Isle of Wight (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 50°41′02″N 1°19′12″W / 50.684°N 1.320°W / 50.684; -1.320

Isle of Wight
County constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Location of Isle of Wight within England.
County Isle of Wight
Electorate 110,924 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created 1832
Member of parliament Andrew Turner (Conservative)
Number of members One
Created from Hampshire
Newtown
Yarmouth
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency South East England

Isle of Wight (/ˈwaɪt/[2]) is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2001 by Andrew Turner of the Conservative Party.

Created by the Great Reform Act for the 1832 general election it covers the whole of the Isle of Wight and has had the largest electorate of any constituency in all General Elections since 1983.[n 2]

Boundaries

The Isle of Wight forms a single constituency of the House of Commons. It covers exactly the same land as the ceremonial county of the Isle of Wight and the area administered by the unitary authority, Isle of Wight Council, which comprises the island itself together with a few uninhabited rocks.

Its electorate of 110,924 (as of 2010)[3] is by far the largest in the UK, being more than 50% above the England average of 71,537[3] and five times the size of the smallest (Na h-Eileanan an Iar, formerly known as the Western Isles), despite the Isle of Wight having some of the same problems as other island constituencies.[4]

Recent history

Successive Boundary Commission Reports considered the possibility of splitting the island into two constituencies (or possibly having a constituency crossing the Solent onto the mainland) but with a distinct lack of local enthusiasm for either option the Boundary Commission, party-interested and neutral commentators felt that the island would still be best represented by a single MP. One problem the independent body cited in 2008 was a difficulty of dividing the island in two in a way that would be acceptable to all interests.[5] However, in the 2018 review now underway, dividing the island into two separate constituencies (both significantly smaller than the allowable range for mainland constituencies) is a requirement. The Commission's draft proposals divide the island into two seats, East and West.[6]

History

Before the Reform Act 1832 the island usually had three Parliamentary boroughs: Newport, Newtown, and Yarmouth each electing two MPs. In 1654 an Isle of Wight constituency was created for the First Protectorate Parliament but the island subsequently reverted to the three constituencies. Otherwise, the island was represented by the two members for Hampshire. The Reform Act abolished Newtown and Yarmouth parliamentary boroughs, and created a county constituency for the whole of the Isle of Wight. The county electorate included freeholders, qualified by property, in the remaining parliamentary borough. The separate Newport borough constituency was abolished in 1885.

The constituency has traditionally been a battleground between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. Between 1974 and 1987 the seat was a Liberal seat,[7][8][9] then becoming Conservative until 1997 when the Liberal Democrats won on a reduced Conservative vote.[9][10] The seat reverted to the Conservatives in 2001.[10] At the 2015 election, whilst the Conservatives scored one of their largest reductions in vote share in the UK, the Liberal Democrats dropped by even more and finished in fifth place.

Members of Parliament

Pre 1832

Since 1832

Andrew Turner has served as MP since 2001.
ElectionMember[11] Party
1832 Sir Richard Simeon, Bt Liberal
1837 William Holmes à Court Conservative
1847 John Simeon Liberal
1851 by-election Edward Dawes Liberal
1852 Francis Venables-Vernon-Harcourt Conservative
1857 Charles Cavendish Clifford Liberal
1865 John Simeon Liberal
1870 by-election Alexander Baillie-Cochrane Conservative
1880 Evelyn Ashley Liberal
1885 Richard Webster Conservative
1900 John Seely Conservative
1904 Liberal
1906 Godfrey Baring Liberal
1910 Douglas Hall Conservative
1922 Sir Edgar Chatfeild-Clarke Liberal
1923 John Seely Liberal
1924 Peter Macdonald Conservative
1959 Mark Woodnutt Conservative
Feb 1974 Stephen Ross Liberal
1987 Barry Field Conservative
1997 Peter Brand Liberal Democrats
2001 Andrew Turner Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Isle of Wight[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Andrew John Turner[13] 28,591 40.7 -6.0
UKIP Iain McKie[14] 14,888 21.2 +17.7
Green Vix Lowthion[15] 9,404 13.4 +12.1
Labour Stewart Blackmore[13] 8,984 12.8 +1.2
Liberal Democrat David Goodall[16] 5,235 7.5 -24.2
Independent Ian Stephens[17] 3,198 4.5 N/A
Majority 13,703 19.5 +4.5
Turnout 70,300 65.0 +1.1
Conservative hold Swing -11.8
General Election 2010: Isle of Wight[18][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Andrew John Turner 32,810 46.7 −2.3
Liberal Democrat Jill Wareham 22,283 31.7 +2.2
Labour Mark Chiverton 8,169 11.6 −5.6
UKIP Michael Tarrant 2,435 3.5 +0.1
BNP Geoff Clynch 1,457 2.1 N/A
English Democrat Ian Dunsire 1,233 1.8 N/A
Green Bob Keats 931 1.3 N/A
Middle England Party Paul Martin 616 0.9 N/A
Independent Pete Harris 175 0.2 N/A
Independent Paul Randle-Jolliffe 89 0.1 N/A
Independent Edward Corby 66 0.1 −0.7
Majority 10,527 15.0
Turnout 70,264 63.9
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Isle of Wight [20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Andrew John Turner 32,717 48.9 +9.2
Liberal Democrat Anthony Rowlands 19,739 29.5 −5.8
Labour Mark Chiverton 11,484 17.2 +2.0
UKIP Michael Tarrant 2,352 3.5 +0.2
Independent Edward Corby 551 0.8
Majority 12,978 19.4
Turnout 66,843 61.3 +0.5
Conservative hold Swing +7.5
General Election 2001: Isle of Wight [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Andrew John Turner 25,223 39.7 +5.7
Liberal Democrat Peter Brand 22,397 35.3 −7.5
Labour Deborah Gardiner 9,676 15.2 +2.1
UKIP David Lott 2,106 3.3 +1.9
Independent David Holmes 1,423 2.2
Green Paul Scivier 1,279 2.0 +1.3
Isle of Wight Party Philip Murray 1,164 1.8
Socialist Labour James Spensley 214 0.3
Majority 2,826 4.4
Turnout 63,482 60.8 −11.2
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat Swing 6.6

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Isle of Wight[10][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrat Dr Peter Brand 31,274 42.7 −2.9
Conservative Andrew John Turner 24,868 34.0 −13.9
Labour Deborah Gardiner 9,646 13.2 +7.2
Referendum Tim Bristow 4,734 6.5 N/A
UKIP Malcom Turner 1,072 1.5 N/A
Independent Harry Rees 848 1.2 N/A
Green Paul Kevin Scivier 544 0.7 N/A
Natural Law Clive Daly 87 0.1 −0.3
Rainbow Warriors Jonathan Eveleigh 86 0.1 N/A
Majority 6,406 8.6
Turnout 74,193 72.0 −7.8
Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative Swing 6.6
General Election 1992: Isle of Wight [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Barry Field 38,163 47.9 −3.3
Liberal Democrat Dr Peter Brand 36,336 45.6 +2.7
Labour Ken Pearson 4,784 6.0 +0.1
Natural Law Clive Daly 350 0.4 N/A
Majority 1,827 2.3 −6.0
Turnout 79,633 79.8 +0.2
Conservative hold Swing −3.0

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Isle of Wight [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Barry Field 40,175 51.2 +4.9
Liberal Michael Alan Young 33,733 42.9 −8.1
Labour Kenn Pearson 4,626 5.9 +3.5
Majority 6,442 8.3
Turnout 78,560 79.6
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing
General Election 1983: Isle of Wight [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Stephen Sherlock Ross 38,407 51.0 +2.8
Conservative Virginia Bottomley 34,904 46.3 -1.4
Labour Catherine Wilson 1,828 2.4 -1.6
Isle of Wight Residents Party Thomas Brian Joseph McDermott 208 0.3 +0.3
Majority 3,503 4.7
Turnout 80.0
Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Isle of Wight[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Stephen Sherlock Ross 35,889 48.2 +3.1
Conservative Dudley Fishburn 35,537 47.7 +5.7
Labour C Wilson 3,014 4.0 -9
Majority 352
Turnout 81.8
Liberal hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Isle of Wight[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Stephen Sherlock Ross 29,697 45.1 -5.1
Conservative Dudley Fishburn 27,657 42.0 +3
Labour L.D. Brooke 8,562 13.0 +2.2
Majority 2,040
Turnout 76.7
Liberal hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Isle of Wight[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Stephen Sherlock Ross 34,808 50.2 +28
Conservative Harold Frederick Martin Woodnutt 27,042 39.0 -13.4
Labour TC Bisson 7,495 10.8 -11.8
Majority 7,766
Turnout 81.4
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 1970: Isle of Wight[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Harold Frederick Martin Woodnutt 30,437 52.4 +3.8
Labour Kent William Boulton 13,111 22.6 -6.4
Liberal Stephen Sherlock Ross 12,883 22.2 -0.2
Vectis National Party Ronald W.J Cowdell 1,607 2.8 +2.8
Majority 17,326
Turnout 72.0
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Isle of Wight[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Harold Frederick Martin Woodnutt 25,862 48.6 -4.9
Labour Peter Stephenson 15,411 29.0 -2.6
Liberal Stephen Sherlock Ross 11,915 22.4 +7.5
Majority 10,451 19.65
Turnout 75.04
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1964: Isle of Wight[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Harold Frederick Martin Woodnutt 27,497 53.5 -9.4
Labour William Mann 16,244 31.6 -5.5
Liberal Barbara Ellen Mary Stevenson Bliss 7,666 14.9 +14.9
Majority 11,253 21.9
Turnout 74.3
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Isle of Wight[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Harold Frederick Martin Woodnutt 31,228 62.9 +0.3
Labour Edward Cecil Amey 18,396 37.1 -0.3
Majority 12,832 25.9
Turnout 74.1
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1955: Isle of Wight[27] t
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir Peter Drummond Macdonald 31,335 62.6 +0.8
Labour Sydney George Conbeer 18,698 37.4 -0.8
Majority 12,637 25.3
Turnout 74.4
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1951: Isle of Wight[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir Peter Drummond Macdonald 33,501 61.8 +1.3
Labour Sydney George Conbeer 20,712 38.2 -1.3
Majority 12,789 23.6
Turnout 80.3
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1950: Isle of Wight[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir Peter Drummond Macdonald 32,984 60.5 +13.9
Labour Sydney George Conbeer 21,496 39.5 -1.2
Majority 11,488 21.1
Turnout 80.61
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Isle of Wight[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir Peter Drummond Macdonald 22,036 46.6 -16.58
Labour William James Miller 19,252 40.7 +3.87
Liberal Miss. May O'Conor 5,967 12.6 +12.6
Majority 2,784 5.9
Turnout 47,255 76.0
Conservative hold Swing

General Election 1939/40

Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935: Isle of Wight[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir Peter Drummond Macdonald 26,748 63.18 -14.07
Labour William James Miller 15,586 36.83 +14.07
Majority 11,162 26.37
Turnout 42,334 69.44
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1931: Isle of Wight
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Peter Drummond Macdonald 32,728 77.25 +29.05
Labour James Ekstrand Drummond 9,639 22.75 +9.05
Majority 23,089 54.50
Turnout 71.12
Conservative hold Swing

Election in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Isle of Wight[32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Peter Drummond Macdonald 21,949 48.2 -4.2
Liberal St John Hutchinson 17,383 38.1 +0.3
Labour Henry Edward Weaver 6,256 13.7 +3.9
Majority 4.566 10.1 -4.5
Turnout 79.0
Unionist hold Swing -2.3
General Election 1924: Isle of Wight
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Peter Drummond Macdonald 19,346 52.4 +6.1
Liberal Rt Hon. John Edward Bernard Seely 13,944 37.8 -8.8
Labour Henry Edward Weaver 3,620 9.8 +2.7
Majority 5,402 14.6 14.9
Turnout 80.1
General Election 1923: Isle of Wight
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Rt Hon. John Edward Bernard Seely 16,249 46.6 +10.4
Unionist Peter Drummond Macdonald 16,159 46.3 +14.7
Labour Mrs E Palmer 2,475 7.1 -4.1
Majority 90 0.3 +4.3
Turnout 76.6 +1.2
Liberal hold Swing +2.2
General Election 1922: Isle of Wight
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Sir Edgar Chatfeild-Clarke 12,202 36.2 -4.6
Unionist John Thomas Woolrych Perowne 10,620 31.6 -27.6
Independent Conservative Arthur Charles Thomas Veasey 7,061 21.0 n/a
Labour Harold Charles Shearman 3,756 11.2
Majority 1,582 4.6
Turnout 75.4 +9.9

Election in the 1910s

General Election 1918: Isle of Wight
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Douglas Bernard Hall 16,274 59.2 +8.4
Liberal Sir Godfrey Baring 11,235 40.8 -8.4
Majority 5,039 18.4
Turnout 65.5

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

Scaramanga-Ralli
General Election December 1910: Isle of Wight [33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Douglas Bernard Hall 7,192 50.8 -0.2
Liberal Constantine Scaramanga-Ralli 6,969 49.2 +0.2
Turnout 14,161 88.7 -2.3
Majority 223 1.6 -0.4
Conservative hold Swing -0.2
General Election January 1910:Isle of Wight [34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Douglas Bernard Hall 7,414 51.0 +6.8
Liberal Godfrey Baring 7,123 49.0 -6.8
Majority 291 2.0
Turnout 14,537 91.0
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +6.8

Elections in the 1900s

Baring
General Election 1906: Isle of Wight[34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Godfrey Baring 7,453 55.8 n/a
Conservative Anthony Hickman Morgan 5,892 44.2 n/a
Majority 1,561 11.6 n/a
Turnout 13,345 87.8 n/a
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing n/a
Seely
Isle of Wight by-election, 1904[34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Conservative John Edward Bernard Seely unopposed n/a n/a
Independent Conservative gain from Conservative Swing n/a
General Election 1900:Isle of Wight[34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Edward Bernard Seely unopposed n/a n/a
Conservative hold Swing n/a
Isle of Wight by-election, 1900[35]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Edward Bernard Seely 6,432 54.5 +2.5
Liberal Godfrey Baring 5,370 45.5 -2.5
Majority 1,062 9.0
Turnout 81.4 +0.5
Conservative hold Swing +2.5

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.
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. ↑ "Wight". Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
  3. 1 2 "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". Archived from the original on 6 November 2010.
  4. ↑ "The Bow Group "Crossbow" – 50th Anniversary edition (page 41)" (PDF). www.bowgroup.org. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  5. ↑ "Boundary Commission for England – Isle of Wight". www.statistics.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  6. ↑ Initial Proposal South East Boundary Commission for England
  7. 1 2 "UK General Election results – October 1974". www.politicsresources.net. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  8. 1 2 "UK General Election results – May 1979". www.politicsresources.net. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "British Parliamentary Election Results 1983–1997". www.election.demon.co.uk. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "BBC News – Results and Constituencies – Isle of Wight". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  11. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "I"
  12. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. 1 2 http://electionresults.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/isle-of-wight-2015.html
  14. ↑ http://iainmckie.co.uk/
  15. ↑ http://isleofwight.greenparty.org.uk/news/2014/11/26/isle-of-wight-green-party-announce-parliamentary-candidate/
  16. ↑ http://davidgoodall.org.uk/en/article/2015/1008895/campaign-launch
  17. ↑ http://onthewight.com/2015/01/22/ian-stephens-to-stand-as-independent-candidate-for-isle-of-wight-mp/
  18. ↑ Statement of Persons Nominated, Isle of Wight Council
  19. ↑ Island set for race to be next MP
  20. ↑ "IWight – Isle of Wight General election results 2005". www.iwight.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 10 September 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  21. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  22. ↑ "UK General Election results – February 1974". www.politicsresources.net. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  23. ↑ "UK General Election results – June 1970". www.politicsresources.net. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  24. ↑ "UK General Election results – March 1966". www.politicsresources.net. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  25. ↑ "UK General Election results – March 1964". www.politicsresources.net. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  26. ↑ "UK General Election results – October 1959". www.politicsresources.net. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  27. ↑ "UK General Election results – May 1955". www.politicsresources.net. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  28. ↑ "UK General Election results – October 1951". www.politicsresources.net. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  29. ↑ "UK General Election results – February 1950". www.politicsresources.net. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  30. ↑ "UK General Election results – July 1945". www.politicsresources.net. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  31. ↑ "UK General Election results – 1935". www.politicsresources.net. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  32. ↑ British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig, F.W.S.
  33. ↑ British parliamentary election results 1885–1918
  34. 1 2 3 4 British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  35. ↑ The Constitiutional Year Book, 1904, published by Conservative Central Office, page 145 (169 in web page), Isle of Wight
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