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Coventry South (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 52°23′N 1°31′W / 52.39°N 1.52°W / 52.39; -1.52
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Coventry South
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
Map of constituency
Boundary of Coventry South in West Midlands region
CountyWest Midlands
Electorate70,998 (2023)[1]
Current constituency
Created1997
Member of ParliamentZarah Sultana (Independent)
SeatsOne
Created fromCoventry South East, Coventry South West
1950–1974 (1974)
SeatsOne
Type of constituencyBorough constituency
Created fromCoventry East and Coventry West
Replaced byCoventry South East,
Coventry South West

Coventry South is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Zarah Sultana, representing the Labour Party until her suspension and whip withdrawal on 23 July 2024 for voting against the two child benefit cap.[n 2] She now sits as an independent MP.[2]

Constituency profile

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Coventry city centre is in the north of the constituency, with its cathedral, expanses of concrete offices and the university, which leads to a significant student vote in the seat.[3] The residential tower blocks in St Michael's ward lie amid one of the most deprived areas in the country but south of the city centre it is more mixed, with the more middle-class areas of Cheylesmore, Earlsdon and Whoberley, Cannon Park, Gibbet Hill (aka Wainbody) and Westwood Heath among areas with large numbers of professionals, comfortably self-employed and academics.

History

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The constituency was created for the 1950 general election, abolished for the February 1974 general election and recreated for the 1997 general election by the merger of the former seats of Coventry South East and Coventry South West. Since 1964 the various forms of the seat, excluding the gap period, have elected the Labour candidate. The Conservative candidates, since a win in 1959, have consistently taken second place. In 2019, following the retirement of Jim Cunningham, Labour narrowly held onto the seat by 401 votes; the Conservatives made their best performance since the seat's recreation,

In 2015, the local UKIP party originally selected Mark Taylor as candidate, but he stood aside when instructed to by "party bosses."[4] UKIP wanted to replace Taylor with "anti-gay Christian preacher"[5] George Hargreaves.[4] The following week, Taylor was reinstated as candidate.[6]

Boundaries

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Map
Map of boundaries 1997–2024

1950–1974: The County Borough of Coventry wards of Cheylesmore, Earlsdon, Godiva, St Michael's, Westwood, and Whoberley.

From 1974 to 1997, the city centre was part of the now-abolished Coventry South East constituency.

1997–2024: The City of Coventry wards of Binley and Willenhall, Cheylesmore, Earlsdon, St Michael's, Wainbody, and Westwood.

2024–present: The City of Coventry wards of Cheylesmore, Earlsdon, Lower Stoke, St. Michael’s, Wainbody, and Westwood.[7]

The Binley and Willenhall ward was transferred to the re-established seat of Coventry East in exchange for the Lower Stoke ward from the abolished Coventry North East constituency.

Members of Parliament

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MPs 1950–1974

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Election Member[8] Party
1950 Elaine Burton Labour
1959 Philip Hocking Conservative
1964 Bill Wilson Labour
Feb 1974 constituency abolished

MPs 1997–present

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Election Member[8] Party
1997 Jim Cunningham Labour
2019 Zarah Sultana Labour
2024 Independent

Elections

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Elections in the 2020s

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General election 2024: Coventry South[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Zarah Sultana 20,361 47.6 +3.3
Conservative Mattie Heaven 10,160 23.8 −18.7
Reform UK Chris Baddon 5,711 13.4 +10.5
Liberal Democrats Stephen Richmond 2,531 5.9 −0.8
Green Anne Patterson 2,363 5.5 +2.9
Workers Party Mohammed Syed 777 1.8 N/A
SDP Alastair Mellon 334 0.8 N/A
Independent Niko Omilana 263 0.6 N/A
Independent Joshua Morland 231 0.5 N/A
Majority 10,201 23.8 +22.9
Registered electors 76,262
Turnout 42,731 56.0 −7.5
Labour hold Swing +11.0

Elections in the 2010s

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General election 2019: Coventry South[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Zarah Sultana 19,544 43.4 −11.6
Conservative Mattie Heaven 19,143 42.5 +4.4
Liberal Democrats Stephen Richmond 3,398 7.5 +4.6
Brexit Party James Crocker 1,432 3.2 New
Green Becky Finlayson 1,092 2.4 +1.1
Independent Ed Manning 435 1.0 New
Majority 401 0.9 −16.0
Turnout 45,044 63.5 −2.9
Registered electors 70,970
Labour hold Swing -8.0
General election 2017: Coventry South[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Cunningham[12] 25,874 55.0 +12.7
Conservative Michelle Lowe[13] 17,927 38.1 +3.1
Liberal Democrats Greg Judge 1,343 2.9 −1.2
UKIP Ian Rogers 1,037 2.2 −10.9
Green Aimee Challenor[14] 604 1.3 −2.6
Independent Sandra Findlay 224 0.5 New
Majority 7,947 16.9 +9.6
Turnout 47,009 66.4 +5.2
Registered electors 70,754
Labour hold Swing +4.8
General election 2015: Coventry South[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Cunningham 18,472 42.3 +0.5
Conservative Gary Ridley 15,284 35.0 +1.6
UKIP Mark Taylor[6] 5,709 13.1 +9.3
Liberal Democrats Greg Judge 1,779 4.1 −13.9
Green Benjamin Gallaher[16] 1,719 3.9 +2.5
TUSC Judy Griffiths 650 1.5 New
Mainstream Christopher Rooney 86 0.2 New
Majority 3,188 7.3 −1.1
Turnout 43,699 61.2 −1.2
Labour hold Swing -0.5
General election 2010: Coventry South[17][18][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Cunningham 19,197 41.8 −4.0
Conservative Kevin Foster 15,352 33.4 +2.9
Liberal Democrats Brian Patton 8,278 18.0 +0.4
UKIP Mark Taylor 1,767 3.8 +1.8
Socialist Alternative Judy Griffiths 691 1.5 −1.3
Green Stephen Gray 639 1.4 New
Majority 3,845 8.4 −6.9
Turnout 45,924 62.4 +3.3
Labour hold Swing -3.4

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2005: Coventry South[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Cunningham 18,649 45.8 −4.4
Conservative Heather Wheeler 12,394 30.5 +1.0
Liberal Democrats Vincent McKee 7,228 17.8 +3.7
Socialist Alternative Robert Windsor 1,097 2.7 New
UKIP William Brown 829 2.0 New
Independent Irene Rogers 344 0.8 −0.6
Families First James Rooney 144 0.4 New
Majority 6,255 15.3 −5.4
Turnout 40,685 59.1 +3.8
Labour hold Swing -2.7
General election 2001: Coventry South[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Cunningham 20,125 50.2 −0.7
Conservative Heather Wheeler 11,846 29.5 +0.5
Liberal Democrats Vincent McKee 5,672 14.1 +4.9
Socialist Alliance Robert Windsor 1,475 3.7 New
Independent Irene Rogers 564 1.4 New
Socialist Labour Timothy Logan 414 1.0 New
Majority 8,279 20.7 −1.2
Turnout 40,096 55.3 −13.4
Labour hold Swing -0.6

Election in the 1990s

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General election 1997: Coventry South[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Cunningham 25,511 50.9
Conservative Paul Ivey 14,558 29.0
Liberal Democrats Gordon MacDonald 4,617 9.2
Socialist Alternative Dave Nellist 3,262 6.5
Referendum Paul Garratt 943 1.9
Liberal Roger Jenking 725 1.4
BNP Jeffrey Ashberry 328 0.7
Rainbow Dream Ticket Anne−Marie Bradshaw 180 0.4
Majority 10,953 21.9
Turnout 50,124 68.7
Labour win (seat recreated)

Election in the 1970s

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General election 1970: Coventry South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill Wilson 30,010 51.90
Conservative George Gardiner 27,816 48.10
Majority 2,194 3.80
Turnout 57,826 74.42
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

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General election 1966: Coventry South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill Wilson 31,237 54.87
Conservative Philip Hocking 25,697 45.13
Majority 5,540 9.74
Turnout 56,934 80.21
Labour hold Swing
General election 1964: Coventry South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bill Wilson 29,240 51.62
Conservative Philip Hocking 27,407 48.38
Majority 1,833 3.24 N/A
Turnout 56,647 79.79
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1950s

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General election 1959: Coventry South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Hocking 28,584 51.65 +3.24
Labour Elaine Burton 26,754 48.35 −3.24
Majority 1,830 3.30 N/A
Turnout 55,338 82.11
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +3.24
General election 1955: Coventry South[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Elaine Burton 27,449 51.59 −3.56
Conservative Muriel Williamson 25,761 48.41 +3.56
Majority 1,688 3.18 −7.12
Turnout 53,210 81.36 −4.81
Labour hold Swing -3.56
General election 1951: Coventry South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Elaine Burton 29,271 55.15 +2.46
Conservative John Biggs-Davison 23,803 44.85 +3.64
Majority 5,468 10.30 −1.18
Turnout 53,074 86.17 −1.08
Labour hold Swing
General election 1950: Coventry South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Elaine Burton 27,977 52.69
Conservative Leslie Hore-Belisha 21,885 41.21
Liberal Richard Soper 3,239 6.10
Majority 6,092 11.48
Turnout 53,101 87.25
Labour win (new seat)

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ^ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

References

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  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – West Midlands". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Stats for Lefties 🍉🏳️‍⚧️ (@LeftieStats) on X". X (formerly Twitter). Archived from the original on 23 July 2024. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  3. ^ "Local statistics – Office for National Statistics". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 11 February 2003. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  4. ^ a b Gilbert, Simon (12 February 2015). "UKIP parachutes controversial 'pop preacher' into Coventry for general election". Coventry Telegraph.
  5. ^ "UKIP selects candidate who claims gays should 'repent and turn to Christ'". PinkNews. 14 February 2015.
  6. ^ a b Silvera, Ian (18 February 2015). "Ukip candidate calls for selection rules review after party's Coventry U-turn".
  7. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 8 West Midlands region.
  8. ^ a b Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 6)
  9. ^ Coventry South
  10. ^ "Coventry South Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  11. ^ "Coventry South parliamentary constituency -Election 2017 -BBC News". Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  12. ^ "Will Coventry's MPs defend their seats at the 2017 general election?". Coventry Telegraph. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  13. ^ "Michelle Lowe and Resham Kotecha Selected for Coventry Conservatives". Mike Rouse. Archived from the original on 30 April 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  14. ^ "Coventry Green Party 2017 Election Candidates". Coventry Green Party. Archived from the original on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  15. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. ^ "General Election 2017 Candidate -Green Party". Green Party Members' Website.
  17. ^ "Coventry South". YourNextMP. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  18. ^ "Coventry South". guardian.co.uk. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  19. ^ "UK > England > West Midlands > Coventry South". Election 2010. BBC. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  20. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  23. ^ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1955.
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52°23′N 1°31′W / 52.39°N 1.52°W / 52.39; -1.52

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