Churwell is in the Leeds South West and Morley constituency, and is represented by Mark Sewards (Labour) since the 2024 United Kingdom general election.

Formerly a small village, forming part of the Municipal Borough of Morley, it was expanded significantly in recent decades to become more suburban in nature.

The names comes from the Old English words ceorla (the genitive plural of ceorl, 'free man of the lower class, peasant') and wella ('well, spring, stream').

In spring of 2017 opposite the Tesco Express on Old Road, Bar 27 opened on the premises of the old fish and chip shop.

The village expanded considerably in the early 1960s with new private and council housing developments, particularly to the north on land between School Street and the then-Leeds City boundary.

[7] Tragedy hit the village in 1962, when a motorcyclist ploughed into a group of girls returning from Sunday school on Churwell Hill, killing two and injuring several others.

Notable Morleians include: Churwell, ll particularly the New Village development, is very near the Cottingley railway station on the Huddersfield Line, between Leeds and Morley.