Meon Valley was a generally rural constituency, and an affluent safe seat[3] for the Conservatives. The largest towns in the constituency are Waterlooville and Horndean.
Output areas in the area in 2001 displayed higher than average incomes overall compared to the national average.[4] In the 2011 census, incidence of home ownership and incidence of semi-detached and detached properties all exceeded the national average and were some of the highest figures for the region.[5]
From East Hampshire – the wards of Clanfield and Finchdean, Horndean Catherington and Lovedean, Horndean Downs, Horndean Hazleton and Blendworth, Horndean Kings, Horndean Murray and Rowlands Castle
From Havant – the wards of Cowplain, Hart Plain and Waterloo
From Winchester – the wards of Bishops Waltham, Boarhunt and Southwick, Cheriton and Bishops Sutton, Denmead, Droxford, Soberton and Hambledon, Owslebury and Curdridge, Shedfield, Swanmore and Newtown, Upper Meon Valley, Whiteley and Wickham
When created, the notional result was based on ward data from the previous seats' general election results. The constituency took in territory from the then Liberal Democrat-held Winchester and Conservative-held East Hampshire with uncertain swing between the two parties. Estimates were that the Conservative majority if the seat had existed in 2005 would have been around 2,000 votes. At the 2010 election however, the seat saw one of the largest Liberal Democrat to Conservative swings (9.4%), and the Conservative candidate George Hollingbery was elected with a majority of over 23%.
The seat became even safer thereafter, returning Conservative majorities of over 40% at each of the 2015, 2017 and 2019 general elections, being among the safest Conservative seats in the country in each case. In 2019, Hollingbery stepped down to be succeeded by Flick Drummond, who had been MP for Portsmouth South from 2015 to 2017. She served only one term in the seat prior to its abolition.
