North Wiltshire (UK Parliament constituency)

North Wiltshire
County constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Boundary of North Wiltshire in Wiltshire for the 2010 general election.

Outline map

Location of Wiltshire within England.
County Wiltshire
Electorate 67,154 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlements Calne, Royal Wootton Bassett, Cricklade and Malmesbury
Current constituency
Created 1983
Member of parliament James Gray (Conservative)
Number of members One
Created from Chippenham
1832–1885
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency South West England

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.

Boundaries

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).[2] 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.

An outline of Wiltshire shows the boundaries (4) for the 2010 general election

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.[3]

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

Election1st Member[4] 1st Party 2nd Member[4] 2nd Party
1832 Paul Methuen Sir John Astley, Bt
1835 Walter Long
1837 Sir Francis Burdett, Bt
Feb 1844 Thomas Sotheron-Estcourt Conservative
Mar. 1865 Lord Charles Bruce
1865 Richard Penruddocke Long
1868 Sir George Jenkinson, Bt
1874 George Sotheron-Estcourt
1880 Walter Long
1885 Redistribution of Seats Act: constituency abolished

MPs since 1983

ElectionMember[4] Party
1983 Richard Needham Conservative
1997 James Whiteside Gray Conservative

Election results

Elections of the 2010s

General Election 2015: North Wiltshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative James Whiteside Gray[6] 28,938 57.2 +5.7
Liberal Democrat Brian Mathew[6] 7,892 15.6 −20.6
UKIP Pat Bryant[7] 5,813 11.5 +7.6
Labour Peter Baldrey 4,930 9.8 +3.1
Green Phil Chamberlain[8] 2,350 4.6 +3.4
Independent Simon Killane[6] 390 0.8 N/A
Independent Giles Wareham 243 0.5 N/A
Majority 21,046 41.6 +26.2
Turnout 50,556 74.5 +1.2
Conservative hold Swing +13.15
General Election 2010: North Wiltshire[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative James Whiteside Gray 25,114 51.6 +1.9
Liberal Democrat Michael Stephen 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 George 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

General Election 2005: North Wiltshire[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative James Whiteside Gray 26,282 46.9 +1.4
Liberal Democrat Paul Jonathan Fox 20,979 37.4 −0.8
Labour David James Nash 6,794 12.1 −2.2
UKIP Neil Francis Dowdney 1,428 2.5 +0.4
Independent Philip George Allnatt 578 1.0 N/A
Majority 5,303 9.5
Turnout 56,061 69.3 +2.0
Conservative hold Swing +1.1
General Election 2001: North Wiltshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative James Whiteside Gray 24,090 45.5 +1.7
Liberal Democrat Hugh Pym 20,212 38.2 +0.4
Labour Miss Joanne Garton 7,556 14.3 +0.1
UKIP Neil Francis Dowdney 1,090 2.1 +1.4
Majority 3,878 7.3
Turnout 52,948 67.3 −7.6
Conservative hold Swing +0.7

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: North Wiltshire[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative James Whiteside Gray 25,390 43.8 −12.4
Liberal Democrat 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
Turnout 58,013 74.9
Conservative hold Swing −9.3
General Election 1992: North Wiltshire[14][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Richard Needham 39,028 55.6 +0.5
Liberal Democrat Mrs Christine Rose Napier 22,640 32.3 −5.8
Labour Mrs. Christine Reid 6,945 9.9 +3.1
Green Ms. Lydia Helen Howitt 850 1.2 N/A
Liberal George Frederick James Hawkins 622 0.9 −37.2
Independent David Sebastian 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

General Election 1987: North Wiltshire[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Richard Needham 35,309 55.1 +2.1
Liberal Christopher Graham 24,370 38.1 −2.5
Labour Mrs. Christine Reid 4,343 6.8 +1.8
Majority 10,939 17.0
Turnout 64,022 79.3
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1983: North Wiltshire[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Richard Needham 30,924 53.0 N/A
Liberal Christopher Graham 23,692 40.6 N/A
Labour Stephen Raymond Allsop 2,888 5.0 N/A
Ecology Edward Barham 678 1.2 N/A
Justice for Divorced Fathers Henri Baile de la Perriere 113 0.2 N/A
Majority 7,232 12.4 N/A
Turnout 58,295 76.6 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)

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. ↑ Since 2010 Calne is the furthest south
References
  1. ↑ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ↑ "About North Wiltshire" from the website of James Gray MP. Retrieved on October 18, 2006.
  3. ↑ Fifth periodical report – Volume 4 Mapping for the Non-Metropolitan Counties and the Unitary Authorities, The Stationery Office, 26 February 2007, ISBN 0-10-170322-8
  4. 1 2 3 Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 4)
  5. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 Cass, Elliot (2 January 2015). "North Wiltshire MP denies rivals are ahead in election battle". Wilts and Gloss Standard. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  7. ↑ http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/wiltshirenorth/
  8. ↑ http://southwest.greenparty.org.uk/general-election-2015.html
  9. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. ↑ Kerr, Andrew (20 April 2010). "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll" (PDF). Electoral Services. Wiltshire County Council. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
  11. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  12. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
  16. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
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