Mossley (UK Parliament constituency)

Mossley was a parliamentary constituency which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom Parliament.

Mossley
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyLancashire
(now Greater Manchester)
1918–1950
Number of membersOne
Replaced byDroylsden
Ashton-under-Lyne
Created fromGorton
Prestwich

It was created at the 1918 general election as a county division of Lancashire, taking areas formerly in the Gorton and Prestwich constituencies. The area consisted of small towns which were increasingly suburban to Manchester, such as Droylsden and Failsworth (now part of Oldham borough), together with some towns then further out such as Denton, and stretching out to the edge of Saddleworth Moor to take in Mossley.

This created a mixed area which declined in social status during its existence as Manchester expanded to the east and its industrial area expanded. The electorate also increased over time, and in a boundary change in 1950 the seat was divided with the areas adjacent to Manchester forming the new Droylsden constituency while the remainder including Mossley itself formed part of Ashton-under-Lyne.

Boundaries

The Borough of Mossley, the Rural District of Limehurst, and the Urban Districts of Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, Failsworth, and Lees.

Members of Parliament
  • Constituency created (1918)
ElectionMemberParty
1918 Austin Hopkinson Coalition Liberal
1922 Independent
1929 Herbert Gibson Labour
1931 Austin Hopkinson National Independent
1945 George Woods Labour Co-op
1950 constituency abolished

Election results

1910s election results
General election 1918: Mossley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Coalition Liberal 16,158 75.6 n/a
Co-operative Party William Brown 5,227 24.4 n/a
Majority 10,931 51.2 n/a
Turnout 21,385 52.8 n/a
Coalition Liberal win (new seat)
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.
  • Hopkinson was not a member of any political party but was adopted by both the local Conservative and Liberal Associations, received the Coalition Coupon and saw himself as a Liberal. However, he said this did not bind him to support the coalition government or to vote with it, and that he had accepted the coupon for the good of the country.

1920s election results
General election 1922: Mossley [1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Austin Hopkinson 15,953 58.4 -17.2
Liberal Miles Ewart Mitchell 11,376 41.6 n/a
Majority 4,577 16.8 -34.4
Turnout 27,329 67.5 +14.7
Independent hold Swing n/a
General election 1923: Mossley [1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Austin Hopkinson 11,426 50.8 -7.6
Liberal George Jennison 11,051 49.2 +7.6
Majority 375 1.6 -15.2
Turnout 22,477 54.5 -13.0
Independent hold Swing -7.6
General election 1924: Mossley [1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Austin Hopkinson 15,435 49.2 -1.6
Labour Co-op Thomas Mercer 10,769 34.3 n/a
Liberal George Jennison 5,162 16.5 -32.7
Majority 4,666 14.9 +13.3
Turnout 31,366 75.3 +20.8
Independent hold Swing n/a
General election 1929: Mossley [1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Herbert Gibson 19,296 46.0 +11.7
Independent Austin Hopkinson 14,267 33.9 -15.3
Liberal Harold Housley 8,467 20.1 +3.6
Majority 5,029 12.1 27.0
Turnout 42,030 76.8
Labour Co-op gain from Independent Swing +13.5

1930s election results
General election 1931: Mossley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Independent Austin Hopkinson 17,017 36.7 +2.8
Labour Co-op Herbert Gibson 15,587 33.5 -12.5
Conservative Ernest Barlow 13,873 29.8 n/a
Majority 1,430 3.2 15.3
Turnout 46,477 84.2 +7.4
National Independent gain from Labour Co-op Swing +7.6
General election 1935: Mossley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Independent Austin Hopkinson 24,569 52.3 +15.6
Labour Co-op Herbert Gibson 22,399 47.7 +14.2
Majority 2,170 4.6 +1.4
Turnout 46,968 75.3 -8.9
National Independent hold Swing +0.7

1940s election results
General election 1945: Mossley[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op George Woods 27,435 47.5 -0.2
Conservative G.E. Rush 18,452 32.0 n/a
Liberal Marjorie Jalland 7,128 12.4 n/a
National Independent Austin Hopkinson 4,671 8.1 -44.2
Majority 8,983 15.5 20.1
Turnout 54,669 76.2 +0.9
Labour Co-op gain from Independent Swing +22.0

References
  1. Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1969). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949. Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. p. 402. ISBN 0-900178-01-9.
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