Woodspring (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Woodspring
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
WoodspringConstituency.svg
Boundary of Woodspring in Avonfor the 2005 general election
EnglandAvon.svg
Location of Avon within England
County Somerset
19832010
SeatsOne
Created from North Somerset and Weston-super-Mare [1]
Replaced by North Somerset

Woodspring was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until 2010. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. From 1992 until 2010, it was represented by Liam Fox, former Secretary of State for Defence. Fox went on to represent the new North Somerset constituency from 2010.

Contents

Boundaries

1983–1997: The District of Woodspring wards of Backwell, Clevedon Central, Clevedon East, Clevedon North, Clevedon South, Clevedon Walton, Clevedon West, Easton-in-Gordano, Gordano, Long Ashton, Nailsea East, Nailsea North and West, North Weston, Portishead Central, Portishead Coast, Portishead South, Portishead West, Winford, and Wraxall, and the District of Wansdyke wards of Cameley, Chew Magna, Chew Stoke, Clutton, Compton Dando, Farmborough, Harptrees, High Littleton, Paulton, Publow, Stowey Sutton, and Timsbury.

1997–2010: The District of North Somerset wards of Backwell, Clevedon Central, Clevedon East, Clevedon North, Clevedon South, Clevedon Walton, Clevedon West, Easton-in-Gordano, Gordano, Long Ashton, Nailsea East, Nailsea North and West, North Weston, Portishead Central, Portishead Coast, Portishead South, Portishead West, Winford, Wraxall, Wrington, and Yatton.

The constituency contained the northern and eastern parts of the North Somerset unitary authority (formerly the Woodspring district of the County of Avon, and roughly the same area as the ancient Hundred of Portbury). The constituency extended between two rivers with the Avon running along the north-east edge and the Congresbury Yeo to the south. It included the three main towns of Clevedon on the west coast, Nailsea to the south, and Portishead to the north, along with smaller surrounding villages like Backwell, Easton-in-Gordano, and Long Ashton.

Boundary review

Following the review of parliamentary representation by the Boundary Commission for England in North Somerset which took effect at the 2010 general election, this seat was renamed North Somerset. [2]

History

On its creation in 1983, Woodspring was won by the Conservative Sir Paul Dean, who had held the old seat of Somerset North since 1964. Sir Paul was a Deputy Speaker of the House to George Thomas and latterly Bernard Weatherill from 1982 to 1992; he served longer than anyone else since the post was created in 1902. On his retirement in 1992 Liam Fox succeeded him, and held the seat until its abolition in 2010; during this time he served as a junior minister in the Major government, and later became an opposition frontbencher during the Blair and Brown governments.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember [3] Party
1983 Sir Paul Dean Conservative
1992 Liam Fox Conservative
2010 constituency abolished: see North Somerset

Elections

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Woodspring [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Liam Fox 21,587 41.8 −1.9
Liberal Democrats Mike Bell15,57130.2+6.0
Labour Chanel Stevens11,24921.8−3.8
Green Rebecca Lewis1,3092.5−0.1
UKIP Anthony Butcher1,2692.5+1.6
BNP Michael Howson6331.2New
Majority 6,01611.6−6.5
Turnout 51,61872.0+3.3
Conservative hold Swing −3.9
General election 2001: Woodspring [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Liam Fox 21,297 43.7 −0.7
Labour Chanel Stevens12,49925.6+4.9
Liberal Democrats Colin Eldridge11,81624.2−6.2
Independent David Shopland1,4122.9+2.7
Green Richard Lawson 1,2822.6+1.4
UKIP Fraser Crean4520.9New
Majority 8,79818.1+4.1
Turnout 48,75868.7−9.7
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Woodspring [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Liam Fox 24,425 44.4 −10.1
Liberal Democrats Nan Kirsen16,69130.4+3.0
Labour Debbie Sander11,37720.7+5.3
Referendum Richard Hughes1,6413.0New
Green Richard Lawson 6671.20.0
IndependentAndrew Glover1010.2New
Natural Law Mike Mears660.20.0
Majority 7,73414.0−13.1
Turnout 54,96878.5−4.8
Conservative hold Swing −6.5
General election 1992: Woodspring [7] [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Liam Fox 35,175 54.5 −2.1
Liberal Democrats NE Kirsen17,66627.4+0.4
Labour RE Stone9,94215.4+0.9
Liberal NE Brown8361.3New
Green RJ Knifton8011.2−0.8
Natural Law BD Lee1000.2New
Majority 17,50927.1−2.5
Turnout 64,52083.2+4.1
Conservative hold Swing −1.2

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Woodspring [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Paul Dean 34,134 56.6 −1.0
Liberal Christine Coleman16,28227.0−3.3
Labour David Chapple8,71714.5+2.7
Green Brian Keeble1,2082.0New
Majority 17,85229.59+2.30
Turnout 60,34179.10+1.3
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1983: Woodspring [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Paul Dean 31,932 57.59
Liberal Rowland Morgan16,80030.30
Labour David White6,53611.79
Wessex Regionalist D Robyns1770.32
Majority 15,13227.29
Turnout 55,44577.78
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

Notes and references

  1. "'Woodspring', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  2. "Somerset North: New Boundaries Calculation". Electoral Calculus. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
  3. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 5)
  4. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  5. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  6. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  7. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  8. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  9. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  10. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

51°24′N2°45′W / 51.400°N 2.750°W / 51.400; -2.750