Birmingham West — UK General Election Results
Birmingham West was won by Labour at the 1945 general election, with a majority of 5,386 votes over Conservative. This page covers every general election in Birmingham West from 1885 to 1945.
Full Election History, 1885–1945
| Election | Elected | Votes | Vote Share | Runner-up | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | Joseph Chamberlain (Liberal) | 5,419 | 67.1% | John Molesworth Thomas Dumphreys (Conservative) | 2,764 (34.2 pts) | 78.2% |
| 1886 | Joseph Chamberlain (Liberal Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1892 | Joseph Chamberlain (Liberal Unionist) | 6,297 | 76.7% | Corrie Grant (Liberal) | 4,418 (53.8 pts) | 71.0% |
| 1895 | Joseph Chamberlain (Liberal Unionist) | 5,537 | 81.5% | Bernard O'Connor (Liberal) | 4,278 (62.9 pts) | 58.3% |
| 1900 | Joseph Chamberlain (Liberal Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1906 | Joseph Chamberlain (Liberal Unionist) | 7,173 | 77.4% | Robert Leonard Outhwaite (Liberal) | 5,079 (54.8 pts) | 74.2% |
| Jan 1910 | Joseph Chamberlain (Liberal Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| Dec 1910 | Joseph Chamberlain (Liberal Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1918 | Joseph Austen Chamberlain (Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1922 | Joseph Austen Chamberlain (Unionist) | 15,405 | 61.6% | Francis Samuel Smith (Labour) | 5,806 (23.2 pts) | 67.1% |
| 1923 | Joseph Austen Chamberlain (Unionist) | 13,940 | 58.3% | Francis Samuel Smith (Labour) | 3,957 (16.5 pts) | 63.9% |
| 1924 | Joseph Austen Chamberlain (Unionist) | 14,801 | 67.4% | Robert Dunstan (Communist) | 7,643 (34.8 pts) | 58.2% |
| 1929 | Joseph Austen Chamberlain (Unionist) | 16,862 | 50.1% | Octavius George Willey (Labour) | 43 (0.1 pts) | 73.9% |
| 1931 | Joseph Austen Chamberlain (Conservative) | 22,448 | 68.1% | Octavius George Willey (Labour) | 11,941 (36.2 pts) | 75.9% |
| 1935 | Joseph Austen Chamberlain (Conservative) | 16,530 | 64.3% | Octavius George Willey (Labour) | 7,371 (28.7 pts) | 63.6% |
| 1945 | Charles James Simmons (Labour) | 12,639 | 63.5% | Walter Frank Higgs (Conservative) | 5,386 (27.1 pts) | 66.7% |
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1885
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Chamberlain | Liberal | 5,419 | 67.1% | Yes |
| John Molesworth Thomas Dumphreys | Conservative | 2,655 | 32.9% | No |
1886
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Chamberlain | Liberal Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1892
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Chamberlain | Liberal Unionist | 6,297 | 76.7% | Yes |
| Corrie Grant | Liberal | 1,879 | 22.9% | No |
| John William Mahony | Independent Labour | 31 | 0.4% | No |
1895
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Chamberlain | Liberal Unionist | 5,537 | 81.5% | Yes |
| Bernard O'Connor | Liberal | 1,259 | 18.5% | No |
1900
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Chamberlain | Liberal Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1906
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Chamberlain | Liberal Unionist | 7,173 | 77.4% | Yes |
| Robert Leonard Outhwaite | Liberal | 2,094 | 22.6% | No |
Jan 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Chamberlain | Liberal Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
Dec 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Chamberlain | Liberal Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1918
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Austen Chamberlain | Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1922
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Austen Chamberlain | Unionist | 15,405 | 61.6% | Yes |
| Francis Samuel Smith | Labour | 9,599 | 38.4% | No |
1923
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Austen Chamberlain | Unionist | 13,940 | 58.3% | Yes |
| Francis Samuel Smith | Labour | 9,983 | 41.7% | No |
1924
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Austen Chamberlain | Unionist | 14,801 | 67.4% | Yes |
| Robert Dunstan | Communist | 7,158 | 32.6% | No |
1929
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Austen Chamberlain | Unionist | 16,862 | 50.1% | Yes |
| Octavius George Willey | Labour | 16,819 | 49.9% | No |
1931
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Austen Chamberlain | Conservative | 22,448 | 68.1% | Yes |
| Octavius George Willey | Labour | 10,507 | 31.9% | No |
1935
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Austen Chamberlain | Conservative | 16,530 | 64.3% | Yes |
| Octavius George Willey | Labour | 9,159 | 35.7% | No |
1945
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles James Simmons | Labour | 12,639 | 63.5% | Yes |
| Walter Frank Higgs | Conservative | 7,253 | 36.5% | No |
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Birmingham West has been contested at 16 general elections on record since 1885. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Liberal, Liberal Unionist, Unionist, Conservative, Labour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Birmingham West in the 1945 general election?
Labour won Birmingham West in 1945 with 12,639 votes (63.5%), a majority of 5,386 votes over Conservative in second place.
Which parties have won Birmingham West since 1885?
Since 1885, Birmingham West has been won by: Conservative, Labour, Liberal, Liberal Unionist, Unionist.
What was the closest result in Birmingham West?
The closest result on record for Birmingham West was 1929, when Unionist beat Labour by just 43 votes (0.1 percentage points).