Witney_(UK_Parliament_constituency)

Witney (UK Parliament constituency)

Witney (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom since 1983


Witney is a county constituency in Oxfordshire represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 2016 by Robert Courts of the Conservative Party. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election, and was created for the 1983 general election.

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It has been a safe Conservative Party seat throughout its existence and was represented from 2001 to 2016 by David Cameron, Leader of the Conservative Party (2005–2016), and prime minister (2010–2016).[3]

Its boundaries are currently coterminous with the district of West Oxfordshire, which includes the towns of Carterton, Chipping Norton, and Woodstock.

History

In the late 19th century, the Bampton East petty sessional division, with Witney at its heart, formed one part of the Woodstock constituency.[4]

Until 1974, much of the seat remained as part of the Woodstock and latterly Banbury constituency.[5] From 1974 to 1983, the area was included in the Mid Oxfordshire seat along with parts of Bullingdon and Ploughley[citation needed]. Since 1983, Witney has been a full parliamentary seat in its own right and comprises the whole of the District of West Oxfordshire with surrounding villages attached until 1997.

Carterton is the second-largest populated town with 14,000[citation needed] and is situated alongside RAF Brize Norton which is vital to the local economy, being one of the largest and busiest Royal Air Force stations in the country[citation needed].

The constituency's first MP was Douglas Hurd, who served as a cabinet minister under both Margaret Thatcher and John Major, and retired in 1997. Hurd was succeeded by Shaun Woodward at the 1997 general election. However, Woodward defected to the Labour Party in 1999,[6] and Witney unexpectedly had a Labour MP. Woodward chose not to stand in Witney as a Labour candidate at the next general election and moved to the Labour safe seat of St Helens South instead, following the practice of Alan Howarth in 1997.

At the 2001 general election, David Cameron was elected as MP for Witney. Cameron was re-elected to a fourth term as MP for the constituency at the 2015 general election with a majority of 25,155, the highest in his political career; on that occasion, his Conservative Party won a surprise overall majority in the House of Commons, taking 330 seats to the opposition Labour Party's 232. However, on 24 June 2016, Cameron announced that he would resign as Prime Minister by that October due to the outcome of the EU Referendum the previous day, in which 51.9% of those who voted supported leaving the EU. Accordingly, Cameron stepped down as premier that July, on the election of Theresa May as Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister. On 12 September 2016, it was announced that Cameron would resign as MP for Witney.[7] This triggered a by-election, which was won by Robert Courts, also a Conservative, albeit with a significantly reduced majority. His vote share subsequently rose to 55% at both the 2017 and 2019 general elections.

Before the 2019 general election, the Liberal Democrats and Green Party agreed not to run against each other as part of a "Unite to Remain" alliance.[8] This led to Andrew Prosser, who had been selected as the Green Party's prospective candidate [9] standing down.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1983–1997

  • The District of West Oxfordshire wards of Ascott and Shipton, Aston Bampton and Standlake, Bampton, Bladon and Cassington, Brize Norton and Curbridge, Burford, Carterton North, Carterton South, Chadlington, Charlbury, Chipping Norton, Clanfield and Shilton, Combe and Stonesfield, Ducklington, Enstone, Eynsham, Filkins and Langford, Finstock and Leafield, Freeland and Hanborough, Hailey, Kingham, Milton-under-Wychwood, Minster Lovell, North Leigh, Rollright, Stanton Harcourt, Witney East, Witney North, Witney South, Witney West, and Woodstock; and
  • The District of Cherwell wards of Gosford, North West Kidlington, South East Kidlington, and Yarnton.[10]

The new constituency was largely formed from the majority of the abolished constituency of Mid-Oxon, including the settlements of Witney, Carterton, Woodstock and Kidlington. Chipping Norton and surrounding rural areas were transferred from the Banbury constituency.

Map of current boundaries

1997–2010

  • The District of West Oxfordshire; and
  • The District of Cherwell ward of Yarnton.[11]

The remaining two wards of the District of West Oxfordshire (Bartons, and Tackley and Wooton) were transferred from Banbury. Kidlington transferred to Oxford West and Abingdon.

2010–present

  • The District of West Oxfordshire.

Under the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the District of Cherwell ward of Yarnton was transferred to Oxford West and Abingdon.[12]

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 District of Vale of White Horse wards of: Faringdon; Kingston Bagpuize; Thames; Watchfield & Shrivenham.
  • The District of West Oxfordshire wards of: Alvescot and Filkins; Ascott and Shipton; Bampton and Clanfield; Brize Norton and Shilton; Burford; Carterton North East; Carterton North West; Carterton South; Ducklington; Hailey, Minster Lovell and Leafield; Milton-under-Wychwood; Standlake, Aston and Stanton Harcourt; Witney Central; Witney East; Witney North; Witney South; Witney West.[13]

Major changes with Chipping Norton and Charlbury to be transferred to Banbury, and Woodstock and surrounding areas to be included in the newly created constituency of Bicester and Woodstock. Partly offset by the transfer in of parts of the District of Vale of White Horse currently in the Wantage constituency, including the town of Faringdon.

Members of Parliament

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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Elections in the 1980s

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Neighbouring constituencies

See also


References

  1. "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. "'Witney', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  3. "David Cameron". Witney Conservatives. 6 May 2010. Archived from the original on 24 December 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  4. 1885 Boundary Commission map Archived 19 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine Vision of Britain
  5. 1917 Boundary Commission map Archived 6 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine Vision of Britain
  6. "Anger as Tory defects to Labour". BBC News. 18 December 1999. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  7. "David Cameron resigns as an MP". ITV News. 12 September 2016.
  8. "Prospective General Election Candidates". Green Party. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  9. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  10. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  11. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
  12. "Why vote for an independent?". barryingleton.co.uk. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  13. "Candidates announced for Witney and Barnsley". Reform UK. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  14. "Witney Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  15. percentage change compared to previous General Election in 2015
  16. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  17. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  19. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. "Politics Resources". Election 1997. Politics Resources. 1 May 1997. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
  23. C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.178 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
  24. The 1997 election result is calculated relative to the notional, not the actual, 1992 result.
  25. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  26. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  27. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  28. "UK General Election results June 1987". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  29. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  30. "UK General Election results June 1983". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
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