From its 1473 creation until 1885, Ludlow was a parliamentary borough.[n 3] It was represented by two burgesses until 1868, when it was reduced to one member.
The seat saw a big reduction in voters between 1727 when 710 people voted to the next contested election in 1812 when the electorate was below 100. The Reform Act 1832 (2 & 3 Will. 4. c. 45) raised the electorate to 300-400.[3]
The parliamentary borough was abolished in 1885, and the name transferred to the new county "division" (with lower electoral candidates' expenses and a different returning officer) whose boundaries were expanded greatly to become similar to (and a replacement to) the Southern division of Shropshire.[n 4]
The seat was long considered safe for the Conservatives with the party winning by large majorities from the 1920s until 1997 when the majority was reduced to under 6,000. When the sitting Conservative MP stood down in 2001 it was won by a Liberal Democrat. Ludlow was regained by a Conservative in the 2005 general election, held with a greatly increased majority five years later which was almost doubled in 2015.
In the 2016 referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union, Shropshire, which the constituency entirely forms a part of, voted to leave the European Union by 56.9%.[4]
Boundaries and profile
Map of boundaries 2010–2024
1885–1918: Parts of the Boroughs of Ludlow, Bridgnorth, and Wenlock, the Sessional Divisions of Bishop's Castle, Brinstree South and Stottesden Chelmarsh, Burford, Clun and Purslow, Munslow Lower and Upper, and Stottesden Cleobury, and parts of the Sessional Divisions of Ovens and Stottesden.
1918–1950: The Boroughs of Ludlow, Bridgnorth, and Bishop's Castle, the Urban District of Church Stretton, and the Rural Districts of Bridgnorth, Burford, Church Stretton, Cleobury Mortimer, Clun, Ludlow, and Teme.
1950–1974: The Boroughs of Ludlow, Bridgnorth, Bishop's Castle, and Wenlock, the Urban District of Church Stretton, and the Rural Districts of Bridgnorth, Clun, and Ludlow.
1974–1983: The Rural Districts of Bridgnorth, Clun and Bishop's Castle, and Ludlow.
1983–1997: The District of South Shropshire, and the District of Bridgnorth.
1997–2010: The District of South Shropshire, and the District of Bridgnorth wards of Alveley, Bridgnorth Castle, Bridgnorth East, Bridgnorth Morfe, Bridgnorth West, Broseley, Claverley, Ditton Priors, Glazeley, Harrington, Highley, Kinlet, Much Wenlock, Morville, Stottesdon, and Worfield.
2010–2024: The District of South Shropshire, and the District of Bridgnorth wards of Alveley, Bridgnorth Castle, Bridgnorth East, Bridgnorth Morfe, Bridgnorth West, Broseley East, Broseley West, Claverley, Ditton Priors, Glazeley, Harrington, Highley, Much Wenlock, Morville, Stottesdon, and Worfield.
nb. in April 2009 the districts of South Shropshire and Bridgnorth (together with their wards) were abolished; the constituency's extent was still constituted by reference to them.
The Ludlow constituency was situated entirely within the county of Shropshire in England.
On its northeast border (just beyond Broseley) is the Ironbridge Gorge (notable for its part in the Industrial Revolution), just to the south of the large new town of Telford. The Guardian encapsulates the seat in a nutshell as "Big, rural, hills and small towns, increasingly middle class."[5] Other than the Telford borough constituency, Ludlow borders onto similarly rural county constituencies, including Montgomery on the other side of the border with Wales.
The constituency covered most of the south area of Shropshire Council (without Shifnal and Albrighton).[n 5]
The most recent boundary changes took place at the 1997 general election, when a part of the Bridgnorth district was removed to The Wrekin constituency.
General election 1939–40:
Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
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;
^A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer).
^As with all UK Parliament constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
^Prior to the 2009 re-organisation of local government in Shropshire, it comprised the former South Shropshire district together with the southern part of the former Bridgnorth district.
^ abcdefCraig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN0-900178-06-X.
^ abcdF W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1949
^ abcF W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
The Guardian Ludlow constituency profile and election results
Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 193–194. ISBN0-900178-26-4.
Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 373. ISBN0-900178-27-2.
Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 450. ISBN0-900178-06-X.
