Oswestry — UK General Election Results
Oswestry was won by Conservative at the 1979 general election, with a majority of 13,401 votes over Labour. This page covers every general election in Oswestry from 1885 to 1979.
Full Election History, 1885–1979
| Election | Elected | Votes | Vote Share | Runner-up | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | Stanley Leighton (Conservative) | 4,753 | 55.8% | Henry Lorenzo Jephson (Liberal) | 981 (11.5 pts) | 84.5% |
| 1886 | Stanley Leighton (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1892 | Stanley Leighton (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1895 | Stanley Leighton (Conservative) | 4,605 | 56.1% | Owen Thomas (Liberal) | 1,007 (12.3 pts) | 82.4% |
| 1900 | Stanley Leighton (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1906 | William Clive Bridgeman (Conservative) | 5,011 | 52.6% | Allan Heywood Bright (Liberal) | 503 (5.3 pts) | 90.7% |
| Jan 1910 | William Clive Bridgeman (Conservative) | 5,003 | 53.3% | Edward Powell (Liberal) | 624 (6.7 pts) | 92.4% |
| Dec 1910 | William Clive Bridgeman (Conservative) | 4,867 | 54.1% | Edward Powell (Liberal) | 746 (8.3 pts) | 88.5% |
| 1918 | William Clive Bridgeman (Unionist) | 12,276 | 59.2% | Thomas Morris (Labour) | 3,809 (18.4 pts) | 64.9% |
| 1922 | William Clive Bridgeman (Unionist) | 12,837 | 50.1% | Russell Sidebottom (Liberal) | 6,177 (24.1 pts) | 80.2% |
| 1923 | William Clive Bridgeman (Unionist) | 11,528 | 46.6% | Russell Sidebottom (Liberal) | 1,815 (7.3 pts) | 75.8% |
| 1924 | William Clive Bridgeman (Unionist) | 14,316 | 55.1% | Russell Sidebottom (Liberal) | 8,173 (31.5 pts) | 78.9% |
| 1929 | Bertie Edward Parker Leighton (Unionist) | 15,544 | 47.0% | John Share Jones (Liberal) | 4,979 (15.1 pts) | 78.8% |
| 1931 | Bertie Edward Parker Leighton (Conservative) | 23,740 | 74.0% | William Elim Warder (Labour) | 15,397 (48.0 pts) | 74.7% |
| 1935 | Bertie Edward Parker Leighton (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1945 | Oliver Brian Sanderson Poole (Conservative) | 19,082 | 54.7% | Gilbert Denys Boyd-Carpenter (Labour) | 8,305 (23.8 pts) | 71.7% |
| 1950 | William David Ormsby-Gore (Conservative) | 23,562 | 61.8% | Arthur George Wait (Labour) | 9,006 (23.6 pts) | 78.3% |
| 1951 | William David Ormsby-Gore (Conservative) | 23,843 | 62.2% | Arthur George Wait (Labour) | 9,372 (24.5 pts) | 76.9% |
| 1955 | William David Ormsby-Gore (Conservative) | 22,859 | 64.8% | Mark Boggin (Labour) | 10,425 (29.5 pts) | 70.2% |
| 1959 | William David Ormsby-Gore (Conservative) | 21,055 | 55.9% | Glyn Thomas (Labour) | 10,524 (28.0 pts) | 74.2% |
| 1964 | William John Biffen (Conservative) | 18,184 | 47.5% | George J Costley (Labour) | 6,777 (17.7 pts) | 76.6% |
| 1966 | William Biffen (Conservative) | 17,727 | 48.2% | George Costley (Labour) | 4,716 (12.8 pts) | 73.3% |
| 1970 | William Biffen (Conservative) | 20,361 | 50.7% | Neil Turner (Labour) | 9,560 (23.8 pts) | 72.2% |
| Feb 1974 | William Biffen (Conservative) | 20,438 | 46.9% | David John Evans (Liberal) | 7,010 (16.1 pts) | 77.9% |
| Oct 1974 | William Biffen (Conservative) | 19,165 | 47.3% | John Bishton (Labour) | 8,414 (20.8 pts) | 71.9% |
| 1979 | William Biffen (Conservative) | 23,551 | 54.6% | Peter Sandland-Nielsen (Labour) | 13,401 (31.1 pts) | 73.9% |
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1885
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanley Leighton | Conservative | 4,753 | 55.8% | Yes |
| Henry Lorenzo Jephson | Liberal | 3,772 | 44.2% | No |
1886
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanley Leighton | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1892
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanley Leighton | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1895
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanley Leighton | Conservative | 4,605 | 56.1% | Yes |
| Owen Thomas | Liberal | 3,598 | 43.9% | No |
1900
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanley Leighton | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1906
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Clive Bridgeman | Conservative | 5,011 | 52.6% | Yes |
| Allan Heywood Bright | Liberal | 4,508 | 47.4% | No |
Jan 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Clive Bridgeman | Conservative | 5,003 | 53.3% | Yes |
| Edward Powell | Liberal | 4,379 | 46.7% | No |
Dec 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Clive Bridgeman | Conservative | 4,867 | 54.1% | Yes |
| Edward Powell | Liberal | 4,121 | 45.9% | No |
1918
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Clive Bridgeman | Unionist | 12,276 | 59.2% | Yes |
| Thomas Morris | Labour | 8,467 | 40.8% | No |
1922
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Clive Bridgeman | Unionist | 12,837 | 50.1% | Yes |
| Russell Sidebottom | Liberal | 6,660 | 26.0% | No |
| Thomas Morris | Labour | 6,105 | 23.8% | No |
1923
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Clive Bridgeman | Unionist | 11,528 | 46.6% | Yes |
| Russell Sidebottom | Liberal | 9,713 | 39.3% | No |
| Sidney Ronald Campion | Labour | 3,477 | 14.1% | No |
1924
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Clive Bridgeman | Unionist | 14,316 | 55.1% | Yes |
| Russell Sidebottom | Liberal | 6,143 | 23.7% | No |
| Thomas Morris | Labour | 5,503 | 21.2% | No |
1929
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bertie Edward Parker Leighton | Unionist | 15,544 | 47.0% | Yes |
| John Share Jones | Liberal | 10,565 | 32.0% | No |
| Hugh Simon Evans | Labour | 6,944 | 21.0% | No |
1931
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bertie Edward Parker Leighton | Conservative | 23,740 | 74.0% | Yes |
| William Elim Warder | Labour | 8,343 | 26.0% | No |
1935
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bertie Edward Parker Leighton | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1945
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oliver Brian Sanderson Poole | Conservative | 19,082 | 54.7% | Yes |
| Gilbert Denys Boyd-Carpenter | Labour | 10,777 | 30.9% | No |
| Leslie Corbet Burcher | Liberal | 5,049 | 14.5% | No |
1950
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William David Ormsby-Gore | Conservative | 23,562 | 61.8% | Yes |
| Arthur George Wait | Labour | 14,556 | 38.2% | No |
1951
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William David Ormsby-Gore | Conservative | 23,843 | 62.2% | Yes |
| Arthur George Wait | Labour | 14,471 | 37.8% | No |
1955
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William David Ormsby-Gore | Conservative | 22,859 | 64.8% | Yes |
| Mark Boggin | Labour | 12,434 | 35.2% | No |
1959
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William David Ormsby-Gore | Conservative | 21,055 | 55.9% | Yes |
| Glyn Thomas | Labour | 10,531 | 28.0% | No |
| David G Rees | Liberal | 6,068 | 16.1% | No |
1964
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William John Biffen | Conservative | 18,184 | 47.5% | Yes |
| George J Costley | Labour | 11,407 | 29.8% | No |
| Thomas R Crowther | Liberal | 8,745 | 22.8% | No |
1966
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Biffen | Conservative | 17,727 | 48.2% | Yes |
| George Costley | Labour | 13,011 | 35.4% | No |
| Thomas Crowther | Liberal | 6,010 | 16.4% | No |
1970
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Biffen | Conservative | 20,361 | 50.7% | Yes |
| Neil Turner | Labour | 10,801 | 26.9% | No |
| Dr Edward Cadbury | Liberal | 8,963 | 22.3% | No |
Feb 1974
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Biffen | Conservative | 20,438 | 46.9% | Yes |
| David John Evans | Liberal | 13,428 | 30.8% | No |
| John Bishton | Labour | 9,685 | 22.2% | No |
Oct 1974
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Biffen | Conservative | 19,165 | 47.3% | Yes |
| John Bishton | Labour | 10,751 | 26.5% | No |
| David John Evans | Liberal | 10,623 | 26.2% | No |
1979
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Biffen | Conservative | 23,551 | 54.6% | Yes |
| Peter Sandland-Nielsen | Labour | 10,150 | 23.5% | No |
| David John Evans | Liberal | 9,405 | 21.8% | No |
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Oswestry has been contested at 26 general elections on record since 1885. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Conservative, Unionist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Oswestry in the 1979 general election?
Conservative won Oswestry in 1979 with 23,551 votes (54.6%), a majority of 13,401 votes over Labour in second place.
Which parties have won Oswestry since 1885?
Since 1885, Oswestry has been won by: Conservative, Unionist.
What was the closest result in Oswestry?
The closest result on record for Oswestry was 1906, when Conservative beat Liberal by just 503 votes (5.3 percentage points).