Constituency profile
Mid Cheshire is a constituency in Cheshire. It covers the three nearby towns of Northwich, Middlewich and Winsford, as well as the villages of Rudheath, Davenham and Hartford which are contiguous with Northwich.
The three towns have a history of salt mining, an industry that has been present in the area since the Roman era. Much of their housing was built in the 1960s to accommodate overspill from Liverpool and Manchester. Winsford has high levels of deprivation whilst Northwich and Middlewich are more affluent, giving the constituency an average level of wealth overall. House prices are lower than the national average but similar to the rest of North West England.
In general, residents of Mid Cheshire have average levels of education, income and homeownership. Rates of unemployment and child poverty are low, and a high proportion of residents work in the retail and manufacturing sectors. White people made up 96% of the population at the 2021 census.
Employment in the Constituency is supported by large industrial areas such Winsford Industrial Estate & Middlewich Midpoint 18. Mid-Cheshire sits at a strategic point on the motorway network with Easy Access to Manchester, Liverpool, The Midlands & North Wales for access to Ireland via ports at Liverpool & Holyhead.
The Approximate Population of the Constituency is 115,000 based on 2021 Census results. Current Projections from Cheshire West & Cheshire East councils anticipate this to be round 120,000 in 2025.
At the local council level, the three towns are mostly represented by Labour Party councillors with some independents in Winsford and Middlewich. The villages surrounding Northwich elected Conservatives. An estimated 55% of voters in Mid Cheshire supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, marginally higher than the nationwide figure of 52%.
History (1868-1885)
Under the Reform Act 1867, the Parliamentary County of Cheshire was divided into three 2-member constituencies, namely the Eastern, Mid and Western Divisions, replacing the two Northern and Southern Divisions. Mid Cheshire comprised the Hundred of Bucklow from North Cheshire and the Hundred of Northwich from South Cheshire.
Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the three 2-member seats were abolished and re-divided into eight single-member constituencies: Altrincham, Crewe, Eddisbury, Hyde, Knutsford, Macclesfield, Northwich and Wirral.
