Normanton (UK Parliament constituency)

Normanton
Former County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Normanton in West Yorkshire for the 2005 general election.
Location of West Yorkshire within England.
County	West Yorkshire
1885–2010
Number of members	One
Replaced by	Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford, Morley and Outwood and Wakefield
Created from	Southern West Riding of Yorkshire

Coordinates: 53°42′00″N 1°24′54″W / 53.700°N 1.415°W / 53.700; -1.415

Normanton was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

1918-1950: The Urban Districts of Altofts, Castleford, Featherstone, Methley, Normanton, and Whitwood.

1950-1983: The Urban Districts of Normanton, Rothwell, and Stanley, in the Rural District of Tadcaster the civil parishes of Great and Little Preston, and Swillington, and in the Rural District of Wakefield the civil parishes of Crofton, Sharlston, and Warmfield-cum-Heath.

1983-1997: The City of Wakefield wards of Normanton and Sharlston, Ossett, Stanley and Altofts, and Stanley and Wrenthorpe, and the City of Leeds ward of Rothwell.

1997-2010: The City of Wakefield wards of Horbury, Normanton and Sharlston, Ossett, Stanley and Altofts, and Stanley and Wrenthorpe.

The West Yorkshire constituency includes the towns of Normanton and Ossett and several villages. The area has a tradition of being working-class, but it has now become almost entirely gentrified as nearby Leeds has expanded as a financial centre.

Ossett is now actually the largest town in the area, due to its high growth in recent years. The Tory vote is very low in Normanton itself and in Ossett, but councillors have been elected for Horbury and for Wrenthorpe. Until recently the LibDems had all three councillors for the "Ossett" ward, but have never performed well in general elections, in this area. "Stanley and Outwood East" is a fairly safe Labour ward.