Cannock (UK Parliament constituency)
# Cannock (UK Parliament constituency)

Cannock was a parliamentary constituency in Staffordshire which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election. It was effectively recreated in 1997 as the seat of Cannock Chase.

## Boundaries

1918–1955: The Urban Districts of Brownhills, Cannock, and Tettenhall, the Rural District of Seisdon, in the Rural District of Cannock the parishes of Bushbury, Cheslyn Hay, Essington, Great Wyrley, and Hilton, and in the Rural District of Walsall the parish of Bentley.

1955–1974: The Urban Districts of Cannock and Wednesfield, and the Rural District of Cannock.

1974–1983: The Urban Districts of Cannock and Rugeley, and the parish of Brindley Heath in the Rural District of Lichfield.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| - | - | - |
| 1918 | James Parker | Coalition Labour |
| 1922 | William Adamson | Labour |
| 1931 | Sarah Ward | Conservative |
| 1935 | William Adamson | Labour |
| 1945 | Jennie Lee | Labour |
| 1970 | Patrick Cormack | Conservative |
| Feb 1974 | Gwilym Roberts | Labour |
| 1983 | constituency abolished: see Cannock and Burntwood | constituency abolished: see Cannock and Burntwood |

## Election results

### Election in the 1910s

General election 1918: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| C | Labour | James Parker | 8,068 | 51.8 | |
| | Liberal | Beddoe Rees | 7,493 | 48.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 575 | 3.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,561 | 41.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 37,284 | | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

* Parker was incorrectly designated as a coalition Liberal nominee in the official list of coalition candidates.

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | William Adamson | 9,889 | 36.8 | −15.0 |
| | National Liberal | James Parker | 9,116 | 33.8 | New |
| | Liberal | Harold Sidney Abrahamson | 7,928 | 29.4 | −18.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 773 | 3.0 | −0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,933 | 66.9 | +25.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 40,273 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |

General election 1923: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | William Adamson | 11,956 | 41.4 | +4.6 |
| | Unionist | Wallace Thorneycroft | 9,438 | 32.7 | New |
| | Liberal | Geoffrey Mander | 7,465 | 25.9 | −3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,518 | 8.7 | +5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,859 | 70.5 | +3.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 40,948 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

General election 1924: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | William Adamson | 16,347 | 51.9 | +10.5 |
| | Unionist | Wallace Thorneycroft | 15,166 | 48.1 | +15.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,181 | 3.8 | −4.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,513 | 74.2 | +3.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 42,473 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −2.5 | |

General election 1929: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | William Adamson | 26,388 | 54.2 | +2.3 |
| | Unionist | Ralph Beaumont | 15,055 | 30.9 | −17.2 |
| | Liberal | Abraham Ray | 7,282 | 14.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,333 | 23.3 | +19.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,725 | 77.5 | +3.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 62,871 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9.8 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Sarah Ward | 27,498 | 54.63 | +23.7 |
| | Labour | William Adamson | 22,833 | 45.37 | -8.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,665 | 9.27 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,331 | 75.95 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +16.25 | |

General election 1935: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | William Adamson | 27,922 | 50.95 | +5.58 |
| | Conservative | Sarah Ward | 26,876 | 49.05 | -5.58 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,046 | 1.90 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,798 | 71.41 | -4.54 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.58 | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Jennie Lee | 48,859 | 62.57 | +11.62 |
| | Conservative | CW Shelford | 29,225 | 37.43 | -11.62 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,634 | 25.14 | +23.23 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 78,084 | 71.34 | -0.07 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +11.62 | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Jennie Lee | 33,476 | 67.91 | +5.34 |
| | National Liberal | Marjorie Hickling | 15,818 | 32.09 | -5.34 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,658 | 35.82 | +10.68 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,294 | 85.70 | -14.36 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.34 | |

General election 1951: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Jennie Lee | 32,379 | 66.87 | -1.04 |
| | National Liberal | Alan Farrington | 16,041 | 33.13 | +1.04 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,338 | 33.74 | -2.08 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,420 | 83.12 | -2.58 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.04 | |

General election 1955: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Jennie Lee | 26,677 | 59.21 | -7.66 |
| | National Liberal | John HR Newey | 18,379 | 40.79 | +7.66 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,298 | 18.42 | -15.32 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,056 | 76.95 | -6.17 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.66 | |

General election 1959: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Jennie Lee | 29,624 | 56.85 | -2.36 |
| | National Liberal | Philip H Lugg | 22,485 | 43.15 | +2.36 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,139 | 13.70 | -4.72 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,109 | 79.59 | +2.64 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.36 | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Jennie Lee | 31,608 | 57.53 | +0.68 |
| | Conservative | Charles John Prendergast Vereker | 23,334 | 42.47 | -0.68 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,274 | 15.06 | +1.36 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,942 | 76.15 | -3.44 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.68 | |

General election 1966: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Jennie Lee | 33,621 | 59.81 | +2.28 |
| | Conservative | Harold R Elliston | 22,594 | 40.19 | -2.28 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,027 | 19.62 | +4.56 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,215 | 73.68 | -2.47 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.28 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Patrick Cormack | 32,665 | 51.2 | +11.0 |
| | Labour | Jennie Lee | 31,136 | 48.8 | -11.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,529 | 2.40 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 63,801 | 70.84 | -2.84 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +11.01 | |

In an analysis of the voting trends at the 1970 general election, published shortly after the event, political scientist Richard Rose claimed that Jennie Lee's defeat in Cannock was "the biggest upset" of the contest. Rose believed that a large expansion in the electorate in the constituency contributed towards the 10.7% Labour to Conservative swing, which was significantly higher than the national average.

1970 notional result on 1974-1983 boundaries: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | | 23,400 | 62.23 |
| | Conservative | | 14,200 | 37.77 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,200 | 24.46 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,600 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

General election February 1974: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Gwilym Roberts | 23,869 | 51.46 | -10.77 |
| | Conservative | Roger King | 12,805 | 27.61 | -10.16 |
| | Liberal | Michael Harry Windridge | 9,709 | 20.93 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,064 | 23.85 | -0.61 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,383 | 82.70 | +11.86 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

General election October 1974: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Gwilym Roberts | 23,887 | 55.54 | +4.08 |
| | Conservative | Eric Grenville Hill | 11,665 | 27.12 | -0.49 |
| | Liberal | Eric Freeman | 7,459 | 17.34 | -3.59 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,222 | 28.42 | +0.57 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,011 | 76.05 | -6.65 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.28 | |

General election 1979: Cannock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Gwilym Roberts | 25,050 | 52.76 | -2.78 |
| | Conservative | J Vereker | 17,704 | 37.28 | +10.16 |
| | Liberal | PJ Davis | 4,729 | 9.96 | -7.38 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,346 | 15.48 | -12.94 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,483 | 79.79 | +3.76 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.47 | |
