Birmingham Selly Oak

Birmingham Selly Oak is a constituency in the West Midlands, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Alistair Carns of the Labour Party.

Constituency profile

The constituency is located within Birmingham to the south of the city centre. It contains the more urban, industrial areas of Selly Oak and Stirchley and the more suburban areas of Warstock and Billesley.

The area has a history of chocolate production; the visitor attraction of Cadbury World is located in the constituency at the site of the former Cadbury factory, and the model village of Bournville next to the site was built to accommodate the factory's workers. Compared to national averages, residents of the constituency are younger, better-educated and have similar levels of wealth. The constituency is less ethnically diverse than the rest of Birmingham but more so than the country as a whole; 69% of residents are White, 16% are Asian and 6% are Black.

In 1966, 7.9% of the constituency was born in the New Commonwealth.

At most recent city council election in 2022, most seats in the constituency were won by Labour Party candidates, whilst Conservative and Green Party councillors were elected in the south of the constituency in the Highter's Heath area. A majority of voters in the constituency, an estimated 53%, supported remaining in the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the national percentage of 48%.

1974–1983: The County Borough of Birmingham wards of King's Norton, Moseley, and Selly Oak.

1983–1997: The City of Birmingham wards of Bournville, King's Norton, Moseley, and Selly Oak (as they existed on 1 February 1983).

1997–2010: The City of Birmingham wards of Bournville, King's Norton, Moseley, and Selly Oak (as they existed on 1 June 1994).

2010–2018: The City of Birmingham wards of Billesley, Bournville, Brandwood, and Selly Oak.

Major changes, with King's Norton transferred to Birmingham Northfield and Moseley to Birmingham Hall Green. Billesley and Brandwood were transferred from Birmingham Hall Green.

2018–2024: Following a local government boundary review, which did not effect the parliamentary boundaries, the contents of the constituency were as follows with effect from May 2018:

The City of Birmingham wards of Bournbrook & Selly Park, Druids Heath & Monyhull, Highter's Heath, and Stirchley, most of Billesley and Bournville & Cotteridge, the majority of Brandwood & King's Heath, and a small part of Weoley & Selly Oak.

2024–present: Further to the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency comprises:

The City of Birmingham wards of Billesley; Bournbrook & Selly Park; Bournville & Cotteridge; Druids Heath & Monyhull; Highter's Heath; Stirchley; part of Brandwood & King's Heath; and a small area of Weoley & Selly Oak.

Minor differences reflecting the revised ward structure.

History

Since its creation in 1955 the constituency has switched hands three times between Labour and the Conservatives. The seat has progressively swung towards Labour from being a safe Conservative seat; this has been attributed to housing redevelopments that took place in the 1960s and 1970s. More recently, it has acquired a reputation for electing outspoken MPs, first with the victory of Anthony Beaumont-Dark of the Conservatives in 1979, and then with his defeat by Lynne Jones of the Labour Party in 1992.

Members of Parliament

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