Walsall South (UK Parliament constituency)

Walsall South
Borough constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Walsall South in West Midlands.
Location of West Midlands within England.
County	West Midlands
Electorate	66,082 (December 2010)
Major settlements	Darlaston and Walsall (part)
Current constituency
Created	1955
Member of parliament	Valerie Vaz (Labour)
Number of members	One
Created from	Walsall
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency	West Midlands

Walsall South is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Valerie Vaz, a member of the Labour Party.

1955-1974: The County Borough of Walsall wards of Bridge, Caldmore, Paddock, Palfrey, and Pleck, and the Urban District of Aldridge.

1974-1983: The County Borough of Walsall wards of Darlaston North, Darlaston South, Hatherton, Paddock, Palfrey, Pleck, and St Matthew's.

1983-2010: The Metropolitan Borough of Walsall wards of Bentley and Darlaston North, Darlaston South, Paddock, Palfrey, Pheasey, Pleck, and St Matthew's.

2010-present: The Metropolitan Borough of Walsall wards of Bentley and Darlaston North, Darlaston South, Paddock, Palfrey, Pheasey Park Farm, Pleck, and St Matthew’s.

Walsall South is one of three constituencies in the metropolitan borough and specifically covers Darlaston, Moxley, Pheasey and the southern part of Walsall.

The constituency was first contested in 1955 largely from Walsall constituency, and won by its only Conservative MP to date, Major-General Henry d'Avigdor-Goldsmid.

Bruce George of the Labour Party won the seat when the Major-General stood down in the February 1974 general election, he too was an prominent supporter of the armed services and led Britain's NATO delegation to its Parliament, subsequently becoming its Vice-President. While never a prominent frontbencher, George held Walsall South until his retirement at the 2010 general election, when he was succeeded by Valerie Vaz (also of the Labour Party).