Among the area's largest features is the Longbridge Town shopping area built on the site of the now demolished MG Rover Group factory which for decades had been a major employer in the constituency but which was closed down in the run up to the 2005 general election, two hospitals, Northfield Shopping Centre and the now also closed North Worcestershire Golf Course.[4] Despite the closure of the Longbridge Motor works the Labour MP at the time, Richard Burden was returned in the subsequent general election with his majority reduced by 5.6%. He was re-elected with his majority further reduced by 14.1% in 2010. In 2015, Burden was re-elected with a majority of 2,509 votes and a vote share of 41.6%, which made Northfield the most marginal seat in Birmingham. Two years later at the 2017 snap election, Burden increased his majority to 4,667 votes and his vote share to 53.2% on an overall turnout of 44,348 voters.
At the 2019 general election, the seat was won by the Conservative candidate Gary Sambrook with a majority of 1,640 votes. The Conservatives therefore held the Birmingham Northfield seat for the first time in 27 years.
Boundariesedit
1950–1955: The County Borough of Birmingham Wards of Northfield, Selly Oak, and Weoley.[5]
1955–1974: The County Borough of Birmingham wards of King's Norton, Northfield, and Weoley.[6]
1974–1983: As above less King's Norton, plus Longbridge
1983–1997: The City of Birmingham wards of Bartley Green, Longbridge, Northfield, and Weoley.
The City of Birmingham wards of: Allens Cross; Frankley Great Park; King’s Norton North; King’s Norton South; Longbridge & West Heath; Northfield; Rubery & Rednal; Weoley & Selly Oak (polling districts WSO1ED, WSO4, WSO6, WSO7, WSO8, WSO9 and WSO10).[8]
Minor changes reflecting the new ward structure in the City of Birmingham which became effective in May 2018.[9]
Historyedit
Summary of results
The 2015 result gave the seat the 26th-smallest majority of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.[10]
From its creation in 1950 until 2019, Labour Party MPs were elected and served the seat, with the exception of the period from 1979 to 1992, which was whilst the Conservative Party were in government, with a one-year gap caused by a Labour win at a 1982 by-election. From 1979 to 1982, the MP was Jocelyn Cadbury, a member of the influential and large Cadbury family.
Opposition parties
The Conservative candidate for 2015, MacLean, came within 5.9% of winning the seat. UKIP's swing nationally was +9.5% in 2015; here it was 13.5%, enabling a third place, having been fifth-placed in the previous election. The other two candidates, standing for parties other than Labour on the left, narrowly forfeited their deposits.
Turnout
Turnout has ranged between 84.7% in 1950 and 52.8% in 2001 (which was below the percentage of the 1982 by-election).
Going into the 2015 general election, this was the 121st most marginal constituency in Great Britain, the Conservatives requiring a swing from Labour of 3.3% to take the seat (based on the result of the 2010 general election).[19]
^"Birmingham, Northfield: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
^"Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
^Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "N" (part 3)
^"OS Maps - online and App mapping system | Ordnance Survey Shop". www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk.
^Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1985-1972. Chichester, Sussex: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0-900178-09-4.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (Birmingham and North Warwickshire) Order 1955. SI 1955/177". Statutory Instruments 1955. Part II. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1956. pp. 2099–2102.
^"Archived copy". www.boundarycommissionforengland.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2 November 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 8 West Midlands region.
^LGBCE. "Birmingham | LGBCE". www.lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
^"Labour Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018.
^"Candidate for Birmingham Northfield". Labour Party. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
^Gary Sambrook [@GarySambrook89] (24 March 2023). "Pleased to have been re-adopted tonight as the @Conservatives candidate for the next general election 😊🇬🇧" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^"Birmingham Northfield Constituency". Reform UK. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
^"Birmingham Northfield Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
^"Parliamentary General Election Results December 2019". Birmingham City Council. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
^"Statement of Persons Nominated and notice of poll". Birmingham City Council. Archived from the original on 8 February 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
^"Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"| Green Party Members' Website". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
^Ransome Mpini; Charlotte Thornton; John Walton; Marcelo Zanni (24 February 2014). "Election 2015: The political battleground". BBC News. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
^"Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll 2010" (PDF).
^"Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
^"Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.