout			44,411	71.02
	hold		Swing

General election 1964: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ellis Smith	Template:Replace	60.56
		Clive Howson	18,839	39.44
Majority			10,089	21.12
Turnout			47,767	75.65
	hold		Swing

Elections of the 1950s

General election 1959: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ellis Smith	Template:Replace	59.28
		Geoffrey S Tucker	20,318	40.72
Majority			9,260	18.56
Turnout			49,896	78.24
	hold		Swing

General election 1955: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ellis Smith	Template:Replace	63.61
		Basil GC Webb	17,739	36.39
Majority			13,264	27.22
Turnout			48,742	73.62
	hold		Swing

General election 1951: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ellis Smith	Template:Replace	65.77
		Basil Webb	18,355	34.23
Majority			16,906	31.54
Turnout			53,616	84.21
	hold		Swing

General election 1950: Stoke-on-Trent South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		Ellis Smith		64.45
		L Orridge		27.47
		William Herbert Kemp		8.08
Majority			19,702	36.98
Turnout			53,283	85.27
	win (new seat)

See also

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

External links

• Stoke-on-Trent South UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• Stoke-on-Trent South UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
• Stoke-on-Trent South UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK