Walsall North (UK Parliament constituency)

Walsall North
Borough constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Walsall North in West Midlands.
Location of West Midlands within England.
County	West Midlands
Electorate	65,468 (December 2010)
Major settlements	Willenhall, Bloxwich and Walsall (part)
Current constituency
Created	1955
Member of parliament	David Winnick (Labour)
Number of members	One
Created from	Walsall
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency	West Midlands

Walsall North is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1979 by David Winnick, a member of the Labour Party.

1955-1974: The County Borough of Walsall wards of Birchills, Blakenall, Bloxwich East, Bloxwich West, Hatherton, and Leamore, and the Urban District of Brownhills.

1974-1983: The County Borough of Walsall wards of Bentley, Birchills, Blakenall, Bloxwich East, Bloxwich West, Leamore, Willenhall North, and Willenhall South.

1983-present: The Metropolitan Borough of Walsall wards of Birchills Leamore, Blakenall, Bloxwich East, Bloxwich West, Short Heath, Willenhall North, and Willenhall South.

Walsall North is one of three constituencies covering the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall.

The Walsall North constituency was first established in 1955 from Walsall constituency. Its first Member of Parliament was W.T. Wells of the Labour Party, who had previously been MP for Walsall. In 1974 he was succeeded by the controversial John Stonehouse (also Labour), the former Postmaster General who became infamous for faking his own death and was later jailed for fraud. After resigning from the Labour Party in April 1976, he was invited to join the English National Party, becoming their first (and only) MP, before being forced to resign as an MP in August 1976. The ensuing by-election was won by Robin Hodgson, a Conservative.