Bracknell (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Bracknell
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Bracknell2007Constituency.svg
Boundary of Bracknell in Berkshire
EnglandBerkshire.svg
Location of Berkshire within England
County Berkshire
Population104,849 (2011 census) [1]
Electorate 78,709 (2018) [2]
Major settlements Bracknell, Sandhurst, Crowthorne
Current constituency
Created 1997
Member of Parliament James Sunderland (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created from East Berkshire

Bracknell is a constituency [n 1] in Berkshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by James Sunderland, a Conservative. [n 2] It was created for the 1997 general election, largely replacing the abolished county constituency of East Berkshire.

Contents

Constituency profile

The seat covers most of the town of Bracknell, although the northern parts are in the neighbouring Windsor seat. Crowthorne and Sandhurst are also in the seat, interspersed by large areas of forest. Residents are slightly wealthier than the UK average. [3]

History

From creation in 1997 until 2010, Bracknell's MP was Andrew MacKay of the Conservative Party, who represented the old seat of East Berkshire from 1983. On 14 May 2009, he resigned from his position as parliamentary aide to David Cameron in the wake of a major scandal over his Parliamentary expenses. MacKay and his wife, fellow Tory MP Julie Kirkbride, had wrongfully claimed over £250,000 from the taxpayer for mortgage payments for second homes, in a case of so-called 'double-dipping'. They also wrongfully claimed for each other's travel costs. At a hastily called meeting with his constituents in Bracknell to explain the "unacceptable" expenses claims, Mr MacKay was jeered and called a "thieving toad". A video of the angry meeting was leaked to the press and, after an urgent phone call from David Cameron the next day, MacKay agreed to stand down at the 2010 general election. The Conservative Party chose Phillip Lee, a general practitioner, as its new candidate in an American-style open primary, involving seven candidates including Rory Stewart and Iain Dale in a contest open to all registered Bracknell voters. [4]

2010 election

Lee went on to become the next MP in an election which saw the share of the vote for the Labour Party fall by 11.1%. The Liberal Democrats saw the biggest rise in support of all the parties (+4.5%), overtaking Labour to gain second place behind the Conservative Party. UKIP saw a slight rise in support to 4.4% of the vote. The 2010 election also saw for the first time the Green Party and British National Party vying for the seat.

2017 election

Lee held his seat at the 2017 general election. [5] He gained 3.1% of votes, but Labour increased its share by 13.3%. Lee received 32,882 votes, Paul Bidwell (Labour) in second place had 16,866 votes. [6] On 3 September 2019, Lee resigned from the Conservative party to join the Liberal Democrats due to the Conservative party's support for Brexit. At the 2019 General Election he unsuccessfully contested the adjacent Wokingham seat for that party.

2019 election

James Sunderland was elected for the Conservative party with 58.7% of the vote.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1997–2010

The Borough of Bracknell Forest wards had formed the majority of the abolished constituency of East Berkshire. The two Finchampstead wards were transferred from Reading East, and the ward of Wokingham Without was transferred from Wokingham.

2010–present

Bracknell (UK Parliament constituency)
Map of present boundaries

Northern areas, including Binfield, were transferred to Windsor.

Bracknell is based around the town of Bracknell and the Bracknell Forest authority. It is bordered by the constituencies of Wokingham, Maidenhead, Windsor, Surrey Heath, Aldershot, and North East Hampshire.

Proposed

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the next general election, due by January 2025, the constituency will be composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

In order to bring its electorate within the permitted range, the seat will lose its District of Wokingham wards to the Wokingham constituency. To partly compensate, the Warfield Harvest Ride ward will be transferred from Windsor.

Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023 [10] [11] , the constituency will now comprise the following from the next general election:

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember [13] Party
1997 Andrew MacKay Conservative
2010 Dr Phillip Lee Conservative
September 2019 Liberal Democrat
2019 James Sunderland Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Next general election: Bracknell
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Reform UK Justin Bellhouse [14]
SDP Michael Derrig [15]
Liberal Democrats Katie Mansfield [16]
Conservative James Sunderland [17]
Majority
Turnout

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Bracknell [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative James Sunderland 31,894 58.7 Decrease2.svg0.1
Labour Paul Bidwell12,06522.2Decrease2.svg8.0
Liberal Democrats Kaweh Beheshtizadeh7,74914.3Increase2.svg6.8
Green Derek Florey2,0893.8New
Independent Olivio Barreto5531.0Increase2.svg0.2
Majority19,82936.5Increase2.svg7.9
Turnout 54,35068.6Decrease2.svg2.0
Conservative hold Swing Increase2.svg3.9
General election 2017: Bracknell [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Phillip Lee 32,882 58.8 +3.0
Labour Paul Bidwell16,86630.2+13.3
Liberal Democrats Patrick Smith4,1867.5Steady2.svg
UKIP Len Amos1,5212.7−13.0
Independent Olivio Barreto4370.8New
Majority16,01628.6−10.3
Turnout 55,89270.6+5.3
Conservative hold Swing −5.1
General election 2015: Bracknell [20] [21]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Phillip Lee [22] 29,606 55.8 +3.4
Labour James Walsh [22] 8,95616.9+0.1
UKIP Richard Thomas [22] 8,33915.7+11.3
Liberal Democrats Patrick Smith [23] 3,9837.5−14.8
Green Derek Florey [24] 2,2024.1+2.5
Majority20,65038.9+8.8
Turnout 53,08665.3−2.5
Conservative hold Swing
General election 2010: Bracknell [25] [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Phillip Lee 27,327 52.4 +2.5
Liberal Democrats Raymond Earwicker11,62322.3+4.5
Labour John Piasecki8,75516.8−11.1
UKIP Murray Barter2,2974.4+0.9
BNP Mark Burke1,2532.4New
Green David Young8211.6New
Scrap Members AllowancesDan Haycocks600.1New
Majority15,70430.1+6.6
Turnout 52,14067.8+5.1
Conservative hold Swing −1.0

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Bracknell
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Andrew MacKay 25,412 49.7 +3.1
Labour Janet Keene13,37626.2−6.8
Liberal Democrats Lee Glendon10,12819.8+2.7
UKIP Vincent Pearson1,8183.6+1.0
Independent Dominica Roberts4070.8New
Majority12,03623.5+9.9
Turnout 51,14163.4+2.7
Conservative hold Swing +5.0
General election 2001: Bracknell
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Andrew MacKay 22,962 46.6 −0.8
Labour Janet Keene16,24933.0+3.2
Liberal Democrats Raymond Earwicker8,42817.1+1.7
UKIP Lawrence Boxall1,2662.6+1.6
ProLife Alliance Dominica Roberts3240.7+0.2
Majority6,71313.6-4.0
Turnout 49,22960.7−13.8
Conservative hold Swing −2.0

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Bracknell
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Andrew MacKay 27,983 47.4
Labour Anne Snelgrove 17,59629.8
Liberal Democrats Alan Hilliar9,12215.4
Independent John Tompkins1,9093.2
Referendum Warwick Cairns1,6362.8
UKIP Lawrence Boxall5691.0
ProLife Alliance Dominica Roberts2760.5
Majority10,38717.6
Turnout 59,09174.5
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

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.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bracknell Forest</span> District in Berkshire, England

Bracknell Forest is a unitary authority area in Berkshire, southern England. It covers the two towns of Bracknell and Sandhurst and the village of Crowthorne and also includes the areas of North Ascot, Binfield, Warfield, and Winkfield. The borough borders Wokingham and the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead in Berkshire, and also parts of Surrey and Hampshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandhurst, Berkshire</span> Human settlement in England

Sandhurst is a town and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest borough in Berkshire, England. It is in the south eastern corner of Berkshire, and is situated 32 miles (51 km) west-southwest of central London, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north west of Camberley and 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Bracknell. Sandhurst is known worldwide as the location of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Despite its close proximity to Camberley, Sandhurst is also home to a large and well-known out-of-town mercantile development. The site is named "The Meadows" and has a Tesco Extra hypermarket and a Marks & Spencer, two of the largest in the country. A large Next clothing and homeware store is open on the site of the old Homebase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bracknell</span> Town and civil parish in England

Bracknell is a town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, the westernmost area within the Greater London Urban Area and the administrative centre of the borough of Bracknell Forest. It lies 11 miles (18 km) to the east of Reading, 9 miles (14 km) south of Maidenhead, 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Windsor and 25 miles (40 km) west of central London. Bracknell is the third largest town in Berkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crowthorne</span> Village in Berkshire, England

Crowthorne is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest district of south-eastern Berkshire, England. It had a population of 7,806 at the 2021 census. Crowthorne is the venue of Wellington College, a large co-educational boarding and day independent school, which opened in 1859, and of Broadmoor Hospital, one of England's three maximum-security psychiatric hospitals, which lies on the eastern edge of the village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading East (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983 onwards

Reading East is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Matt Rodda, of the Labour Party. The seat is one of two Labour seats from a total of eight seats in Berkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newbury (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom since 1885

Newbury is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 2019 by Laura Farris, a Conservative. It was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 and has been in continual existence since then.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wokingham (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom 1885-1918 and from 1950 onwards

Wokingham is a constituency in Berkshire represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 1987 by John Redwood, a Conservative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maidenhead (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1997 onwards

Maidenhead is a constituency in Berkshire represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since its creation at the 1997 general election, the seat has been held by Conservative Member of Parliament Theresa May, who served as Home Secretary from 2010 to 2016 and as Prime Minister from 2016 to 2019. In March 2024, May announced she would be standing down as an MP at the next general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windsor (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliament constituency in the United Kingdom 1801-1974 and 1997 onwards

Windsor (/ˈwɪnzə/) is a constituency in Berkshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2005 by Adam Afriyie of the Conservative Party. It was re-created for the 1997 general election after it was abolished following the 1970 general election and replaced by the Windsor and Maidenhead constituency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading South (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom 1950-1955 and 1974-1983

Reading South was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. The constituency covered an area in and around the town of Reading in the county of Berkshire.

Bracknell Forest Borough Council is the local authority for Bracknell Forest, a unitary authority in Berkshire, England. Until 1 April 1998 it was a non-metropolitan district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Berkshire (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom 1983-1997

East Berkshire was a county constituency in the county of Berkshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

The 2015 Bracknell Forest Borough Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect all 42 councillors in 18 wards for Bracknell Forest Borough Council in England. The election took place alongside both the 2015 United Kingdom general election and other other local elections in England. With the concurrent general election, turnout was significantly up on the last local election. The Conservative Party was returned to a sixth term in office, continuing its hold on the council since its inception as a unitary authority in 1998. The Labour Party was reduced to the single seat of its group leader in Great Hollands North - its worst result since 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Bracknell Forest Borough Council election</span> 2023 election in England

The 2023 Bracknell Forest Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2023, to elect all 41 members in 15 wards for Bracknell Forest Borough Council in England. The election took place on the same day as other local elections in England as part of the 2023 United Kingdom local elections. Due to a boundary review there had been a change in ward boundaries, along with a reduction in size from 42 members elected in 2019. This is the first election since 1971 where a majority of seats are outside Bracknell. The election was held alongside concurrent town & parish council elections in Binfield, Bracknell, Crowthorne, Sandhurst, Warfield, and Winkfield.

The 2007 Bracknell Forest Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2007, to elect all 42 councillors in 18 wards for Bracknell Forest Borough Council in England. The election was held on the same day as other local elections in England as part of the 2007 United Kingdom local elections. The Conservative Party increased its majority at the expense of both the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats, the latter losing its only seat. This was the only all-out council election where the far-right British National Party put up a candidate.

The 1976 Bracknell District Council election took place on 6 May 1976, to elect all 31 members in 16 wards for Bracknell District Council in England. The election was held on the same day as other local elections as part of the 1976 United Kingdom local elections. The Conservative Party ousted the one-term Labour Party council, winning all but 4 of the seats, with Labour group leader Bill Lindop losing his seat of Wildridings. The Liberal Party were able to hold onto their solitary seat in Crowthorne & Easthampstead. Despite leading the Conservative group into the election, Dorothy Benwell would be replaced by newly elected Tim Wood, who subsequently became leader of the council.

References

  1. ↑ "Bracknell: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  2. ↑ "England Parliamentary electorates 2010–2018". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  3. ↑ Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Bracknell
  4. ↑ Hastings, Chris; Georgia Warren (18 October 2009). "Women and gay Tory MPs set to treble by 2010". The Times . Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  5. ↑ "Dr Phillip Lee MP". www.parliament.uk. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  6. ↑ "Bracknell parliamentary constituency - Election 2017". BBC News. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  7. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  8. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  9. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
  10. ↑ LGBCE. "Bracknell Forest | LGBCE". www.lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  11. ↑ "The Bracknell Forest (Electoral Changes) Order 2021".
  12. ↑ "New Seat Details - Bracknell". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  13. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 4)
  14. ↑ "Bracknell Constituency". Reform UK . Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  15. ↑ "GENERAL ELECTION CANDIDATES". SDP . Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  16. ↑ "Liberal Democrats introduce Katie Mansfield as Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Bracknell". Bracknell Forest Liberal Democrats . Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  17. ↑ James Sunderland [@JamesSunderl] (18 February 2023). "Thrilled to be re-selected as the Conservative candidate for Bracknell Constituency. Thank you to everyone in Bracknell, Crowthorne, Finchampstead, Sandhurst & Wokingham Without for your objectivity and friendship. It remains an honour to serve you" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  18. ↑ "Bracknell parliamentary constituency" (PDF). Bracknell Forest Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  19. ↑ "Bracknell parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
  20. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  21. ↑ "Election results for Bracknell, 7 May 2015". democratic.bracknell-forest.gov.uk. 7 May 2015.
  22. 1 2 3 "BRACKNELL 2015". electionresults.blogspot.co.uk.
  23. ↑ "Candidates (PPCS) for Bracknell in the UK 2015 General Election". Archived from the original on 5 January 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  24. ↑ Fort, Hugh (23 January 2015). "Bracknell Green Party select election candidate".
  25. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  26. ↑ general election 2010: Phillip Lee wins Bracknell seat GetBracknell, 7 May 2010

51°25′N0°45′W / 51.42°N 0.75°W / 51.42; -0.75

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