Member of Parliament

• MP

• Member of Parliament; 1265-present

Candidates were taken from the county gentry and city elite and had to become freemen if they were not already. Often heavily involved in civic life, many also served as aldermen and mayors during their careers. The electorate consisted solely of the freemen until 1835.

In the medieval period the corporation typically selected its representatives members directly. They were often uncontested until elections became more politicised in the eighteenth century, when hundreds of new freemen were sometimes sworn in to swing a vote. From the 1830s-1900, each of the two seats were usually held by the opposing parties. In the twentieth century, the seat alternated between the Labour and Conservative parties regularly, and has been held by a Labour MP since 1992.

York traditionally returned two members as a borough constituency. In 1918 the number of MPs was reduced to one. In 2010 the "City of York" and "Vale of York" seats were replaced by "York Central" and "York Outer".

The Members of Parliament for York were historically funded by the Corporation and expected to pursue city interests and report back to the Corporation. Detailed instructions and correspondence survives for some periods. Key activity includes securing acts for the Ouse and Foss navigations, and attempts to block the expansion of private gas companies.

Candidates were taken from the county gentry and city elite and had to become freemen if they were not already. Often heavily involved in civic life, many also served as aldermen and mayors during their careers. The electorate consisted solely of the freemen until 1835.\n\nIn the medieval period the corporation typically selected its representatives members directly. They were often uncontested until elections became more politicised in the eighteenth century, when hundreds of new freemen were sometimes sworn in to swing a vote. From the 1830s-1900, each of the two seats were usually held by the opposing parties. In the twentieth century, the seat alternated between the Labour and Conservative parties regularly, and has been held by a Labour MP since 1992.\n\nYork traditionally returned two members as a borough constituency. In 1918 the number of MPs was reduced to one. In 2010 the "City of York" and "Vale of York" seats were replaced by "York Central" and "York Outer".

International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa

VCH York, www.historyofparliamentonline.org