Runnymede and Weybridge (UK Parliament constituency)

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Runnymede and Weybridge
County constituency
for the House of Commons
RunnymedeWeybridge2007Constituency.svg
Boundary of Runnymede and Weybridge in Surrey
EnglandSurrey.svg
Location of Surrey within England
County Surrey
Electorate 77,196 (December 2019) [1]
Major settlements Addlestone, Chertsey, Egham and Weybridge
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

The constituency is in north Surrey and comprises the whole of the area of the Borough of Runnymede plus the town of Weybridge in the Borough of Elmbridge.

The constituency has the following electoral wards:

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):

The Borough of Runnymede communities of Englefield Green and Virginia Water will be transferred to the Berkshire seat of Windsor, thus creating a cross-county boundary constituency. To compensate, southern parts of Esher and Walton, including Cobham will be added, partly offset by the 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 1997 general election, of 19.2% 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.

Runnymede and Weybridge (UK Parliament constituency)
Map of current boundaries

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

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

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Next general election: Runnymede and Weybridge
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Reform UK Stewart Mackay [8] New
Liberal Democrats Ellen Nicholson [9]
Conservative Ben Spencer [10]
Majority
Turnout
Registered electors
Swing

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Runnymede and Weybridge [1]
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 [11]
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 [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Philip Hammond 29,901 59.7 +3.8
Labour Arran Neathey7,76715.5+2.1
UKIP Joe Branco [13] 6,95113.9+7.4
Liberal Democrats John Vincent [14] 3,3626.7−14.9
Green Rustam Majainah [15] 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 [16]
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 48,15066.4+7.7
Conservative hold Swing +0.4

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Runnymede and Weybridge [17]
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 [18]
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 [19]
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.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borough of Runnymede</span> Borough and non-metropolitan district in England

The Borough of Runnymede is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England. Its council is based in Addlestone and the borough also includes the towns of Chertsey and Egham. The borough is named after Runnymede, a water meadow on the banks of the River Thames near Egham, which is connected with the sealing of Magna Carta by King John in 1215.

Longcross is a village in the Borough of Runnymede in Surrey, England, approximately 34.6 kilometres (21.5 mi) west of central London. Its name is thought to come from a marker, placed where the parish boundaries of Chertsey, Chobham and Egham met.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Englefield Green</span> Human settlement in England

Englefield Green is a large village in the Borough of Runnymede, Surrey, England, approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of central London. It is home to Runnymede Meadow, The Commonwealth Air Forces Memorial, The Savill Garden,and Royal Holloway, University of London.

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

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

Addlestone is a town in Surrey, England. It is located approximately 18+1⁄2 miles southwest of London. The town is the administrative centre of the Borough of Runnymede, of which it is the largest settlement.

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

Ottershaw is a village in the Borough of Runnymede in Surrey, England, approximately 32 km (20 mi) southwest of central London. The village developed in the mid-19th century from a number of separate hamlets and became a parish in its own right in 1871.

One-third of Runnymede Borough Council in Surrey, England, is elected each year, followed by one year where there is an election to Surrey County Council instead. The council is divided up into 14 wards, electing 41 councillors, since the last boundary changes in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Runnymede Borough Council election</span>

The 2021 Runnymede Borough Council election was held on 6 May 2021 to elect members of Runnymede Borough Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections, and was the second election on new electoral boundaries, following the 2019 Runnymede Borough Council election. The elections were postponed from May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic Englefield Green East was not contested.

References

  1. 1 2 "Runnymede & Weybridge Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  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. ↑ Reform UK. "Runnymede and Weybridge Constituency" . Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  9. ↑ "Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidates". Mark Pack . Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  10. ↑ Ben Spencer [@DrBenSpencer] (30 January 2023). "I'm delighted to have been re-adopted as the candidate for Runnymede & Weybridge for the next general election. I'm proud to represent such a wonderful place to live and work, and I look forward to continuing to deliver for our residents!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  11. ↑ "Runnymede and Weybridge candidates" . Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  12. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. ↑ "UK Polling Report". ukpollingreport.co.uk.
  14. ↑ East
  15. ↑ "Surrey Green Party | News". Archived from the original on 5 February 2015.
  16. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  17. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. ↑ "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
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