Buckingham_(UK_Parliament_constituency)

Buckingham (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom since 1542

Buckingham (/ˈbʌkɪŋəm/) is a constituency^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Greg Smith, a Conservative.^{[n 2]}

Quick Facts County, Population ...

Buckingham
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Buckingham in Buckinghamshire
Location of Buckinghamshire within England
County	Buckinghamshire
Population	97,184 (2011 census)^[1]
Electorate	79,515 (2018)^[2]
Major settlements	Buckingham Princes Risborough Winslow
Current constituency
Created	1885
Member of Parliament	Greg Smith (Conservative)
Seats	One
1542–1885
Seats	Two until 1868, then one until 1885
Type of constituency	Borough constituency

The seat is due to be abolished for the next general election.^[3]

History

After its creation in 1542, the Parliamentary Borough of Buckingham sent two MPs to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and finally to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801, reduced to one MP from 1868 by the Representation of the People Act 1867. The Borough was abolished altogether by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and it was transformed into a large county division, formally named the North or Buckingham Division of Buckinghamshire. It was one of three divisions formed from the undivided three-member Parliamentary County of Buckinghamshire, the other two being the Mid or Aylesbury Division and the Southern or Wycombe Division.

In the twentieth century, the constituency was held by the Conservative Party for most of the time. However, Aidan Crawley, a Labour Party MP, served Buckingham from 1945 until 1951, and from 1964 until 1970, its Labour MP was the controversial publisher Robert Maxwell.

Before the periodic review effected in 1983, the new town of Milton Keynes, including its older parts such as Bletchley and Fenny Stratford,^{[n 3]} was in the constituency. The 1983 review followed the previous national review in 1974 and recognised the large increase in voters in the constituency. The sitting Buckingham MP, William Benyon, stood for the newly created Milton Keynes constituency, where he was elected. The residual seat was won in 1983 by Conservative George Walden. Walden retired in 1997, and John Bercow won the following general elections in 2001, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2017. At the 2005 general election, this constituency had the Conservatives' highest numerical majority, although a higher share of the vote was achieved in Kensington and Chelsea in London, the constituency of Malcolm Rifkind, and Richmond in North Yorkshire, the constituency of William Hague.

In 2009, Bercow was elected as Speaker of the House of Commons following the resignation of Michael Martin. There is an inconsistently followed convention, which is mostly kept by the major parties, not to oppose a Speaker at election. Nonetheless, UKIP's leader, Nigel Farage, stood against Bercow in the 2010 election but finished third behind the Buckinghamshire Campaign for Democracy founder, who previously founded the Pro-Euro Conservative Party.^[4]

In both the 2015 and 2017 general elections, Bercow was challenged by only UKIP and the Green Party, with the addition of the independent candidate Scott Raven in the latter election. In September 2019 the Conservative Party announced their intention to stand a candidate against Bercow in the next election, breaking the convention of major parties not opposing a Speaker, seemingly in response to Bercow's opposition to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's handling of Brexit. However, Bercow announced in September 2019 that he would stand down as Speaker on either October 31 or at the next election, whichever occurred first.^[5]

Boundaries and boundary changes

1885–1918

The Municipal Borough of Buckingham;
The Sessional Divisions of Ashendon, Buckingham, Newport, and Stony Stratford; and
Part of the Sessional Division of Winslow.^[6]

1918–1950

The Municipal Borough of Buckingham;
The Urban Districts of Bletchley, Linslade, and Newport Pagnell;
The Rural Districts of Buckingham, Newport Pagnell, Stratford and Wolverton, Wing, and Winslow; and
Parts of the Rural Districts of Aylesbury and Long Crendon.^[7]

Gained Linslade and the Rural District of Wing from Aylesbury.

1950–1974

The Municipal Borough of Buckingham;
The Urban Districts of Bletchley, Linslade, Newport Pagnell, and Wolverton; and
The Rural Districts of Buckingham, Newport Pagnell, Wing, and Winslow.^[7]

The Urban District of Wolverton had succeeded the Rural District of Stratford and Wolverton. The parts of the Rural District of Aylesbury and the (former) Rural District of Long Crendon were transferred to Aylesbury.

1974–1983

The Municipal Borough of Buckingham;
The Urban Districts of Bletchley, Newport Pagnell, and Wolverton; and
The Rural Districts of Buckingham, Newport Pagnell, Wing, and Winslow.^[7]

Lost Linslade to South Bedfordshire; the Urban District of Linslade had been merged with that of Leighton Buzzard to form the Urban District of Leighton-Linslade, which was included in the Administrative County of Bedfordshire.

1983–1992

The District of Aylesbury Vale wards of Bierton, Brill, Buckingham North, Buckingham South, Cheddington, Eddlesborough, Great Brickhill, Great Horwood, Grendon Underwood, Haddenham, Hogshaw, Long Crendon, Luffield Abbey, Marsh Gibbon, Newton Longville, Oakley, Pitstone, Quainton, Steeple Claydon, Stewkley, Stone, Tingewick, Waddesdon, Wing, Wingrave, and Winslow; and
The Borough of Milton Keynes wards of Stony Stratford, Wolverton, and Wolverton Stacey Bushes.^[8]

Rural areas to the north and west of the town of Aylesbury transferred from the constituency thereof. The area comprising the new District of Milton Keynes, except for Stony Stratford and Wolverton, formed the new constituency of Milton Keynes.

1992–1997

For the 1992 general election, outside the normal cycle of periodic reviews by the Boundaries Commission, the Milton Keynes constituency was split in two, with Stony Stratford and Wolverton being included in the new Borough Constituency of Milton Keynes South West.^[9] No further changes.

1997–2010

The District of Aylesbury Vale wards of Aston Clinton, Bierton, Brill, Buckingham North, Buckingham South, Cheddington, Eddlesborough, Great Brickhill, Great Horwood, Grendon Underwood, Haddenham, Hogshaw, Long Crendon, Luffield Abbey, Marsh Gibbon, Newton Longville, Oakley, Pitstone, Quainton, Steeple Claydon, Stewkley, Stone, Tingewick, Waddesdon, Wing, Wingrave, and Winslow.^[10]

The Aston Clinton ward was transferred from Aylesbury.

Map of current boundaries

2010–present

The District of Aylesbury Vale wards of Buckingham North, Buckingham South, Eddlesborough, Gatehouse, Great Brickhill & Newton Longville, Great Horwood, Grendon Underwood & Brill, Haddenham & Stone, Long Crendon, Luffield Abbey, Marsh Gibbon, Oakfield & Bierton, Oakley, Pitstone & Cheddington, Quainton, Steeple Claydon, Stewkley, Tingewick, Waddesdon, Watermead, Weedon, Wing, Wingrave, and Winslow; and
The District of Wycombe wards of Icknield and The Risboroughs.^[11]

The District of Wycombe wards, including Princes Risborough, were transferred from Aylesbury, offset by the return of Aston Clinton.

In April 2020, the Districts of Aylesbury Vale and Wycombe, as well as those of South Bucks and Chiltern were merged into the new unitary authority of Buckinghamshire Council. Accordingly, the current contents of the constituency are:

The Buckinghamshire Council wards of Aston Clinton and Bierton (part), Bernwood, Buckingham East, Buckingham West, Great Brickhill, Grendon Underwood, Ivinghoe, Ridgeway East (part), Stone and Waddesdon (part), The Risboroughs, Wing (part), and Winslow.

The constituency takes up a large part of central Buckinghamshire, covering much of the Aylesbury Vale including the town of Buckingham, and some areas south of it, including Chequers, the official country residence of the Prime Minister since 1921.^[12]^[13] To the north, the remaining part of ceremonial Buckinghamshire forms two Borough of Milton Keynes constituencies (Milton Keynes South and Milton Keynes North).

Proposed abolition

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be abolished for the next general election, with its contents distributed three ways:^[3]

Buckingham, Winslow, Great Brickhill and surrounding rural areas to form part of the newly created constituency of Buckingham and Bletchley, with the Bletchley area of the City of Milton Keynes
Western areas, extending southwards to Haddenham and Princes Risborough, to form part of the new constituency of Mid Buckinghamshire
Wing and Ivinghoe wards to be transferred to Aylesbury

Members of Parliament

Constituency created (1542)

MPs to 1660

More information Year, First member ...

Year	First member	Second member
1529	John Hasilwood	Edward Lloyd^[14]
1536	Thomas Pope	George Gifford^[14]
1539	TBA	TBA
1542	TBA	TBA
1545	John Josselyn	Ralph Gifford^[14]
1547	Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon	John Josselyn^[14]
1553 (Mar)	Edward Chamberlain	Francis Verney^[14]
1553 (Oct)	William Walter	Edward Gifford^[14]
1554 (Apr)	Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon	George Fettiplace^[14]
1554 (Nov)		George Fettiplace^[14]
1555		Hugh Mynors^[14]
1558	Bernard Brocas^[15]	John Higford^[14]
1558–59	Robert Drury	William Riseley^[16]
1562–63	Robert Newdigate I	Paul Wentworth^[16]
1571	Robert Newdigate I	Thomas Wenman^[16]
1572	Henry Carey	Lawrence Holinshed^[16]
1584	Michael Harcourt	John Carey, 3rd Baron Hunsdon^[16]
1586	John Fortescue	Christopher Edmonds^[16]
1588–89	John Carey, 3rd Baron Hunsdon	Francis Fortescue^[16]
1593	John Carey, 3rd Baron Hunsdon
1597	Sir Edward [or Edmund] Carey
1601	Christopher Hatton	Robert Newdigate II^[16]
1604	Sir Thomas Denton	Sir Edward Tyrrell (1604–1606)
1604		Sir Francis Goodwin (1606–1614)
1614		Sir Ralph Winwood
1621–22		Richard Oliver
1624	Sir Edmund Verney
1625	Sir Alexander Denton
1626	Sir Alexander Denton	Sir John Smythe
1628–29	Sir Thomas Denton	Richard Oliver

More information Year, First member ...

Year	First member	Second member
Apr 1640	Sir Peter Temple	Sir Alexander Denton
Nov 1640		Sir Alexander Denton
1645		John Dormer
1653	Buckingham not Represented in Barebones Parliament
1654	Francis Ingoldsby	(one seat only)
1656		(one seat only)
1659		Sir Richard Temple, 3rd Baronet

MPs 1660–1868

More information Year, First member ...

Year	First member^[17]^[18]		Second member^[17]^[18]
1660	John Dormer		Sir Richard Temple, 3rd Baronet
1661	Sir William Smyth, 1st Baronet		Sir Richard Temple, 3rd Baronet
February 1679	Viscount Latimer		Sir Peter Tyrrell, 1st Baronet
August 1679	Viscount Latimer		Sir Richard Temple, 3rd Bt.
1681	Sir Ralph Verney, 1st Bt.
1690	Alexander Denton
1697	Alexander Denton		Sir Richard Temple, 4th Bt.	Whig
1698	Edmund Denton		Sir Richard Temple, 4th Bt.	Whig
1702			Roger Price
May 1705			Sir Richard Temple, 4th Bt.	Whig
December 1705			Browne Willis
1708	Sir Richard Temple, 4th Bt.	Whig	Alexander Denton
1710	Sir Richard Temple, 4th Bt.	Whig	Thomas Chapman
1713	John Radcliffe		Thomas Chapman
1715	Alexander Denton		Abraham Stanyan
1718			Edmund Halsey
March 1722			Richard Grenville
October 1722	William Heathcote		Richard Grenville
March 1727	William Heathcote		John Fane
August 1727	Thomas Lewis
1728	George Chamberlayne
1734			Richard Grenville
1741			George Grenville	Whig
1747	Richard Grenville
1753	Temple West
1754	James Grenville
1768	Henry Grenville
1770	Henry Grenville		James Grenville	Tory^[19]
1774	Richard Grenville
1780	Richard Aldworth-Neville
1782	William Grenville	Tory^[19]
1784	Charles Edmund Nugent	Tory^[19]
June 1790	George Nugent	Tory^[19]
December 1790			The Lord Bridport	Tory^[19]
1796			Thomas Grenville	Tory^[19]
1802	Lord Proby	Tory^[19]
1805	Lord Proby	Tory^[19]
August 1806	Earl Percy	Tory^[19]
November 1806	Sir William Young, 2nd Bt.	Tory^[19]
March 1807	Sir John Borlase Warren, 1st Bt.
May 1807	Hon. Richard Griffin	Tory^[19]
1810	Hon. Richard Griffin	Tory^[19]	Lord George Grenville	Tory^[19]
1812	Viscount Ebrington	Tory^[19]	William Fremantle	Tory^[19]
1817	James Hamilton Stanhope	Tory^[19]
1818	Sir George Nugent, 1st Bt.	Tory^[19]
1827	Sir George Nugent, 1st Bt.	Tory^[19]	Sir Thomas Fremantle, 1st Bt.	Tory^[19]
1832	Sir Harry Verney	Whig^[20]^[21]^[22]^[19]		Tory^[19]
1834	Sir Harry Verney	Whig^[20]^[21]^[22]^[19]		Conservative^[19]
1841	Sir John Chetwode, 4th Bt.	Conservative^[19]
January 1846	John Hall	Conservative
February 1846			Marquess of Chandos	Conservative
1857			Sir Harry Verney	Whig^[20]^[21]^[22]
1859	John Hubbard	Conservative	Sir Harry Verney	Liberal
1868	Representation reduced to one member

MPs since 1868

More information Election, Member ...

	Member^[18]^[23]	Party
1868	Sir Harry Verney	Liberal
1874	Egerton Hubbard	Conservative
1880	Sir Harry Verney	Liberal
1885	Edmund Verney	Liberal
1886	Egerton Hubbard	Conservative
1889 by-election	Edmund Verney (expelled)	Liberal
1891 by-election	Herbert Leon	Liberal
1895	William Carlile	Conservative
1906	Frederick Verney	Liberal
1910	Sir Harry Verney	Liberal
1918	George Bowyer	Conservative
1937 by-election	John Whiteley	Conservative
1943 by-election	Lionel Berry	Conservative
1945	Aidan Crawley^{[n 4]}	Labour
1951	Frank Markham^{[n 5]}	Conservative
1964	Robert Maxwell	Labour
1970	William Benyon	Conservative
1983	George Walden	Conservative
1997	John Bercow	Conservative
2009	John Bercow	Speaker
2019	Greg Smith	Conservative