1997–2010: The Borough of Thamesdown wards of Central, Chiseldon, Dorcan, Eastcott, Freshbrook, Lawns, Park, Ridgeway, Toothill, Walcot, and Wroughton.
The constituency was created in 1997 from parts of the Swindon and Devizes seats. It covered the southern half of the town as well as farms, villages and hamlets to the immediate south and east of Swindon.
2010–2024: The Borough of Swindon wards of Central, Covingham and Dorcan (part), Eastcott, Liden + Eldene and Park South, Lydiard and Freshbrook, Old Town, Chiseldon and Lawn, Ridgeway, Shaw, Mannington and Western (part), Walcot and Park North, and Wroughton and Wichelstowe.
There were slightly amended boundaries for the 2010 election, which saw it lose South Marston to North Swindon. The boundary ran from Dorcan across to Bishopstone and then down to Russley Park before turning west to Barbury Castle. From there it ran north to the Roughmoor area and looped back down to incorporate West Swindon, before following the railway east through the town and back to Dorcan. Settlements outside the Swindon built-up area include Wroughton, Chiseldon, Wanborough, and Liddington.[3]
The changes included the transfer of the Covingham and Nythe districts from Swindon North; the adjustment of the boundary around Nythe ensured that the whole of the parish of Nythe, Eldene and Liden falls within the constituency. At the same time, a substantial semi-rural area in the south, namely the Chiseldon and Wroughton districts, was transferred to the new constituency of East Wiltshire; this involved the parishes of Bishopstone, Chiseldon, Liddington, Wanborough and Wroughton.
History
Swindon is a railway town, and until the latter part of the 20th century the related works were the primary employer.[5] Today, Swindon is the home of a number of large companies: examples specific to South Swindon include Intel's European headquarters,[6]Nationwide's headquarters[7] and Zurich Financial Services' UK headquarters.
Created in 1997, the Swindon South constituency, swinging in line with the national average in the New Labour landslide, produced a fairly safe majority for the Labour winner. Julia Drown had a majority of more than 5,000 which was extended in 2001 to more than 7,000 but then dropped dramatically on a new candidate's selection, to 1,353 in 2005. In 2010, Robert Buckland, a Conservative, gained South Swindon at the general election with a majority of just over 3,500. In 2015, the Conservative majority increased to 5,785; in 2017, the Conservative majority fell to 2,464 on a 3.5% swing to Labour. In 2019, Buckland's majority rose to 6,625 (13%) and 52% of the vote, with a swing of 4.1% to Conservative. These patterns suggest a seat that is more marginal than its neighbour Swindon North, and one which has acted as a bellwether of the national result. Buckland was the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice between July 2019 and September 2021, and Secretary of State for Wales from July to October 2022.
At the 2024 election, the result again aligned with the national result: Heidi Alexander won the seat for Labour with a 16% swing.[8]
