South West Wiltshire (UK Parliament constituency)

South West Wiltshire
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Map of constituency
Boundary of South West Wiltshire in South West England
CountyWiltshire
Electorate71,551 (2023)[1]
Major settlementsTrowbridge, Westbury, Warminster, Mere
Current constituency
Created2010
Member of ParliamentAndrew Murrison (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created fromWestbury, Salisbury

South West Wiltshire is a constituency in Wiltshire, England. The constituency has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Andrew Murrison, a Conservative, since its inauguration in 2010.[note 1]

History

The constituency was created for the 2010 general election, following the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies tasked to the Boundary Commission, by which Parliament increased the number of seats in the county from six to seven.[2]

The previous Westbury constituency was abolished: the northern part (including the town of Bradford-on-Avon) was transferred to the reinstated Chippenham seat, and the southern part (including the towns of Trowbridge, Warminster, and Westbury) formed the bulk of this constituency, which to complete it, received a minority of wards from the Salisbury seat.

Boundaries

Map
Map of current boundaries

2010–2024: The former District of West Wiltshire wards of Dilton Marsh, Ethandune, Mid Wylye Valley, Shearwater, Southwick and Wingfield, Summerham, Trowbridge Adcroft, Trowbridge College, Trowbridge Drynham, Trowbridge John of Gaunt, Trowbridge Park, Warminster East, Warminster West, Westbury Ham, and Westbury Laverton, and the former District of Salisbury wards of Donhead, Fonthill and Nadder, Knoyle, Tisbury and Fovant, and Western and Mere.

2024–present: Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 United Kingdom general election, the constituency is composed of the following (as they existed on 4 May 2021):

  • The Wiltshire electoral divisions of: Ethandune; Hilperton; Mere; Southwick; Trowbridge Adcroft; Trowbridge Central; Trowbridge Drynham; Trowbridge Grove; Trowbridge Lambrok; Trowbridge Park; Trowbridge Paxcroft; Warminster Broadway; Warminster East; Warminster North & Rural; Warminster West; Westbury East; Westbury North; Westbury West; Wylye Valley.[3]

In order to bring the electorate within the permitted range, Tisbury and the Nadder Valley were transferred to Salisbury. The village of Hilperton was added from Chippenham, while several rural parishes east of Trowbridge were transferred to Melksham and Devizes.

Constituency profile

As well as the county town of Trowbridge and the former market towns of Westbury and Warminster (the latter with a considerable Army presence), the seat covers a large rural area with smaller settlements. Residents' health and wealth are around the UK average.[4]

Members of Parliament

Election Member[5] Party Notes
2010 Andrew Murrison Conservative Surgeon Commander (RN), retired 2000; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families 2022 – 2024

Elections

For the approximate comparator before 2010, as the main predecessor seat, see Westbury (UK Parliament constituency).

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: South West Wiltshire[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Murrison[7] 15,617 33.8 –24.5
Labour Evelyn Akoto[8] 12,374 26.8 +5.3
Reform UK Garry Irvin[9] 7,840 17.0 N/A
Liberal Democrats Bret Palmer[10] 7,205 15.6 –0.9
Green Fay Whitfield[11] 2,243 4.9 +1.2
Independent James Ward[12] 448 1.0 N/A
Independent Thomas Culshaw[13] 441 1.0 N/A
Majority 3,243 7.0 –29.8
Turnout 46,168 64.5 –1.5
Registered electors 71,574
Conservative hold Swing –14.9

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result[14]
Party Vote %
Conservative 27,546 58.3
Labour 10,168 21.5
Liberal Democrats 7,787 16.5
Green 1,736 3.7
Turnout 47,237 66.0
Electorate 71,551
General election 2019: South West Wiltshire[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Murrison 33,038 60.2 +0.2
Labour Emily Pomroy-Smith 11,408 20.8 −5.7
Liberal Democrats Ellen Nicholson 8,015 14.6 +4.8
Green Julie Phillips 2,434 4.4 +1.8
Majority 21,630 39.4 +5.9
Turnout 54,895 70.4 −1.6
Conservative hold Swing +3.0
General election 2017: South West Wiltshire[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Murrison 32,841 60.0 +7.3
Labour Laura Pictor 14,515 26.5 +13.0
Liberal Democrats Trevor Carbin 5,360 9.8 −0.8
Green Chris Walford 1,445 2.6 −3.2
Independent Liam Silcocks 590 1.1 N/A
Majority 18,326 33.5 −1.7
Turnout 54,751 72.0 +1.3
Conservative hold Swing -2.9
General election 2015: South West Wiltshire[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Murrison 27,198 52.7 +1.0
UKIP Matthew Brown[18] 9,030 17.5 +12.0
Labour George Aylett 6,948 13.5 +2.0
Liberal Democrats Trevor Carbin 5,482 10.6 −19.9
Green Phil Randle 2,985 5.8 N/A
Majority 18,168 35.2 +14.0
Turnout 51,643 70.7 +2.3
Conservative hold Swing
General election 2010: South West Wiltshire[19][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Murrison 25,321 51.7 +2.5
Liberal Democrats Trevor Carbin 14,954 30.5 +0.3
Labour Rebecca Rennison 5,613 11.5 −5.7
UKIP Michael Cuthbert-Murray 2,684 5.5 +2.0
Independent Crispin Black 446 0.9 N/A
Majority 10,367 21.2 +2.2
Turnout 49,018 68.4 +3.8
Conservative hold Swing +1.1

See also

Notes

  1. ^ As with all constituencies, South West Wiltshire 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 West". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Final recommendations for Parliamentary constituencies in the county of Wiltshire". Boundary Commission for England. 20 November 2002. Archived from the original on 21 February 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  3. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 7 South West region.
  4. ^ Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Wiltshire+South+West
  5. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 4)
  6. ^ General election results declared in Wiltshire
  7. ^ "Murrison readopted as Parliamentary Candidate". Andrew Murrison. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  8. ^ Evelyn Akoto [@evenor23] (15 May 2024). "I am excited & honoured to have been selected as Labour's Parliamentary candidate for South West Wiltshire. ..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  9. ^ "South West Wiltshire Constituency". Reform UK. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidates". Mark Pack. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Stand at the next general election". South West Green Party. 17 September 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  12. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated" (PDF). Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  13. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated" (PDF). Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ "General Election 12 December 2019 – Wiltshire Council". wiltshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  16. ^ "Parliamentary elections 2017". Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  17. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  18. ^ "UK Polling Report".
  19. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  20. ^ "Results of Poll, South West Wiltshire". BBC News. 7 May 2010.

51°15′36″N 2°11′10″W / 51.260°N 2.186°W / 51.260; -2.186