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).[2]
The seat was abolished prior to the 2024 general election and replaced by parts of two other constituencies.[3]
1950–1983: The Municipal Borough of Pudsey, and the Urban Districts of Aireborough and Horsforth.
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
1885–1950
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[n 4] resulting in a by-election in the constituency.[6]
The constituency was abolished in 1918 and replaced by the constituency of Pudsey and Otley until 1950.
1950-2024
The constituency was recreated for contesting in the 1950 general election and existed until 2024.
Nomenclature
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.[7]
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.[3]
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.[34]
^As the seats of Leeds Central, Leeds East, Leeds North, Leeds South and Leeds West were also created in 1885, this by inference did not refer to the whole of the municipal borough of Leeds.