Tatton
County constituency for theHouse of Commons
Boundary of Tatton in North West England
County	Cheshire
Electorate	75,538 (2023)[1]
Major settlements	Alderley Edge,Chelford,Handforth,High Legh,Knutsford,Lostock Gralam,Lymm,Mobberley,Plumley,Styal,Wilmslow,Wincham
Current constituency
Created	1983
Member of Parliament	Esther McVey (Conservative)
Seats	One
Created from	Runcorn,Cheadle,Northwich andKnutsford

Tatton is aconstituency^{[n 1]} inCheshire represented in theHouse of Commons of theUK Parliament since2017 byEsther McVey, aConservative.^{[n 2]}

Tatton comprises the north-western part of theCheshire East unitary authority, including the towns ofKnutsford andWilmslow, and a number of villages such asAlderley Edge,Chelford,Handforth andMobberley, inCheshire. It also covers a small, north-east, part of theCheshire West and Chester unitary authority, including some of the outskirts ofNorthwich.

The seat largely comprises prosperous villages and small towns, set amidst Cheshire countryside, featuring country parks, hills, recreation grounds and golf courses. This includes areas with the highest house prices in the North of England, and some of the wealthiest villages in the United Kingdom as a whole.^[2] The area was previously dominated by countryside; however, since the 1950s, it has developed a largely built-up, suburban character, being located on the fringes ofGreater Manchester. The largest centres of population are Alderley Edge, Wilmslow and Knutsford. Its proximity to Manchester means Tatton forms part of the commuter belt to the city.

Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 2.1% of the population based on a statistical compilation byThe Guardian.^[3]

During the2016 EU membership referendum, the constituency voted to remain in the EU, despite bothCheshire East andCheshire West and Chester voting to leave overall. The margin was 55.56% Remain over 44.44% Leave.^[4]

The constituency was created for the1983 general election following the major reorganisation of local authorities under theLocal Government Act 1972, which came into effect on 1 April 1974. It was formed from parts of the seats ofRuncorn,Cheadle,Northwich andKnutsford. The constituency is named afterTatton Park, astately home near Knutsford.

Map of current boundaries, first used in 2024

Map of former boundaries, used from 2010–2024

1983–1997: TheBorough of Macclesfield wards of Dean Row, Fulshaw, Handforth, High Legh, Hough, Knutsford Nether, Knutsford Over, Knutsford South, Knutsford West, Lacey Green, Mere, Mobberley, Morley and Styal, and Plumley; and theDistrict of Vale Royal wards of Barnton, Castle, Cogshall, Lostock Gralam, Marston and Wincham, Northwich, Rudheath and Whatcroft, Seven Oaks, Shakerley, Winnington, Witton North, and Witton South.^[5]

Initially comprised the towns ofNorthwich andKnutsford and surrounding rural areas, formerly parts of the abolished constituencies of the same names, together with the formerUrban District of Wilmslow, previously part of the constituency of Cheadle. Also included a small area transferred from Runcorn.

1997–2010: The Borough of Macclesfield wards of Alderley Edge, Dean Row, Fulshaw, Handforth, High Legh, Hough, Knutsford Nether, Knutsford Over, Knutsford South, Knutsford West, Lacey Green, Mere, Mobberley, Morley and Styal, Nether Alderley, and Plumley; and the District of Vale Royal wards of Barnton, Cogshall, Lostock Gralam, Marston and Wincham, Rudheath and Whatcroft, Seven Oaks, and Shakerley.^[6]

Under the Fourth Periodic Review of constituencies, the number of constituencies in Cheshire was increased from 10 to 11 and Northwich was now included in the newly created constituency ofWeaver Vale. To compensate for this loss, Alderley Edge was transferred fromMacclesfield.

2010–2019: The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007 defined the boundaries as:

The Borough of Macclesfield wards of Alderley Edge, Chelford, Dean Row, Fulshaw, Handforth, High Legh, Hough, Knutsford Bexton, Knutsford Nether, Knutsford Norbury Booths, Knutsford Over, Lacey Green, Mere, Mobberley, Morley & Styal, and Plumley; and the Borough of Vale Royal wards of Barnton, Cogshall, Lostock & Wincham, Rudheath & South Witton, Seven Oaks & Marston, and Shakerley.^[7]

Minor changes due to revision of ward boundaries.

However, before the new boundaries came into force for the 2010 election, the districts making up the county of Cheshire were abolished on 1 April 2009, being replaced by fourunitary authorities. Consequently, the constituency's boundaries became:

TheCheshire East wards of Alderley Edge, Chelford, Handforth, High Legh, Knutsford, Mobberley, Wilmslow Dean Row, Wilmslow East, Wilmslow Lacey Green, and Wilmslow West & Chorley; and theCheshire West and Chester wards of Marbury, Shakerley, and Witton & Rudheath (part).

2019–2024: Following a further local government ward boundary review in 2019, the boundaries became:

TheCheshire East wards of Alderley Edge, Chelford, Handforth, High Legh, Knutsford, Mobberley, Wilmslow Dean Row, Wilmslow East, Wilmslow Lacey Green, and Wilmslow West & Chorley ; and theCheshire West and Chester wards of Davenham Moulton & Kingsmead (small part), Marbury (most), Rudheath (most), and Shakerley.^[8]

2024–Present: Further to the2023 review of Westminster constituencies which became effective for the2024 general election, the constituency is currently composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

• The Borough of Cheshire East wards of: Alderley Edge; Chelford; Handforth; High Legh; Knutsford; Mobberley; Wilmslow Dean Row; Wilmslow East; Wilmslow Lacey Green; Wilmslow West and Chorley.
• The Borough of Cheshire West and Chester wards of: Marbury; Shakerley.
• The Borough of Warrington wards of: Lymm North & Thelwall (polling districts SNA, SNB, SPA, SPB and SPC); Lymm South.^[9]

The constituency has been expanded to bring the electorate within the permitted range by transferring the village ofLymm (but notThelwall) fromWarrington South. Other boundary changes within the Borough of Cheshire West and Cheshire took account of ward boundary modifications.

The constituency was initially held in 1983 by theConservativeNeil Hamilton.

During the1997 general election campaign, Tatton was one of the UK'shighest-profile constituencies. It was also notionally one of the safest Conservative seats in the country, as boundary changes brought inAlderley Edge into the constituency in place ofNorthwich, making Tatton the fourth safest Conservative seat in the country with a majority of over 22,000 had it existed in 1992.

Following Hamilton's implication in theCash for Questions scandal of the 1990s, theLabour Party and theLiberal Democrats withdrew their candidates in favour of the formerBBC journalistMartin Bell, who stood as anIndependent, while those two parties supported his "anti-corruption" campaign. Bell was ultimately successful, with a majority of 11,077. Hamilton came second.

Having promised to serve only one term, Bell did not contest the seat at the2001 election, and the seat was won by ConservativeGeorge Osborne with a majority of 8,611 (20.8%). Osborne held the seat at the2005 election with an increased majority, and became theShadow Chancellor that year. He held the position ofChancellor of the Exchequer from 2010 to 2016, one of the highestfrontbench government positions. Osborne served the seat until standing down at the2017 election,^[10] having been announced as the new editor of the LondonEvening Standard newspaper in March of that year.

Esther McVey, who had been MP for nearbyWirral West from 2010 until her defeat in 2015, was elected in2017. McVey was theSecretary of State for Work and Pensions after Theresa May's Cabinet reshuffle in January 2018, but resigned after concerns over May's plan of leaving theEuropean Union in November 2018.^[11] McVey subsequently announced her candidacy for the Conservative Party leadership in2019, but was knocked out in the first round, receiving the lowest number of votes of all ten candidates. She was re-elected in 2024 with a much reduced majority of 1,136, down from 17,387, making this a marginal seat for the first time in history.

• Parliamentary constituencies in Cheshire
• History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Cheshire

Wikimedia Commons has media related toTatton (UK Parliament constituency).

• Data for the 2005 election are from theBBC.
• Data for the 2001 election are fromUnited Kingdom Election Results.
• Data for the 1997 and 1992 results are taken fromThe GuardianArchived 13 May 2008 at theWayback Machine.
• Data for 1983 and 1987 elections taken fromPoliticsresources.net – Official Web Site ✔

• Tatton UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) atMapIt UK
• Tatton UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) atMapIt UK
• Tatton UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) atMapIt UK

53°18′43″N2°23′02″W / 53.312°N 2.384°W /53.312; -2.384

• Parliamentary constituencies in Cheshire
• Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1983
• Borough of Cheshire East
• Knutsford

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