New Forest West
UK Parliament constituency (since 1997)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
New Forest West is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Desmond Swayne, a Conservative.[n 2]
| New Forest West | |
|---|---|
| County constituency for the House of Commons | |
 Boundaries since 2010 | |
Boundary of New Forest West in South East England | |
| County | Hampshire |
| Electorate | 71,009 (2023) [1] |
| Major settlements | |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 1997 |
| Member of Parliament | Desmond Swayne (Conservative) |
| Seats | One |
| Created from | New Forest |
Constituency profile
This constituency covers the part of the New Forest which is not covered by New Forest East, and southern coastal settlements just outside its boundaries. The largest settlements are Fordingbridge and Ringwood which are inland and coastal New Milton and Lymington.
For all areas the relevant local authority has a higher than average proportion of retired people, and a lower than national average extent of social housing and rented housing.[2] Housing types include far above average detached and semi-detached properties.[2] Coast and forest are contained in this area.[3]
Boundaries
1997–2010: The District of New Forest wards of Barton, Bashley, Becton, Bransgore and Sopley, Downlands, Fordingbridge, Forest North West, Forest West, Hordle, Lymington Town, Milford, Milton, Pennington, Ringwood North, Ringwood South, and Sway.
2010–2023: The District of New Forest wards of Barton, Bashley, Becton, Bransgore and Burley, Buckland, Downlands and Forest, Fernhill, Fordingbridge, Forest North West, Hordle, Lymington Town, Milford, Milton, Pennington, Ringwood East and Sopley, Ringwood North, and Ringwood South.
2023–present: Following a review of local authority ward boundaries, which became effective in May 2023,[4][5] the constituency now comprises the following:
- The District of New Forest wards of: Ashley, Bashley and Fernhill; Ballard; Barton and Becton; Bransgore, Burley, Sopley & Ringwood East; Downlands and Forest North; Fordingbridge, Godshill & Hyde; Lymington; Milford and Hordle; Milton; Pennington; Ringwood North and Ellingham; and Ringwood South.[6]
The 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which was based on the ward structure in place at 1 December 2020, left the boundaries unchanged.[7]
History
This constituency was created when the old New Forest constituency was divided for the 1997 general election. Since its creation, election results suggest a Conservative safe seat.
Members of Parliament
New Forest prior to 1997
| Election | Member[8] | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Sir Desmond Swayne | Conservative | |
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Desmond Swayne | 16,412 | 35.4 | −28.4 | |
| Labour | Sally Johnston | 10,812 | 23.3 | +10.2 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Jack Davies | 8,186 | 17.7 | +2.4 | |
| Reform | Reginald Chester-Sterne | 7,577 | 16.4 | New | |
| Green | Anna Collar | 2,800 | 6.0 | −1.7 | |
| Animal Welfare | Gavin Ridley | 393 | 0.8 | New | |
| SDP | Paul Simon | 157 | 0.3 | New | |
| Majority | 5,600 | 12.1 | −36.4 | ||
| Turnout | 46,337 | 67.5 | −3.3 | ||
| Registered electors | 68,644 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −19.3 | |||
Elections in the 2010s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Desmond Swayne | 32,113 | 63.8 | −3.0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Jack Davies | 7,710 | 15.3 | +5.7 | |
| Labour | Jo Graham | 6,595 | 13.1 | −6.5 | |
| Green | Nicholas Bubb | 3,888 | 7.7 | +4.8 | |
| Majority | 24,403 | 48.5 | +1.3 | ||
| Turnout | 50,306 | 71.3 | −1.5 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −4.35 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Desmond Swayne | 33,170 | 66.8 | +6.9 | |
| Labour | Jo Graham | 9,739 | 19.6 | +8.8 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Terry Scriven | 4,781 | 9.6 | +2.7 | |
| Green | Janet Richards | 1,454 | 2.9 | −2.9 | |
| Pirate | Des Hjerling | 483 | 1.0 | New | |
| Majority | 23,431 | 47.2 | +3.8 | ||
| Turnout | 49,627 | 72.8 | +3.6 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −0.95 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Desmond Swayne | 28,420 | 59.9 | +1.1 | |
| UKIP | Paul Bailey | 7,816 | 16.5 | +10.6 | |
| Labour | Lena Samuels | 5,133 | 10.8 | +1.0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Imogen Shepherd-DuBey | 3,293 | 6.9 | −16.4 | |
| Green | Janet Richards | 2,748 | 5.8 | +3.6 | |
| Majority | 20,604 | 43.4 | +7.9 | ||
| Turnout | 47,410 | 69.2 | −7.4 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −4.75 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Desmond Swayne | 27,980 | 58.8 | +2.9 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Mike Plummer | 11,084 | 23.3 | +4.1 | |
| Labour | Janice Hurne | 4,666 | 9.8 | −6.7 | |
| UKIP | Martin Lyon | 2,783 | 5.9 | +1.7 | |
| Green | Janet Richards | 1,059 | 2.2 | −1.8 | |
| Majority | 16,896 | 35.5 | −1.2 | ||
| Turnout | 47,572 | 69.6 | +3.5 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −0.6 | |||
Elections in the 2000s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Desmond Swayne | 26,004 | 56.4 | +0.7 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Murari Kaushik | 8,719 | 18.9 | −6.9 | |
| Labour | Janice Hurne | 7,590 | 16.5 | +1.8 | |
| UKIP | Brian Lawrence | 1,917 | 4.2 | +0.5 | |
| Green | Janet Richards | 1,837 | 4.0 | New | |
| Majority | 17,285 | 37.5 | +7.6 | ||
| Turnout | 46,067 | 66.5 | +1.5 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +3.8 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Desmond Swayne | 24,575 | 55.7 | +5.1 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Michael Bignell | 11,384 | 25.8 | −2.0 | |
| Labour | Crada N. Onuegbu | 6,481 | 14.7 | +0.4 | |
| UKIP | Michael Clark | 1,647 | 3.7 | +0.6 | |
| Majority | 13,191 | 29.9 | +7.1 | ||
| Turnout | 44,087 | 65.0 | −9.7 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +3.6 | |||
Elections in the 1990s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Desmond Swayne | 25,149 | 50.6 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | Robert C.H. Hale | 13,817 | 27.8 | ||
| Labour | David R. Griffiths | 7,092 | 14.3 | ||
| Referendum | Maureen A. Elliott | 2,150 | 4.3 | ||
| UKIP | Michael Holmes | 1,542 | 3.1 | ||
| Majority | 11,332 | 22.8 | |||
| Turnout | 49,750 | 74.7 | |||
| Conservative win (new seat) | |||||
See also
Notes
- A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
- 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.