North Wiltshire (UK Parliament constituency)
North Wiltshire is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by James Gray, a Conservative.[n 2] In the period 1832–1983, this was an alternative name for Chippenham or the Northern Division of Wiltshire and as Chippenham dates to the original countrywide Parliament, the Model Parliament, this period is covered in more detail in that article. In 2016 it was announced that the North Wiltshire constituency would be scrapped as part of the planned 2018 Constituency Reforms.
North Wiltshire | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
Boundary of North Wiltshire in Wiltshire for the 2010 general election | |
Location of Wiltshire within England | |
County | Wiltshire |
Electorate | 67,154 (December 2010)[1] |
Major settlements | Calne, Royal Wootton Bassett, Cricklade, Malmesbury |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1983 |
Member of Parliament | James Gray (Conservative) |
Number of members | One |
Created from | Chippenham |
1832–1885 | |
Replaced by | Cricklade Chippenham Devizes Westbury |
Boundaries
1832–1885: The Hundreds of Chippenham, North Damerham, Bradford, Melksham, Potterne and Cannings, Calne, Selkley, Ramsbury, Whorwelsdown, Swanborough, Highworth, Cricklade and Staple, Kingsbridge, and Malmesbury.[2]
1983–1997: The District of North Wiltshire.
1997–2010: The District of North Wiltshire wards of Allington, Ashton Keynes, Audley, Avon, Box, Bremhill, Brinkworth, Colerne, Corsham, Crudwell, Hill Rise, Hilmarton, Kington Langley, Kington St Michael, Lacock, Lyneham, Malmesbury, Malmesbury Road, Minety, Monkton Park, Neston and Gastard, Nettleton, Park, Pickwick, Purton, Queen's, Redland, St Paul Malmesbury Without, Sherston, Somerford, The Lydiards, Town, Westcroft, Wootton Bassett North, and Wootton Bassett South.
2010–present: The District of North Wiltshire wards of Ashton Keynes and Minety, Box, Bremhill, Brinkworth and The Somerfords, Calne Abberd, Calne Chilvester, Calne Lickhill, Calne Marden, Calne Priestley, Calne Quemerford, Calne Without, Colerne, Cricklade, Hilmarton, Kington Langley, Kington St Michael, Lyneham, Malmesbury, Nettleton, Purton, St Paul Malmesbury Without and Sherston, The Lydiards and Broad Town, Wootton Bassett North, and Wootton Bassett South.
The constituency covers most of the northern third of Wiltshire. However it excludes the eastern town of Swindon which is represented as North Swindon and South Swindon.
North Wiltshire constituency was formed by a renaming for the 1983 general election, with boundaries identical to the former Chippenham constituency (1885–1983).[3] The constituency sits between the Cotswolds and Swindon. Its main towns are Calne, Royal Wootton Bassett (a town which was a borough constituency until abolished as a 'rotten borough' in 1832), Cricklade and Malmesbury, and it also contains a number of villages, both small and large, spread over a large area of farming countryside, including the well-known (often-painted and photographed) village of Castle Combe.
For the 2010 general election the North Wiltshire constituency changed radically as a result of boundary change recommendations. The constituency now covers a northern swathe of the previous version retaining the towns of Malmesbury, Cricklade, Royal Wootton Bassett and Calne[n 3] while the largest southern town of Chippenham was given its own seat (which was previously abolished in 1983) that brought in the nearby market towns of Bradford on Avon and Melksham including parts of other seats.[4]
While North Wiltshire has a long history of returning Conservative candidates, its district council (created in 1973 and abolished in 2009) was closely contested between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats with many electoral wards being marginal.
Members of Parliament
MPs 1832–1885 - Summary, See Chippenham instead
Election | 1st member[5] | 1st party | 2nd member[5] | 2nd party | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1832 | Paul Methuen | Whig[6] | Sir John Astley, Bt | Whig[6] | ||
1835 | Walter Long | Whig[6] | ||||
1837 | Francis Burdett | Conservative[6] | ||||
1841 | Conservative[6] | |||||
February 1844 | THS Sotheron-Estcourt | Conservative[6] | ||||
March 1865 | Lord Charles Bruce | Liberal | ||||
1865 | Richard Penruddocke Long | Conservative | ||||
1868 | George Jenkinson | Conservative | ||||
1874 | George Sotheron-Estcourt | Conservative | ||||
1880 | Walter Long | Conservative | ||||
1885 | Redistribution of Seats Act: constituency abolished |
MPs since 1983
Election | Member[5] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1983 | Richard Needham | Conservative | |
1997 | James Gray | Conservative |
Elections
Elections of the 2010s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Gray | 32,373 | 59.1 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Brian Mathew | 14,747 | 26.9 | ||
Labour | Jonathan Fisher | 5,699 | 10.4 | ||
Green | Bonnie Jackson | 1,939 | 3.5 | ||
Majority | 17,626 | 32.2 | |||
Turnout | 54,982 | 75.0 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Gray | 32,398 | 60.3 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Brian Mathew | 9,521 | 17.7 | ||
Labour | Peter Baldrey | 9,399 | 17.5 | ||
Green | Phil Chamberlain | 1,141 | 2.1 | ||
UKIP | Paddy Singh | 871 | 1.6 | ||
Independent | Lisa Tweedie | 376 | 0.7 | ||
Majority | 22,877 | 42.6 | |||
Turnout | 53,797 | 75.34 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Gray[10] | 28,938 | 57.2 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Brian Mathew[10] | 7,892 | 15.6 | ||
UKIP | Pat Bryant[11] | 5,813 | 11.5 | ||
Labour | Peter Baldrey | 4,930 | 9.8 | ||
Green | Phil Chamberlain[12] | 2,350 | 4.6 | ||
Independent | Simon Killane[10] | 390 | 0.8 | N/A | |
Independent | Giles Wareham | 243 | 0.5 | N/A | |
Majority | 21,046 | 41.6 | |||
Turnout | 50,556 | 74.5 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Gray | 25,114 | 51.6 | +1.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Michael Evemy | 17,631 | 36.2 | +1.8 | |
Labour | Jason Hughes | 3,239 | 6.7 | −5.3 | |
UKIP | Charles Bennett | 1,908 | 3.9 | +1.2 | |
Green | Philip Chamberlain | 599 | 1.2 | +1.2 | |
Independent | Philip Allnatt | 208 | 0.4 | −0.6 | |
Majority | 7,483 | 15.4 | +5.9 | ||
Turnout | 48,699 | 73.4 | +3.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.05 |
Elections in the 2000s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Gray | 26,282 | 46.9 | +1.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Paul Fox | 20,979 | 37.4 | −0.8 | |
Labour | David Nash | 6,794 | 12.1 | −2.2 | |
UKIP | Neil Dowdney | 1,428 | 2.5 | +0.4 | |
Independent | Philip Allnatt | 578 | 1.0 | N/A | |
Majority | 5,303 | 9.5 | +2.2 | ||
Turnout | 56,061 | 69.3 | +2.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Gray | 24,090 | 45.5 | +1.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Hugh Pym | 20,212 | 38.2 | +0.4 | |
Labour | Joanne Garton | 7,556 | 14.3 | +0.1 | |
UKIP | Neil Dowdney | 1,090 | 2.1 | +1.4 | |
Majority | 3,878 | 7.3 | +1.3 | ||
Turnout | 52,948 | 67.3 | −7.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +0.7 |
Elections in the 1990s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | James Gray | 25,390 | 43.8 | −12.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Simon Cordon | 21,915 | 37.8 | +6.3 | |
Labour | Nigel Knowles | 8,261 | 14.2 | +4.1 | |
Referendum | Margaret Purves | 1,774 | 3.1 | N/A | |
UKIP | Alan Wood | 410 | 0.7 | N/A | |
Natural Law | Joan Forsyth | 263 | 0.4 | N/A | |
Majority | 3,475 | 6.0 | -16.4 | ||
Turnout | 58,013 | 74.9 | -6.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −9.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Needham | 39,028 | 55.6 | +0.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | Christine Napier | 22,640 | 32.3 | −5.8 | |
Labour | Christine Reid | 6,945 | 9.9 | +3.1 | |
Green | Lydia Howitt | 850 | 1.2 | N/A | |
Liberal | George Hawkins | 622 | 0.9 | −37.2 | |
Independent | David Martienssen | 66 | 0.1 | N/A | |
Majority | 16,388 | 23.4 | +6.3 | ||
Turnout | 70,151 | 81.7 | +2.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +3.1 |
Elections in the 1980s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Needham | 35,309 | 55.1 | +2.1 | |
Liberal | Christopher Graham | 24,370 | 38.1 | −2.5 | |
Labour | Christine Reid | 4,343 | 6.8 | +1.8 | |
Majority | 10,939 | 17.0 | +14.6 | ||
Turnout | 64,022 | 79.3 | +3.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Needham | 30,924 | 53.0 | +3.9 | |
Liberal | Christopher Graham | 23,692 | 40.6 | -0.7 | |
Labour | Stephen Allsop | 2,888 | 5.0 | -3.7 | |
Ecology | Edward Barham | 678 | 1.2 | N/A | |
Justice for Divorced Fathers | Henri de la Perriere | 113 | 0.2 | N/A | |
Majority | 7,232 | 12.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 58,295 | 76.6 | 4.5 | ||
Conservative win (new seat) |
Elections in the 1880s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Walter Long | 3,090 | 35.5 | −0.5 | |
Conservative | George Sotheron-Estcourt | 2,836 | 32.6 | −4.2 | |
Liberal | George Fuller | 2,784 | 32.0 | +4.8 | |
Majority | 52 | 0.6 | −8.3 | ||
Turnout | 5,747 (est) | 79.3 (est) | +2.1 | ||
Registered electors | 7,249 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −1.5 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | −3.3 |
Elections in the 1870s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Bucknall-Estcourt | 3,195 | 36.8 | +18.0 | |
Conservative | George Jenkinson | 3,129 | 36.0 | +17.2 | |
Liberal | Charles Bruce | 2,358 | 27.2 | −35.3 | |
Majority | 771 | 8.9 | +6.6 | ||
Turnout | 5,520 (est) | 77.2 (est) | +3.2 | ||
Registered electors | 7,152 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | +17.8 | |||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +17.4 | |||
Elections in the 1860s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Jenkinson | 2,769 | 37.5 | −23.0 | |
Liberal | Charles Bruce | 2,600 | 35.2 | +15.4 | |
Liberal | Joseph Trigge Schomberg | 2,016 | 27.3 | +7.5 | |
Majority | 169 | 2.3 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 5,077 (est) | 74.0 (est) | +0.3 | ||
Registered electors | 6,857 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | −17.2 | |||
Liberal hold | Swing | +13.5 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Charles Bruce | 2,151 | 39.6 | N/A | |
Conservative | Richard Penruddocke Long | 1,911 | 35.2 | N/A | |
Conservative | George Jenkinson | 1,373 | 25.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 240 | 4.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 3,793 (est) | 73.7 (est) | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 5,146 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Charles Bruce | Unopposed | |||
Liberal gain from Conservative |
- Caused by Sotheron-Estcourt's resignation due to ill health.[23]
Elections in the 1850s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | T. H. S. Sotheron-Estcourt | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Walter Long | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 4,417 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | T. H. S. Sotheron-Estcourt | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
- Caused by Sotheron-Estcourt's appointment as Home Secretary
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | T. H. S. Sotheron-Estcourt | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
- Caused by Sotheron-Estcourt's appointment as President of the Poor Law Board
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | T. H. S. Sotheron-Estcourt | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Walter Long | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 4,400 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | T. H. S. Sotheron | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Walter Long | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 4,955 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Elections in the 1840s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | T. H. S. Sotheron | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Walter Long | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 5,165 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | T. H. S. Sotheron | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
- Caused by Burdett's death.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Francis Burdett | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Walter Long | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 5,241 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Conservative gain from Whig |
Elections in the 1830s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Francis Burdett | 2,365 | 36.7 | ||
Whig | Walter Long | 2,197 | 34.1 | ||
Whig | Paul Methuen | 1,876 | 29.1 | ||
Majority | 321 | 5.0 | |||
Turnout | 4,183 | 82.5 | |||
Registered electors | 5,068 | ||||
Conservative gain from Whig | |||||
Whig hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Walter Long | Unopposed | |||
Whig | Paul Methuen | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 3,560 | ||||
Whig hold | |||||
Whig hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whig | Paul Methuen | 1,835 | 46.8 | ||
Whig | John Astley | 1,683 | 42.9 | ||
Radical | John Edridge | 403 | 10.3 | ||
Majority | 1,280 | 32.6 | |||
Turnout | 2,332 | 64.5 | |||
Registered electors | 3,614 | ||||
Whig win (new seat) | |||||
Whig win (new seat) |
Notes and references
- Notes
- A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer).
- As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
- Since 2010 Calne is the furthest south
- References
- "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- "The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. LXIV. An Act to settle and describe the Divisions of Counties, and the Limits of Cities and Boroughs, in England and Wales, in so far as respects the Election of Members to serve in Parliament". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1832. pp. 300–383. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- "About North Wiltshire" Archived 2009-11-29 at the Wayback Machine from the website of James Gray MP. Retrieved on 18 October 2006.
- Fifth periodical report – Volume 4 Mapping for the Non-Metropolitan Counties and the Unitary Authorities, The Stationery Office, 26 February 2007, ISBN 978-0-10-170322-2
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 4)
- Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I, to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. p. 106. Retrieved 18 August 2018 – via Google Books.
- "Wiltshire North parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- "Parliamentary elections 2017". Wiltshire Council. Archived from the original on 12 May 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- Cass, Elliot (2 January 2015). "North Wiltshire MP denies rivals are ahead in election battle". Wilts and Gloss Standard. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
- "UK Polling Report". ukpollingreport.co.uk.
- "General Election 2015". southwest.greenparty.org.uk.
- "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- Kerr, Andrew (20 April 2010). "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll" (PDF). Electoral Services. Wiltshire County Council. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
- "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
- "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book)
|format=
requires|url=
(help) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 480–481. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3. - Stephens, H. M. (2004). "Estcourt, Thomas Henry Sutton Sotheron". Oxford University Press (subscription needed). doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/8894. Retrieved 23 November 2008.