Shrewsbury is a parliamentary constituency in England, centred on the town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire. It has been represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 2024 by Julia Buckley. A constituency for the town has existed since the 13th century; it was known as Shrewsbury and Atcham between 1983 and 2024.
Constituency profile
Shrewsbury is a constituency in Shropshire in the West Midlands region of England. Its main settlement is the town of Shrewsbury which has a population of around 79,000. Other settlements include the villages of Bayston Hill and Pontesbury.
This constituency covers the large town of Shrewsbury and its surrounding rural area which stretches to the Welsh border and contains many small villages, hamlets and farms. Some of these villages, like Hanwood and Asterley, have a history of coal mining. Shrewsbury is a historic market town of Anglo-Saxon origins and was traditionally an important stopping point for trade between England and Wales. Most of Shrewsbury and the rural areas have average levels of wealth, although the town's southern and western suburbs are highly-affluent. House prices across the constituency are generally higher than the rest of the West Midlands but lower than the UK average.
Shrewsbury has a low proportion of young adults and a large retired population. Residents have average levels of income and homeownership and the child poverty rate is below-average. They have average levels of education and a high proportion work in the health, retail and agriculture sectors. The percentage claiming unemployment benefits is low. White people made up 96% of the population at the 2021 census.
Most of the constituency is represented by Liberal Democrats at the local council, with some Labour Party, Green Party and Reform UK councillors elected in Shrewsbury town and some Conservatives elected in the rural villages. An estimated 54% of voters in the constituency supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, marginally higher than the UK-wide rate of 52%.
Boundaries
1918–1950: The Borough of Shrewsbury, and the Rural Districts of Atcham and Chirbury.
1950–1974: The Borough of Shrewsbury, and the Rural District of Atcham.
1974–2024: As prior but with redrawn boundaries. The constituency was coextensive with the Borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham, which became the Central area of Shropshire Council after that council's formation.
2024–present
The County of Shropshire electoral divisions of: Abbey; Bagley; Battlefield; Bayston Hill, Column and Sutton; Belle Vue; Bowbrook; Castlefields and Ditherington; Copthorne; Harlescott; Longden; Loton; Meole; Monkmoor; Porthill; Quarry and Coton Hill; Radbrook; Rea Valley; Sundorne; Tern; Underdale.
In 2024, the Burnell and Severn Valley wards were transferred to South Shropshire.
History
Shrewsbury was founded in 1295 as parliamentary borough, returning two members to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885.
Famous MPs have included Sir Philip Sidney in 1581, Robert Clive (known as 'Clive of India') from 1761 to his death in 1774, and Benjamin Disraeli (later Prime Minister) in 1841–47. By the mid eighteenth century Shrewsbury was known as an independent constituency. The right of election was vested in resident burgesses paying scot and lot. By 1722 the number of voters exceeded 1300 but Parliament sharply reduced the number by excluding parts of Shrewsbury from the parliamentary borough.Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition - London: St Martin's Press, 1957), pp. 240–242
Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, its representation was reduced to one Member of Parliament (MP). The parliamentary borough was abolished with effect from the 1918 general election, and the name transferred to a new county constituency. The constituency was renamed to "Shrewsbury and Atcham" for the period from 1983 to 2024, with the exact same boundaries as had been in effect from 1974-1983.
On 10 December 2001, following his demand for a parliamentary debate before military intervention in Afghanistan, the incumbent Labour member, Paul Marsden, left the government's benches to join the Liberal Democrats; he remained there until 5 April 2005, when he sought to show strong solidarity with Labour Stop the War MPs by returning to his old party, becoming the first politician to cross the floor twice since Winston Churchill. During much of his time with the Liberal Democrats, Marsden was a senior health spokesman, shadowing the Secretary of State for Health and ministers.
Shrewsbury and Atcham was part of the Shropshire region for the purpose of reporting the results of the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum; the region voted 56.9% in favour of leaving the European Union on a turnout of 77.5%.
The seat returned to the name "Shrewsbury" as part of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies. This took effect from the 2024 United Kingdom general election. The constituency was won by Julia Buckley, who became the first Labour Party MP to represent the constituency under its name of Shrewsbury, as well as the first woman to represent the seat under either of its names.
Members of Parliament Borough of Shrewsbury
MPs 1295–1660
Constituency created in 1295 ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1386 Robert Grafton Hugh Wigan 1388 (Feb) Hugh Wigan Robert Thornes 1388 (Sep) Robert Grafton Hugh Wigan 1390 (Jan) Robert Grafton Thomas Pride 1390 (Nov) 1391 Hugh Wigan Thomas Pride 1393 Thomas Pride Thomas Gamel 1394 Thomas Pride Hugh Wigan 1395 Richard Aldescote Roger Thornes 1397 (Jan) Thomas Skinner John Geoffrey 1397 (Sep) 1399 Nicholas Gerard Thomas Berwick 1401 1402 Thomas Pride Roger Thornes 1404 (Jan) Thomas Pride Simon Tour 1404 (Oct) 1406 John Perle Robert Thornes 1407 Thomas Pride John Scriven 1410Robert Thornes Roger Thornes 1411Thomas Pride John Whithiford 1413 (Feb) 1413 (May) David Holbache Urian St Pierre 1414 (Apr) Thomas Pride ? 1414 (Nov) Robert Horseley William Horde 1415 William Horde John Shotton 1416 (Mar) William Horde John Beget 1416 (Oct) William Horde Robert Horseley 1417 William Horde David Holbache 1419 Roger Corbet (died 1430) David Rathbone 1420 Robert Whitcombe Richard Bentley 1421 (May) Urian St Pierre Robert Whitcombe 1421 (Dec) William HordeRobert Whitcombe 1510 Roger Thornes Thomas Knight 1512 Thomas Kynaston Thomas Trentham 1515 Sir Thomas Kynaston Thomas Trentham 1523 Edmund Cole Adam Mytton 1529 Robert Dudley alias Sutton Adam Mytton 1536 Robert Dudley alias Sutton Adam Mytton 1539 Nicholas Purcell Robert Thornes 1542 Adam Mytton Richard Mytton 1545 Nicholas Purcell Edward Hosier 1547 Reginald Corbet John Evans 1553 (Mar) Nicholas Purcell George Leigh 1553 (Oct) Reginald Corbet Nicholas Purcell 1554 (Apr) Richard Mytton Nicholas Purcell 1554 (Nov) Thomas Mytton George Leigh 1555 Reginald Corbet Nicholas Purcell 1558 Nicholas Purcell George Leigh 1558–9 Robert Ireland George Leigh 1562–3 Robert Ireland Richard Purcell 1571 George Leigh Robert Ireland 1572 (Apr) Richard Purcell George Leigh, died and replaced January 1581 by Philip Sidney 1584 (Nov) Thomas Owen Richard Barker 1586 (Oct) Reginald Scriven Thomas Harris 1588 (Oct) Reginald Scriven Andrew Newport 1593 Reginald Scriven Robert Wright 1597 Reginald Scriven Roger Owen 1601 (Oct) Reginald Scriven John Barker 1604 Richard Barker Francis Tate 1614 Lewis Prowde Francis Berkeley 1621 Sir Richard Newport Francis Berkeley 1624 Francis Berkeley Thomas Owen 1625 Sir William Owen Thomas Owen 1626 Sir William Owen Thomas Owen 1628 Sir William OwenThomas Owen 1629–1640No Parliaments summoned 1640 (Apr)Francis Newport Thomas Owen 1640 (Nov)Francis Newport William Spurstow 1645Thomas HuntWilliam Massam 1648Thomas HuntWilliam Massam 1653 Shrewsbury not represented in Barebones Parliament 1654 Richard CheshireHumphrey Mackworth 1656Samuel JonesHumphrey Mackworth 1658 William JonesHumphrey Mackworth
MPs 1660–1885 ElectionFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party 1660Samuel Jones Thomas Jones 1661Robert Leighton 1677Sir Richard Corbet 1679Edward Kynaston 1685Sir Francis Edwardes, 1st Baronet 1689Hon. Andrew Newport Tory 1690Richard Mytton 1694John Kynaston 1698Richard Mytton 1709vacant Sir Edward Leighton January 1710Thomas Jones October 1710Edward Cressett Richard Mytton 1713Thomas Jones 1714Corbet Kynaston February 1715Thomas Jones November 1715Andrew Corbet 1722Richard Lyster 1723Sir Richard Corbet Orlando Bridgeman 1727Richard Lyster Sir John Astley 1734William Kinaston Sir Richard Corbet 1749 by-electionThomas Hill 1754Robert More 1761Robert Clive Tory 1768Noel Hill 1774The result of the 1774 general election was the subject of a petition. The election of Charlton Leighton was overturned in favour of William PulteneyCharlton Leighton Tory March 8, 1775William Pulteney Whig March 17, 1775John Corbet Tory 1780Sir Charlton Leighton Tory 1784 by-electionJohn Hill Tory 1796William Hill Tory 1805 by-electionJohn Hill Tory 1806Henry Grey Bennet Whig 1807Thomas Jones Tory 1811 by-electionHenry Grey Bennet Whig 1812Sir Rowland Hill Tory 1814 by-electionRichard Lyster Tory 1819 by-electionJohn Mytton Tory 1820Panton Corbett Tory 1826Robert Aglionby Slaney Whig 1830Richard Jenkins Tory 1832Sir John Hanmer Tory 1834 Conservative 1835John Cressett-Pelham Conservative 1837Richard Jenkins ConservativeRobert Aglionby Slaney Whig 1841George Tomline ConservativeBenjamin Disraeli Conservative 1847Edward Holmes Baldock ConservativeRobert Aglionby Slaney Whig 1852George Tomline Peelite 1857 Robert Aglionby Slaney Whig 1859 Liberal Liberal 1862 by-electionHenry Robertson Liberal 1865William James Clement Liberal 1868James Figgins Conservative 1870 by-electionDouglas Straight Conservative 1874Charles Cecil Cotes LiberalHenry Robertson Liberal 1885Representation reduced to one Member
MPs 1885–1918 ElectionMemberParty 1885 James Watson Conservative 1892 Henry David Greene Conservative 1906 Sir Clement Lloyd Hill Conservative 1913 by-election George Butler Lloyd Conservative 1918Borough abolished, name transferred to new county division
County constituency division of Shropshire
Shrewsbury, 1918–1983 ElectionMemberParty 1918 George Butler Lloyd Coalition Conservative 1922 Dudley Ryder Conservative 1923 Joseph Sunlight Liberal 1924 Dudley Ryder Conservative 1929 Arthur Duckworth Conservative 1945 Sir John Langford-Holt Conservative
Shrewsbury and Atcham, 1983–2024 ElectionMemberParty 1983 Derek Conway 1997 Paul Marsden 2001 2005 2005 Daniel Kawczynski
Shrewsbury, 2024–present
ElectionMemberParty 2024 Julia Buckley Labour
Election results
Graph
Shrewsbury, 1830–1983
Elections in the 1830s
Elections in the 1840s
Elections in the 1850s
Elections in the 1860s Slaney's death caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1870s Clement's death caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1880s
Cotes was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.
Representation reduced to one Member
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1910s
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected; Unionist: George LloydLloyd, later 1st Baron Lloyd of Dolobran, who was unrelated to George Butler Lloyd, was unavailable to stand at the 1918 general election, being same month appointed Governor of Bengal. Liberal:
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1940s General Election 1939–40: