South West Surrey (UK Parliament constituency)

South West Surrey is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.[n 2] Since 2005, the seat has been represented by Conservative MP Jeremy Hunt, the former Culture Secretary, Health Secretary and Foreign Secretary.

South West Surrey
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of South West Surrey in Surrey
Location of Surrey within England
CountySurrey
Electorate76,495 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsFarnham, Godalming and Haslemere
Current constituency
Created1983
Member of ParliamentJeremy Hunt (Conservative)
Number of membersOne
Created fromFarnham

Boundaries

1983–2010: The District of Waverley wards of Alford and Dunsfold, Busbridge, Hambledon and Hascombe, Chiddingfold, Elstead, Peper Harow and Thursley, Farnham Bourne, Farnham Castle, Farnham Hale and Heath End, Farnham Rowledge and Wrecclesham, Farnham Upper Hale, Farnham Waverley, Farnham Weybourne and Badshot Lea, Frensham, Dockenfield and Tilford, Godalming North, Godalming North East and South West, Godalming North West, Godalming South East, Haslemere North and Grayswood, Haslemere South, Hindhead, Milford, Shottermill, and Witley.

2010–present: The Borough of Waverley wards of Bramley, Busbridge and Hascombe, Chiddingfold and Dunsfold, Elstead and Thursley, Farnham Bourne, Farnham Castle, Farnham Firgrove, Farnham Hale and Heath End, Farnham Moor Park, Farnham Shortheath and Boundstone, Farnham Upper Hale, Farnham Weybourne and Badshot Lea, Farnham Wrecclesham and Rowledge, Frensham, Dockenfield and Tilford, Godalming Binscombe, Godalming Central and Ockford, Godalming Charterhouse, Godalming Farncombe and Catteshall, Godalming Holloway, Haslemere Critchmere and Shottermill, Haslemere East and Grayswood, Hindhead, Milford, and Witley and Hambledon.

The seat includes the towns of Farnham, Godalming and Haslemere.

Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies

The Boundary Commission's recommendations implemented by Parliament for 2010 saw the realignment of the boundary with Guildford in order to bring it in line with adjustment of local government wards. Guildford's electorate was the largest of the county and this aimed to reduce it. Two wards split between the two constituencies: Bramley; and Busbridge and Hascombe, afterwards entirely in South West Surrey; and the ward 'Alfold, Cranleigh Rural and Ellens Green' was split, so it was consolidated into Guildford for the 2010 general election. The net effect was to increase the number of voters in South West Surrey and reduce the number in Guildford.[2]

A public review was called, dealing primarily with objections to receiving the rest of Bramley. Many petitioned to argue that the village's links, especially transport, were mainly with Guildford rather than the towns of Godalming (or Farnham). The precedent of the previous review was cited, when a proposal to move Bramley out of Guildford and into Mole Valley was rejected after local opposition. However, the review felt that this did not justify splitting the ward (something the Boundary Commission seeks to avoid completely) and that the other parts of the ward had strong links to Godalming. Furthermore, it cited the point that, in the previous review, Bramley Parish Council had stated that if it were to be moved it would prefer to be moved to South West Surrey and thus argued that the previous objection had accommodated a preferred progressive change towards being wholly in South West Surrey if necessary to equalise electorates.

History

The constituency was created in 1983, largely replacing the former seat of Farnham. It has been consistently won by the Conservative Party, though the majority dropped to a mere 861 votes in 2001, leaving it as the Liberal Democrats' third target constituency by swing required. Since then, the Conservative majority has substantially increased, exceeding 28,000 votes in 2015.

In the 2011 referendum on adopting the Alternative Vote (AV) system, Waverley Borough, which includes the constituency, rejected the proposal by 72.6%.[3] In the 2016 referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union, Waverley voted to remain in the European Union by 58.4%.[4]

In the 2017 general election, the Green Party endorsed Dr Louise Irvine, of the National Health Action Party, and did not field its own candidate in an attempt to unseat the incumbent Jeremy Hunt as a result of his controversial record as the Secretary of State for Health. Some local members of the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties also advocated not fielding a candidate for their respective parties.[5] However, the national Labour party declined to withdraw in the seat, saying that it would impose its own candidate if necessary, and Labour party members who publicly supported Dr Irvine were expelled.[6] The Liberal Democrats also declined to withdraw.[7] In 2019, Dr. Irvine declined to stand and endorsed the Liberal Democrat candidate. At the election, the Liberal Democrats polled over 17,000 more votes - an almost 30% vote share increase - compared to 2017, however Hunt retained his seat by 8,817 votes.

Prominent members

Virginia Bottomley, the MP from 1984 to 2005, became the Secretary of State for Health in 1992 (a Privy Council level office).[8][9] She then served as the Secretary of State for National Heritage from 1995 to 1997.

Jeremy Hunt served as the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (2010–2012), Secretary of State for Health (2012–2018) and, between 9 July 2018 and 24 July 2019, as the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

Constituency profile

The constituency includes one end of the Greensand Ridge, including the Devil's Punch Bowl and visitor centre at Hindhead. The area has two railways, a branch line via Farnham, the Alton Line and the Portsmouth Direct Line. The A3 three-lane highway passes through the seat.

Workless claimants (registered jobseekers) were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 1.5% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[10]

Members of Parliament
ElectionMember[11] Party Notes
1983 Maurice Macmillan Conservative Previously MP for Farnham, when he had been a frontbencher during the Heath ministry. Son of former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.
1984 by-election Virginia Bottomley Conservative Frontbencher during the Major ministries.
2005 Jeremy Hunt Conservative Frontbencher during the ministries of Cameron and May. 2019 Conservative Party leadership election candidate, lost to Boris Johnson.

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

28.9% was the largest vote share increase in a Conservative held seat for the Liberal Democrats at the 2019 general election.[12]

General election 2019: South West Surrey[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Jeremy Hunt 32,191 53.3 2.4
Liberal Democrats Paul Follows 23,374 38.7 28.9
Labour Tim Corry 4,775 7.9 4.7
Majority 8,817 14.6 -21.1
Turnout 60,340 76.3 1.3
Conservative hold Swing 15.6
General election 2017: South West Surrey[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Jeremy Hunt 33,683 55.7 4.1
National Health Action Louise Irvine 12,093 20.0 11.5
Labour David Black 7,606 12.6 3.1
Liberal Democrats Ollie Purkiss 5,967 9.9 3.6
UKIP Mark Webber 1,083 1.8 8.0
Majority 21,590 35.7 -14.1
Turnout 60,432 77.6 +3.0
Conservative hold Swing -7.8
General election 2015: South West Surrey[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Jeremy Hunt 34,199 59.6 +0.9
UKIP Mark Webber 5,643 9.8 +7.2
Labour Howard Kaye 5,415 9.4 +3.4
National Health Action Louise Irvine 4,851 8.5 N/A
Liberal Democrats Patrick Haveron[n 3] 3,586 6.3 −23.9
Green Susan Ryland 3,105 5.4 +4.2
Something New Paul Robinson 320 0.6 N/A
Majority 28,556 49.8 +21.3
Turnout 57,199 74.0 +0.6
Conservative hold Swing +3.1
General election 2010: South West Surrey[18][19][20][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Jeremy Hunt 33,605 58.7 +8.1
Liberal Democrats Mike Simpson 17,287 30.2 −9.2
Labour Richard Mollet 3,419 6.0 −1.9
UKIP Roger Meekins 1,486 2.6 +0.8
Green Cherry Allan 690 1.2 +1.2
BNP Helen Hamilton 644 1.1 +1.1
Pirate Luke Leighton 94 0.2 +0.2
Independent Arthur Price 34 0.1 +0.1
Majority 16,318 28.5 +17.6
Turnout 57,259 73.4 +3.4
Conservative hold Swing +8.6

Elections in the 2000s
General election 2005: South West Surrey[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Jeremy Hunt 26,420 50.4 +5.1
Liberal Democrats Simon Cordon 20,709 39.5 −4.1
Labour Tom Sleigh 4,150 7.9 −0.8
UKIP Timothy Clark 958 1.8 −0.6
Veritas Glenn Platt 172 0.3 N/A
Majority 5,711 10.9 +9.2
Turnout 52,409 71.8 +1.5
Conservative hold Swing +4.6
General election 2001: South West Surrey[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Virginia Bottomley 22,462 45.3 +0.7
Liberal Democrats Simon Cordon 21,601 43.6 +3.8
Labour Martin Whelton 4,321 8.7 −0.7
UKIP Timothy Clark 1,208 2.4 +1.7
Majority 861 1.7 -3.1
Turnout 49,592 70.3 −7.2
Conservative hold Swing −1.6

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1997: South West Surrey[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Virginia Bottomley 25,165 44.6 −13.9
Liberal Democrats Neil Sherlock 22,471 39.8 +6.3
Labour Margaret Leicester 5,333 9.4 +3.0
Referendum Judith Clementson 2,830 5.0 N/A
UKIP James Kirby 401 0.7 N/A
ProLife Alliance Josephine Quintavalle 258 0.5 N/A
Majority 2,694 4.8
Turnout 56,458 77.5
Conservative hold Swing −10.1

The seat underwent boundary changes between the 1992 and 1997 general elections and thus vote share changes are based on a notional calculation.

General election 1992: South West Surrey[25][26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Virginia Bottomley 35,008 58.5 −1.0
Liberal Democrats Neil Sherlock 20,033 33.5 −0.9
Labour Philip Kelly 3,840 6.4 +0.6
Green Nigel Bedrock 710 1.2 N/A
Natural Law Keith Campbell 147 0.3 N/A
Anglo-Saxon Donald Newman 98 0.2 N/A
Majority 14,975 25.0 −0.1
Turnout 59,836 82.8 +4.4
Conservative hold Swing −0.1

Elections in the 1980s
General election 1987: South West Surrey[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Virginia Bottomley 34,024 59.5 −0.2
Liberal Gavin Scott 19,681 34.4 +2.3
Labour John Evers 3,224 5.6 −2.6
Ind. Conservative Matthew Green 299 0.5 N/A
Majority 14,343 25.1
Turnout 57,228 78.4 +3.9
Conservative hold Swing −1.3
By-election 1984: South West Surrey[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Virginia Bottomley 21,545 49.3 −10.4
Liberal Gavin Scott 18,946 43.4 +11.3
Labour Barbara Roche 2,949 6.7 −1.5
Pro-Nuclear Holocaust Masturbation Freedom Victor Litvin 117 0.3 N/A
Death off Roads: Freight on Rail Helen Anscomb 82 0.2 N/A
Votes for a full hearing Peter Smith 29 0.1 N/A
Majority 2,599 5.9
Turnout 43,668 61.7 −12.8
Conservative hold Swing −10.9
General election 1983: South West Surrey
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Maurice Macmillan 31,067 59.7 N/A
Liberal George Scott 16,716 32.1 N/A
Labour Stephen Williams 4,239 8.2 N/A
Majority 14,351 27.6 N/A
Turnout 52,022 74.5 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)
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See also

Notes and references
Notes
  1. A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. 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.
  3. After nominations were closed, Haveron was suspended by the Liberal Democrats following allegations that he had falsified council nomination papers.[16] Although his name still appeared on the ballot papers as the Liberal Democrat candidate, the party said he no longer represented them[16] and the treasurer of the local branch encouraged supporters to vote for Louise Irvine instead.[17]
References
  1. "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.
  2. "2010 post-revision map non-metropolitan areas and unitary authorities of England" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-07-14. Retrieved 2013-03-19.
  3. "Electoral Commission | Waverley". www.electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  4. "EU Referendum local results – W". BBC News. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  5. Bulman, May (8 May 2017). "Progressive alliance: Greens, Labour and Liberal Democrats unite to take down Jeremy Hunt". The Independent. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  6. Elgot, Jessica (9 May 2017). "Labour expels two members over attempt to unseat Jeremy Hunt". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  7. http://www.libdems.org.uk/ (2017-05-11). "SW Surrey Parliamentary Candidate Ollie Purkiss". Waverley Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  8. William E. Schmidt (12 April 1992). "In London's Shock, A Cabinet Is Named". New York Times. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  9. "University of Hull announces next chancellor – Baroness Bottomley". University of Hull. 26 January 2006. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  10. Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  11. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 6)
  12. http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8749/CBP-8749.pdf
  13. "Surrey South West Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  14. "Progressive alliance candidate to stand in South West Surrey". Retrieved 2017-05-08.
  15. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. Surrey Liberal Democrat candidate Patrick Haveron suspended – BBC News, 27 April 2015
  17. Jeremy Hunt could lose seat to GP after bookies slash odds on top doctor – The Mirror, 5 May 2015
  18. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  19. Results for the UK Parliamentary Election 2010 (South West Surrey) Archived 2010-05-12 at the Wayback Machine, Waverley Borough Council
  20. Surrey South West, guardian.co.uk
  21. Election 2010, Surrey South West, BBC News
  22. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  23. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  24. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  25. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  26. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  27. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  28. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources

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