Bracknell_(UK_Parliament_constituency)

Bracknell (UK Parliament constituency)

Bracknell (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliament constituency in the United Kingdom since 1997

Bracknell is a constituency[n 1] in Berkshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by James Sunderland, a Conservative.[n 2] It was created for the 1997 general election, largely replacing the abolished county constituency of East Berkshire.

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Constituency profile

The seat covers most of the town of Bracknell, although the northern parts are in the neighbouring Windsor seat. Crowthorne and Sandhurst are also in the seat, interspersed by large areas of forest. Residents are slightly wealthier than the UK average.[3]

History

From creation in 1997 until 2010, Bracknell's MP was Andrew MacKay of the Conservative Party, who represented the old seat of East Berkshire from 1983. On 14 May 2009, he resigned from his position as parliamentary aide to David Cameron in the wake of a major scandal over his Parliamentary expenses. MacKay and his wife, fellow Tory MP Julie Kirkbride, had wrongfully claimed over £250,000 from the taxpayer for mortgage payments for second homes, in a case of so-called 'double-dipping'. They also wrongfully claimed for each other's travel costs. At a hastily called meeting with his constituents in Bracknell to explain the "unacceptable" expenses claims, Mr MacKay was jeered and called a "thieving toad". A video of the angry meeting was leaked to the press and, after an urgent phone call from David Cameron the next day, MacKay agreed to stand down at the 2010 general election. The Conservative Party chose Phillip Lee, a general practitioner, as its new candidate in an American-style open primary, involving seven candidates including Rory Stewart and Iain Dale in a contest open to all registered Bracknell voters.[4]

2010 election

Lee went on to become the next MP in an election which saw the share of the vote for the Labour Party fall by 11.1%. The Liberal Democrats saw the biggest rise in support of all the parties (+4.5%), overtaking Labour to gain second place behind the Conservative Party. UKIP saw a slight rise in support to 4.4% of the vote. The 2010 election also saw for the first time the Green Party and British National Party vying for the seat.

2017 election

Lee held his seat at the 2017 general election.[5] He gained 3.1% of votes, but Labour increased its share by 13.3%. Lee received 32,882 votes, Paul Bidwell (Labour) in second place had 16,866 votes.[6] On 3 September 2019, Lee resigned from the Conservative party to join the Liberal Democrats due to the Conservative party's support for Brexit. At the 2019 General Election he unsuccessfully contested the adjacent Wokingham seat for that party.

2019 election

James Sunderland was elected for the Conservative party with 58.7% of the vote.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1997–2010

  • The Borough of Bracknell Forest wards of Binfield, Bullbrook, Central Sandhurst, College Town, Crowthorne, Garth, Great Hollands North, Great Hollands South, Hanworth, Harmanswater, Little Sandhurst, Old Bracknell, Owlsmoor, Priestwood, Warfield, and Wildridings; and
  • The District of Wokingham wards of Finchampstead North, Finchampstead South, and Wokingham Without.[7]

The Borough of Bracknell Forest wards had formed the majority of the abolished constituency of East Berkshire. The two Finchampstead wards were transferred from Reading East, and the ward of Wokingham Without was transferred from Wokingham.

2010–present

Map of present boundaries
  • The Borough of Bracknell Forest wards of Bullbrook, Central Sandhurst, College Town, Crown Wood, Crowthorne, Great Hollands North, Great Hollands South, Hanworth, Harmanswater, Little Sandhurst and Wellington, Old Bracknell, Owlsmoor, Priestwood and Garth, and Wildridings and Central; and
  • The District of Wokingham wards of Finchampstead North, Finchampstead South, and Wokingham Without.[8]

Northern areas, including Binfield, were transferred to Windsor.

Bracknell is based around the town of Bracknell and the Bracknell Forest authority. It is bordered by the constituencies of Wokingham, Maidenhead, Windsor, Surrey Heath, Aldershot, and North East Hampshire.

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 Bracknell Forest wards of: Bullbrook; Central Sandhurst; College Town; Crown Wood; Crowthorne; Great Hollands North; Great Hollands South; Hanworth; Harmans Water; Little Sandhurst and Wellington; Old Bracknell; Owlsmoor; Priestwood and Garth; Warfield Harvest Ride; Wildridings and Central.[9]

In order to bring its electorate within the permitted range, the seat will lose its District of Wokingham wards to the Wokingham constituency. To partly compensate, the Warfield Harvest Ride ward will be transferred from Windsor.

Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023,[10][11] the constituency will now comprise the following from the next general election:

  • The Borough of Bracknell Forest wards of: Binfield North & Warfield West (small part); Binfield South & Jennett's Park (part); Bullbrook; Crowthorne; Easthampstead & Wildridings; Great Hollands; Hanworth; Harmans Water & Crown Wood; Owlsmoor & College Town; Priestwood & Garth; Sandhurst; Swinley Forest (most); Town Centre & The Parks; Whitegrove (most).[12]

Members of Parliament

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Elections

Elections in the 2020s

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Elections in the 2010s

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Elections in the 2000s

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Elections in the 1990s

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See also

Notes

  1. [n 1]
    A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. [n 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.

References

  1. [1]
    "Bracknell: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  2. [2]
    "England Parliamentary electorates 2010–2018". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  3. [3]
    Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Bracknell
  4. [4]
    Hastings, Chris; Georgia Warren (18 October 2009). "Women and gay Tory MPs set to treble by 2010". The Times. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  5. [5]
    "Dr Phillip Lee MP". Parliament of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  6. [6]
    "Bracknell parliamentary constituency – Election 2017". BBC News. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  7. [7]
    "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  8. [8]
    "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  9. [9]
    "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
  10. [10]
    LGBCE. "Bracknell Forest | LGBCE". lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  11. [11]
    "The Bracknell Forest (Electoral Changes) Order 2021".
  12. [12]
    "New Seat Details – Bracknell". electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  13. [13]
    Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 4)
  14. [14]
    "Bracknell Constituency". Reform UK. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  15. [15]
    "GENERAL ELECTION CANDIDATES". SDP. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  16. [16]
    "Liberal Democrats introduce Katie Mansfield as Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Bracknell". Bracknell Forest Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  17. [17]
    James Sunderland [@JamesSunderl] (18 February 2023). "Thrilled to be re-selected as the Conservative candidate for Bracknell Constituency. Thank you to everyone in Bracknell, Crowthorne, Finchampstead, Sandhurst & Wokingham Without for your objectivity and friendship. It remains an honour to serve you" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  18. [18]
    "Bracknell parliamentary constituency" (PDF). Bracknell Forest Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  19. [19]
    "Bracknell parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
  20. [20]
    "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  21. [21]
    "Election results for Bracknell, 7 May 2015". democratic.bracknell-forest.gov.uk. 7 May 2015.
  22. [22]
    "BRACKNELL 2015". electionresults.blogspot.co.uk.
  23. [23]
    "Candidates (PPCS) for Bracknell in the UK 2015 General Election". Archived from the original on 5 January 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  24. [24]
    Fort, Hugh (23 January 2015). "Bracknell Green Party select election candidate".
  25. [25]
    "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  26. [26]
    general election 2010: Phillip Lee wins Bracknell seat GetBracknell, 7 May 2010

51.42°N 0.75°W / 51.42; -0.75
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