Lichfield is a constituency in Staffordshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by David Robertson of the Labour Party.
Constituency profile
Lichfield is a mostly rural constituency in Staffordshire. Its largest settlement is the small city of Lichfield, which has a population of around 34,000. Other settlements include the town of Burntwood and the villages of Fradley, Alrewas, Barton-under-Needwood and Armitage. Lichfield is a historic city and traditionally an important ecclesiastical centre due to its cathedral. Burntwood is a former coal mining town. The constituency is affluent with low levels of deprivation, especially so in the rural areas. House prices are higher than the rest of the West Midlands region and similar to the national average.
In general, residents of the constituency are older, more religious and have average levels of education compared to the rest of the country. Rates of income, homeownership and professional employment are high. Very few residents claim unemployment benefits and the rate of child poverty is low. White people made up 96% of the population at the 2021 census.
Minor changes to the boundary with Tamworth.
<sup>1</sup> Following a local government boundary review in which came into effect in May 2023, the part in the Borough of East Staffordshire now comprises the following wards or part wards from the 2024 general election:
- Bagots & Needwood; Blythe (Kingstone parish); Crown (Newborough parish).
History
The city was represented at most parliaments between 1305 (10 years after the Model Parliament), in 1327 and again in 1353, but it then ceased to be represented until the mid 16th century, from when it sent two burgesses as members to Parliament until 1664, when representation was temporarily reduced to one member during The Protectorate (ended 1680), and again in 1868, when representation was permanently reduced to one. The constituency was abolished in 1950 but reconstituted, still as a single-member constituency, in 1997.
Members of Parliament
1305–1660
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Parliament !! First member !! Second member
|-
|1313|| William of Lichfield
|-
|1320|| William the Taverner
|-
|1326–7|| Stephen le Blount
|-
|1529|| William Paget, 1st Baron Paget
|-
|1547|| William Layton, died<br />and replaced by Jan 1552 by Alexander Walker || Edmund Twyneho
|-
|1553 (Mar)|| Mark Wyrley|| William Fitzherbert
|-
|1562–3|| Sir Henry Paget|| Michael Pulteney|| Michael Noble
|-
|1645|| Michael Noble|| Michael Biddulph of Elmhurst
|-
|1648|| Michael Noble, died 1649|| Only one member
|-
|1653|| colspan = "2"| Lichfield not represented in Barebones Parliament
|-
|1654|| Thomas Minors || Only one member
|-
|1656|| Thomas Minors|| Only one member
|-
|1659|| Daniel Watson of Burton upon Trent || Thomas Minors
|}
1660–1868
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Election!!colspan="2"|First member!!First party!!colspan="2"|Second member
|rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
|rowspan="3"| George Venables-Vernon<br /><small>later Baron Vernon</small>
|rowspan="3"| <!-- party -->
|-
|1734
|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Rowland Hill
| <!-- party -->
|-
|1741
|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Sir Lister Holte, Bt
| <!-- party -->
|-
|1747
|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Richard Leveson-Gower
| <!-- party -->
|rowspan="8" style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
|rowspan="8"| Thomas Anson
|rowspan="8"| <!-- party -->
|-
| 1753 Nov by-election
|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Sir Thomas Gresley, Bt
| <!-- party -->
|-
| 1754 Jan
|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| Henry Vernon
| <!-- party -->
|-
|1761
|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |
| John Levett
| <!-- party -->
|-
| Feb 1762
|-
| 1770 by-election
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| George Adams then Anson
| Whig
|rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="3"| Thomas Anson<br /><small>later Viscount Anson</small>
|rowspan="3"| Whig
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Lord Granville Leveson-Gower<br /><small>later Earl Granville</small>
| Whig
|rowspan="4" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="4"| Sir George Anson
|rowspan="4"| Whig
|-
|1806 Nov
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| George Granville Venables Vernon
| Whig
|-
|1846 by-election
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Edward Lloyd-Mostyn<br /><small>later Baron Mostyn</small>
| Whig
|-
|1847
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Viscount Anson<br /><small>later 2nd Earl of Lichfield</small>
| Whig
|-
|1854 by-election
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| The Lord Waterpark
| Whig
|-
|1856 by-election
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Viscount Sandon<br /><small>later Earl of Harrowby</small>
| Independent Whig
|-
|1859
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Liberal
|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
|rowspan="2"| Augustus Anson
|rowspan="2"| Liberal
|-
|1865
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Richard Dyott
| Conservative
|-
|1868
|colspan="6"| Representation reduced to one member
|}
1868–1950
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2" | Election
! Member