Runnymede and Weybridge (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Runnymede and Weybridge
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Runnymede and Weybridge (UK Parliament constituency)
Boundaries since 2024
South East England - Runnymede and Weybridge constituency.svg
Boundary of Runnymede and Weybridge in South East England
County Surrey
Electorate 73,778 (2023) [1]
Major settlements
Current constituency
Created 1997
Member of Parliament Ben Spencer (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created from

Runnymede and Weybridge is a constituency [n 1] in Surrey represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Ben Spencer, a Conservative. [n 2]

Contents

The constituency was created for the 1997 general election and represented from then until 2019 by Philip Hammond, who served as Foreign Secretary from 2014 to 2016 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2016 to 2019. Hammond sat as a Conservative before becoming an Independent backbencher for the last two months of his final term.

Boundaries

Runnymede and Weybridge (UK Parliament constituency)
Map of 2010–2024 boundaries

1997–2024

Since 1997 and until 2024 the constituency and comprised the whole of the area of the Borough of Runnymede plus the town of Weybridge in the Borough of Elmbridge, all in north Surrey.

Current

Further to the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency is now composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

The mainly low-density villages of Englefield Green and Virginia Water were transferred to the Berkshire seat of Windsor, creating a cross-county constituency. To compensate, two similar southern wards that were in Esher and Walton, including Cobham, were gained, partly offset by the similar village of Oatlands moving in the opposite direction.

History

The constituency was created in 1997 from parts of the former constituencies of Chertsey and Walton and North West Surrey.

From its creation until 2019, it was represented by Philip Hammond, of the Conservative Party, who served as a Cabinet Minister throughout the Cameron–Clegg coalition before holding in succession two of the Great Offices of State: Foreign Secretary from 2014 to 2016, and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2016 to 2019.

Runnymede and Weybridge is a Conservative safe seat based on both length of tenure and size of majorities – the narrowest margin of victory was in the 2024 general election, of 15.8% of the vote.

Constituency profile

The constituency is roughly bisected by the M25. To the east are a series of affluent towns including part of Staines, Chertsey, Addlestone and Weybridge. There is more open land to the west, bordering Windsor Great Park and Chobham Common.

The constituency has incomes well above the national average, and lower than average reliance upon social housing. [4] At the end of 2012 the unemployment rate in the constituency stood as 1.3% of the population claiming jobseekers allowance, compared to the regional average of 2.4%. [5] The borough contributing to the bulk of the seat has a low 14.7% of its population without a car, 18.3% of the population without qualifications and a high 29.9% with level 4 qualifications or above.

In terms of tenure 69.2% of homes are owned outright or on a mortgage as at the 2011 census across Runnymede. [6]

Members of Parliament

Chertsey and Walton prior to 1997

ElectionMember [7] Party
1997 Philip Hammond Conservative
September 2019Independent
2019 Ben Spencer Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Runnymede and Weybridge [8] [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Ben Spencer 18,442 38.2 −15.0
Liberal Democrats Ellen Nicholson10,81522.4−0.3
Labour Robert King9,96320.6+2.9
Reform UK Stewart Mackay6,41913.3N/A
Green Steve Ringham1,9544.0+1.3
Independent Michael Cressey5181.1N/A
UKIP Nicholas Wood1420.3−0.6
Majority7,62715.8−18.5
Turnout 48,25365.6−5.8
Registered electors 73,610
Conservative hold Swing −7.4

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result [10]
PartyVote %
Conservative 28,02853.2
Liberal Democrats 11,95622.7
Labour 9,34717.7
Others1,9233.7
Green 1,4152.7
Turnout52,66971.4
Electorate73,778
General election 2019: Runnymede and Weybridge [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Ben Spencer 29,262 54.9 −6.0
Labour Robert King10,99220.6−5.3
Liberal Democrats Rob O'Carroll9,23617.3+10.0
Green Benjamin Smith1,8763.5+0.9
Independent Stewart Mackay7771.5New
Independent Lorna Rowland6701.3New
UKIP Nicholas Wood4760.9−2.4
Majority18,27034.3−0.7
Turnout 53,28969.0+0.9
Conservative hold Swing −0.4
General election 2017: Runnymede and Weybridge [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Philip Hammond 31,436 60.9 +1.2
Labour Fiona Dent13,38625.9+10.4
Liberal Democrats John Vincent3,7657.3+0.6
UKIP Nicholas Wood1,6753.3−10.6
Green Lee-Anne Lawrance1,3472.6−1.5
Majority18,05035.0−9.2
Turnout 51,60968.10.0
Conservative hold Swing −4.6
General election 2015: Runnymede and Weybridge [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Philip Hammond 29,901 59.7 +3.8
Labour Arran Neathey7,76715.5+2.1
UKIP Joe Branco [14] 6,95113.9+7.4
Liberal Democrats John Vincent [15] 3,3626.7−14.9
Green Rustam Majainah [16] 2,0714.1+2.7
Majority22,13444.2+7.9
Turnout 50,22468.1+1.7
Conservative hold Swing +0.8
General election 2010: Runnymede and Weybridge [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Philip Hammond 26,915 55.9 +4.5
Liberal Democrats Andrew Falconer10,40621.6+3.7
Labour Paul Greenwood6,44613.4−9.6
UKIP Toby Micklethwait3,1466.5+2.6
Green Jenny Gould6961.4−1.3
Independent David Sammons5411.1+1.1
Majority16,50934.3+5.9
Turnout 48,29266.5+7.8
Conservative hold Swing +0.4

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Runnymede and Weybridge [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Philip Hammond 22,366 51.4 +2.7
Labour Paul Greenwood10,01723.0−6.0
Liberal Democrats Henry Bolton 7,77117.9+1.6
UKIP Anthony Micklethwait1,7193.9+0.8
Green Charles Gilman1,1802.7−0.2
Monster Raving Loony Andrew Collett3580.8New
UK Community Issues PartyKatrina Osman1130.3New
Majority12,34928.4+8.7
Turnout 43,52458.7+2.6
Conservative hold Swing +4.4
General election 2001: Runnymede and Weybridge [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Philip Hammond 20,646 48.7 +0.1
Labour Jane Briginshaw12,28629.0−0.4
Liberal Democrats Chris Bushill6,92416.30.0
UKIP Christopher Browne1,3323.1+1.9
Green Charles Gilman1,2382.9New
Majority8,36019.7+0.5
Turnout 42,42656.1−15.4
Conservative hold Swing +0.3

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Runnymede and Weybridge [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Philip Hammond 25,051 48.6 −12.8
Labour Ian Peacock15,17629.4+13.5
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Taylor8,39716.3−4.8
Referendum Peter Rolt2,1504.2New
UKIP Simon Slater6251.2New
Natural Law Jeremy Sleeman1620.3New
Majority9,87519.2
Turnout 51,56171.5
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.

References

  1. ↑ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South East". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  2. ↑ 2010 post-revision map non-metropolitan areas and unitary authorities of England
  3. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
  4. ↑ "Local statistics – Office for National Statistics". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 11 February 2003. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  5. ↑ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  6. ↑ "2011 census interactive maps". Archived from the original on 29 January 2016.
  7. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 2)
  8. ↑ "Statement of persons nominated and notice of poll". Archived from the original on 7 June 2024.
  9. ↑ "Runnymede and Weybridge – General election results 2024". BBC News.
  10. ↑ "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament . Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  11. ↑ "Runnymede & Weybridge Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  12. ↑ "Runnymede and Weybridge candidates" . Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  13. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  14. ↑ "UK Polling Report". ukpollingreport.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  15. ↑ "East".
  16. ↑ "Surrey Green Party | News". Archived from the original on 5 February 2015.
  17. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  18. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Constituency represented by the chancellor of the Exchequer
2016–2019		Succeeded by

51°22′N0°27′W / 51.36°N 0.45°W / 51.36; -0.45

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