Pudsey (UK Parliament constituency)

Pudsey was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.

Since 1997 campaigns in the seat have resulted in a minimum of 33.1% of votes at each election consistently for the same two parties' choice for candidate, and the next-placed party's having fluctuated between 3.1% and 20.8% of the vote — such third-placed figures achieved much higher percentages in 1992 and in previous decades.

The result in 2017 was the 23rd-closest nationally (of 650 seats).

The seat was abolished prior to the 2024 general election and replaced by parts of two other constituencies.

Constituency profile
From 1979 the constituency was a bellwether. The constituency covered suburban settlements to the upland west and north-west of Leeds, including Pudsey, Farsley, Horsforth, Yeadon and Guiseley with low dependency on social housing, average workers' income close to the British average and low unemployment. This was, from its 1950 recreation, a win for candidates who were members of the Conservative Party before a member of the Labour Party gained it in the New Labour landslide of 1997.

Boundaries
The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 provided that the constituency should consist of:
 * Historic boundaries
 * the municipal borough of Leeds save for those parts in the Leeds constituencies
 * the Parishes of Drighlington, Hunsworth, and Tong,
 * so much of the Parishes of Calverley with Farsley and Pudsey as are not included in the Municipal Borough of Bradford,
 * the Parishes of Churwell, Gildersome, Horsforth and Rawdon in the Sessional Division of Skyrack.

1950–1983: The Municipal Borough of Pudsey, and the Urban Districts of Aireborough and Horsforth.
 * Post-1950 boundaries

1983–2010: The City of Leeds wards of Aireborough, Horsforth, Pudsey North, and Pudsey South. The constituency boundaries remained unchanged.

2010–2024: The City of Leeds wards of Calverley and Farsley, Guiseley and Rawdon, Horsforth, and Pudsey.

History
The Pudsey constituency was first created in 1885 by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and it was first used in the general election that year. The seat had formerly been part of Eastern West Riding of Yorkshire constituency. On 1 June 1908 George Whiteley voluntarily resigned from Parliament resulting in a by-election in the constituency.
 * 1885–1950

The constituency was abolished in 1918 and replaced by the constituency of Pudsey and Otley until 1950.

The constituency was recreated for contesting in the 1950 general election and existed until 2024.
 * 1950-2024

In their Third Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies (1976–1983) the Boundary Commission initially suggested renaming the constituency Leeds West, with the existing Leeds West constituency in turn being renamed Leeds West Central. This was opposed at local enquiries where the current name was retained.
 * Nomenclature

Abolition
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished for the 2024 general election. The Calverley and Farsley, and Pudsey wards were combined with the Armley, Bramley and Stanningley wards from the also abolished constituency of Leeds West to form Leeds West and Pudsey. The Guiseley and Rawdon, and Horsforth wards were transferred to a reconfigured Leeds North West constituency.

Elections in the 2010s


The 2015 election saw a record-equal total of five candidates stand in Pudsey.

The 2017 election saw the Green Party standing aside after talks with the Labour candidate, to seek to avert Andrew's re-election, but ultimately Andrew was narrowly reelected.