Cheadle is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post voting system. It is a marginal seat between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. From 1970 until 2001, it was held by the Conservatives, after which it was held by the Liberal Democrats from 2001 until the 2015 general election, when it was taken back by the Conservatives. History Cheadle was created as a county constituency under the Representation of the People Act 1948, for the 1950 general election. it covered a predominantly urban and relatively affluent area in the south-eastern suburbs of the Manchester conurbation. The growth of the suburbs of Manchester led to a rapidly rising electorate from the late 1950s and by the 1970 election there were 107,225 electors and some reduction was inevitable. At the February 1974 general election the seat was re-classified as a borough constituency and split in two, with the eastern parts forming the new Hazel Grove constituency. As a result of changes to the county boundaries which came into effect on 1 April 1974, the constituency crossed between Greater Manchester and Cheshire. Realigning with the county boundaries in 1983, the constituency was redrawn, losing Wilmslow to Tatton, whilst gaining back Bramhall from Hazel Grove. Boundaries 1950–1955: The Urban Districts of Bredbury and Romiley, Cheadle and Gatley, Hazel Grove and Bramhall, and Marple. Cheadle and Gatley previously part of the abolished constituency of Bucklow, Hazel Grove and Bramhall transferred from Knutsford, and Bredbury, Romiley and Marple transferred from Macclesfield. Also included Mellor (now part of the Urban District of Marple), which was previously in the Derbyshire constituency of High Peak. 1955–1974: As above except the part of Bredbury ward added to the County Borough of Stockport by the Stockport (Extension) Order 1952, which was transferred to Stockport South (Statutory Instrument 1953–742). 1974–1983: The Urban Districts of Cheadle and Gatley, and Wilmslow. The majority of the constituency was hived off to form Hazel Grove, leave just Cheadle and Gatley. Partly compensated by the transfer of Wilmslow from Macclesfield. From 1 April 1974 until the next boundary review came into effect for the 1983 general election, the constituency comprised parts of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in Greater Manchester (Cheadle and Gatley) and parts of the expanded Borough of Macclesfield in Cheshire (Wilmslow), but its boundaries were