Westbury (constituency)
Former parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Westbury was a parliamentary constituency in Wiltshire from 1449 to 2010. It was represented in the House of Commons of England until 1707, and then in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until 2010.
| Westbury | |
|---|---|
| Former county constituency for the House of Commons | |
Boundary of Westbury in Wiltshire for the 2005 general election | |
Location of Wiltshire within England | |
| County | Wiltshire |
| Major settlements | Westbury |
| 1449–2010 | |
| Seats | One (Two 1449–1832) |
| Replaced by | South West Wiltshire, Chippenham |
Until 1885, it was a parliamentary borough, returning two Members of Parliament (MPs) until 1832 and only one from 1832 to 1885. The parliamentary borough was abolished in 1885, when the name was transferred to a county constituency returning one MP. Elections used the bloc vote system when two MPs were returned, and the first-past-the-post system of election when one seat was contested.
Westbury returned a Conservative Member at every election after 1924.
Boundaries

Originally a small pocket borough, covering only a small part of the parish of Westbury, the Reform Act 1832 expanded it to take in the whole parish, which then included Bratton, Heywood, Dilton Marsh, Dilton, and most of today's Chapmanslade. In 1885, the Westbury parliamentary borough was abolished, and a new county constituency of Westbury was created, with the same name, but covering a much larger area. The boundaries of that changed over the years, until in 2010 the Westbury constituency was abolished and replaced by South-West Wiltshire.
1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Bradford-on-Avon, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, and Whorwellsdown, and part of the Sessional Division of Warminster.
1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Bradford-on-Avon, Melksham, Trowbridge, Warminster, and Westbury, and the Rural Districts of Bradford-on-Avon, Melksham, Mere, Warminster, and Westbury with Whorwellsdown.
1950–1974: The Urban Districts of Bradford-on-Avon, Melksham, Trowbridge, Warminster, and Westbury, and the Rural Districts of Bradford-on-Avon and Melksham, Mere and Tisbury, and Warminster and Westbury.
1974–1983: As before but with redrawn boundaries as a result of the Local Government Act 1972.
1983–1997: The District of West Wiltshire, and the District of Salisbury wards of Knoyle, Mere, and Western.
1997–2010: The District of West Wiltshire wards of Adcroft, Bradford-on-Avon North, Bradford-on-Avon South, College, Corsley, Dilton Marsh, Drynham, Ethandune, Holt, John O'Gaunt, Manor Vale, Mid Wylye Valley, Park, Paxcroft, Shearwater, Summerham, Warminster East, Warminster West, Weavers, Westbrook, Westbury with Storridge, and Wylye Valley, and the District of Salisbury wards of Knoyle, Mere, and Western.
Following a review of parliamentary representation in Wiltshire, the Boundary Commission for England created two new constituencies in the county. Chippenham, mostly from the adjoining North Wiltshire, plus the town of Bradford-on-Avon at the northern end of the Westbury constituency, while the rest of Westbury saw minor changes to its composition and was renamed South West Wiltshire. These changes were approved in 2005, to take effect at the following general election, which took place in 2010.
Members of Parliament
Westbury borough (before 1885)
MPs 1449–1640
| Parliament | First member | Second member |
|---|---|---|
| 1491 | Sir Thomas Long of Draycot | |
| 1510-1523 | No names known [1] | |
| 1529 | Thomas Kirton | Thomas Temys[1] |
| 1536 | ? | |
| 1539 | ? | |
| 1542 | ? | |
| 1545 | William Hartgill | Geoffrey Carter[1] |
| 1547 | John Stokes | Kenelm Throckmorton[1] |
| 1553 (Mar) | ? | |
| 1553 (Oct) | Andrew Baynton | Griffin Curteys[1] |
| 1554 (Apr) | Griffin Curteys | Peter Morgan[1] |
| 1554 (Nov) | William Bennett | Griffin Curteys[1] |
| 1555 | Sir Thomas Throckmorton | William Hoskins[1] |
| 1558 | John Buckland | William Allen Helyer[1] |
| 1559 | Anthony Carleton | Ralph Skinner[2] |
| 1562–3 | Hugh Ryley | John Dyster[2] |
| 1571 | Francis Blount | Thomas Long[2] |
| 1572 | William Brouncker | Henry Brouncker[2] |
| 1584 | Edward Midwinter[2] | |
| 1586 | Robert Baynard | Henry Whitaker[2] |
| 1588 | Sir Henry Fanshawe | John Bennett[2] |
| 1593 | William Jordyn | Sir Henry Fanshawe[2] |
| 1597 | Matthew Ley | James Ley[2][3] |
| 1601 | Henry Jackman[2] | |
| 1604 | James Ley | |
| 1605 | Alexander Chocke | |
| 1609 | James Ley | |
| 1614 | Henry Ley | |
| 1621 | Sir James Ley replaced by Walter Long | Sir Miles Fleetwood |
| 1624 | Sir Henry Ley | Sir Henry Mildmay |
| 1625 | Sir Walter Long | Gifford Long |
| 1626 | Thomas Hopton | |
| 1628 | Maximilian Petty | Charles Thynne |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned | |
MPs 1640–1832
MPs 1832–1885
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | Sir Ralph Lopes | Whig[15] | |
| 1837 | John Ivatt Briscoe | Whig[15][17][18][19][20] | |
| 1841 | Sir Ralph Lopes | Conservative[15] | |
| 1847 | James Wilson | Whig[21][22][23] | |
| 1857 | Sir Massey Lopes | Conservative | |
| 1868 | John Lewis Phipps[24] | Conservative | |
| 1869 by-election | Charles Paul Phipps | Conservative | |
| 1874 | Abraham Laverton | Liberal | |
| 1880 | Charles N. P. Phipps | Conservative | |
| 1885 | Borough abolished - name transferred to a new county division | ||
Westbury County constituency (1885–2010)
Elections
Elections in the 1830s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tory | Alexander Grant | Unopposed | |||
| Tory | Michael Prendergast | Unopposed | |||
| Tory hold | |||||
| Tory hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tory | Henry Hanmer | Unopposed | |||
| Whig | Ralph Lopes | Unopposed | |||
| Tory hold | |||||
| Whig gain from Tory | |||||
Hanmer resigned, causing a by-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | Ralph Lopes | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 185 | ||||
| Whig hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | Ralph Lopes | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 192 | ||||
| Whig hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | John Ivatt Briscoe | 98 | 50.5 | ||
| Conservative | Ralph Lopes | 96 | 49.5 | ||
| Majority | 2 | 1.0 | |||
| Turnout | 194 | 91.1 | |||
| Registered electors | 213 | ||||
| Whig hold | |||||
Elections in the 1840s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Ralph Lopes | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 291 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Whig | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | James Wilson | 170 | 53.3 | New | |
| Conservative | Matthew Higgins[28] | 149 | 46.7 | N/A | |
| Majority | 21 | 6.6 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 319 | 93.3 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 342 | ||||
| Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |||
Elections in the 1850s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | James Wilson | 145 | 51.2 | −2.1 | |
| Conservative | Massey Lopes | 138 | 48.8 | +2.1 | |
| Majority | 7 | 2.4 | −4.2 | ||
| Turnout | 283 | 90.1 | −3.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 314 | ||||
| Whig hold | Swing | −2.1 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Massey Lopes | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 342 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Whig | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Massey Lopes | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 328 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Elections in the 1860s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Massey Lopes | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 300 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | John Lewis Phipps | 492 | 51.4 | N/A | |
| Liberal | Abraham Laverton | 465 | 48.6 | New | |
| Majority | 27 | 2.8 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 957 | 91.5 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 1,046 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
The 1868 election was declared void on petition, due to intimidation of the electorate, causing a by-election.[29]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Charles Paul Phipps | 499 | 50.6 | −0.8 | |
| Liberal | Abraham Laverton | 488 | 49.4 | +0.8 | |
| Majority | 11 | 1.2 | −1.6 | ||
| Turnout | 987 | 94.4 | +2.9 | ||
| Registered electors | 1,046 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −0.8 | |||
Elections in the 1870s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Abraham Laverton | 540 | 51.0 | +2.4 | |
| Conservative | Charles Paul Phipps | 518 | 49.0 | −2.4 | |
| Majority | 22 | 2.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 1,058 | 94.2 | +2.7 | ||
| Registered electors | 1,123 | ||||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.4 | |||
Elections in the 1880s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Charles N. P. Phipps | 559 | 52.5 | +3.5 | |
| Liberal | Abraham Laverton | 505 | 47.5 | −3.5 | |
| Majority | 54 | 5.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 1,064 | 94.6 | +0.4 | ||
| Registered electors | 1,125 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +3.5 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | George Fuller | 5,333 | 59.4 | +11.9 | |
| Conservative | Henry Thynne | 3,639 | 40.6 | −11.9 | |
| Majority | 1,694 | 18.8 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 8,972 | 84.9 | −9.7 | ||
| Registered electors | 10,566 | ||||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +11.9 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | George Fuller | 4,663 | 56.0 | −3.4 | |
| Liberal Unionist | Thomas George Palmer Hallett[31] | 3,670 | 44.0 | +3.4 | |
| Majority | 993 | 12.0 | −6.8 | ||
| Turnout | 8,333 | 78.9 | −6.0 | ||
| Registered electors | 10,566 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | −3.4 | |||
Elections in the 1890s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | George Fuller | 4,554 | 53.7 | −2.3 | |
| Conservative | William Henry Laverton | 3,930 | 46.3 | +2.3 | |
| Majority | 624 | 7.4 | −4.6 | ||
| Turnout | 8,484 | 77.2 | −1.7 | ||
| Registered electors | 10,989 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | −2.3 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Richard Chaloner | 4,497 | 50.9 | +4.6 | |
| Liberal | George Fuller | 4,331 | 49.1 | −4.6 | |
| Majority | 166 | 1.8 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 8,828 | 90.3 | +13.1 | ||
| Registered electors | 9,777 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.6 | |||
Elections in the 1900s

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | John Fuller | 4,520 | 53.3 | +4.2 | |
| Conservative | Richard Chaloner | 3,961 | 46.7 | −4.2 | |
| Majority | 559 | 6.6 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 8,481 | 86.7 | −3.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 9,782 | ||||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.2 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | John Fuller | 5,264 | 58.2 | +4.9 | |
| Conservative | Edward Plunkett, Lord Dunsany | 3,788 | 41.8 | −4.9 | |
| Majority | 1,476 | 16.4 | +9.8 | ||
| Turnout | 9,052 | 89.4 | +2.7 | ||
| Registered electors | 10,130 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +4.9 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | John Fuller | Unopposed | |||
| Liberal hold | |||||
Elections in the 1910s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | John Fuller | 5,187 | 53.9 | −4.3 | |
| Conservative | R. C. C. Long | 4,433 | 46.1 | +4.3 | |
| Majority | 754 | 7.8 | −8.6 | ||
| Turnout | 9,620 | 92.4 | +3.0 | ||
| Registered electors | 10,411 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | −4.3 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | John Fuller | 5,041 | 54.8 | +0.9 | |
| Conservative | George Palmer | 4,152 | 45.2 | −0.9 | |
| Majority | 889 | 9.6 | +1.8 | ||
| Turnout | 9,193 | 88.3 | −4.1 | ||
| Registered electors | 10,411 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +0.9 | |||

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Geoffrey Howard | 5,073 | 53.0 | −1.8 | |
| Conservative | George Palmer | 4,492 | 47.0 | +1.8 | |
| Majority | 581 | 6.0 | −3.6 | ||
| Turnout | 9,565 | 90.1 | +1.8 | ||
| Registered electors | 10,612 | ||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | −1.8 | |||
General Election 1914–15
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
- Liberal Party: Geoffrey Howard
- Unionist Party:George Palmer
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Unionist | George Palmer | 9,261 | 49.1 | +3.9 |
| Liberal | Geoffrey Howard | 6,064 | 32.1 | −22.7 | |
| Labour | Ernest Bennett | 3,537 | 18.8 | New | |
| Majority | 3,197 | 17.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 18,862 | 64.6 | −23.7 | ||
| Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | +13.3 | |||
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. | |||||
Elections in the 1920s

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Charles Darbishire | 9,903 | 41.7 | +9.6 | |
| Unionist | George Palmer | 9,262 | 39.0 | −10.1 | |
| Labour | George Ward | 4,572 | 19.3 | +0.5 | |
| Majority | 641 | 2.7 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 23,737 | 81.0 | +16.4 | ||
| Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Charles Darbishire | 10,867 | 43.2 | +1.5 | |
| Unionist | Walter William Shaw | 9,891 | 39.4 | +0.4 | |
| Labour | George Ward | 4,372 | 17.4 | −1.9 | |
| Majority | 976 | 3.8 | +1.1 | ||
| Turnout | 25,130 | 83.5 | +2.5 | ||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +0.6 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Walter William Shaw | 11,559 | 44.2 | +4.8 | |
| Liberal | Charles Darbishire | 9,848 | 37.7 | −5.5 | |
| Labour | George Ward | 4,731 | 18.1 | +0.7 | |
| Majority | 1,711 | 6.5 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 26,138 | 84.9 | +1.4 | ||
| Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Richard Long | 10,623 | 40.1 | −4.1 | |
| Liberal | Harcourt Johnstone | 10,474 | 39.5 | +1.8 | |
| Labour | George Ward | 5,396 | 20.4 | +2.3 | |
| Majority | 149 | 0.6 | −5.9 | ||
| Turnout | 26,493 | 84.6 | −0.3 | ||
| Unionist hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Richard Long | 12,907 | 38.8 | −1.3 | |
| Liberal | Harcourt Johnstone | 12,840 | 38.7 | −0.8 | |
| Labour | George Ward | 7,458 | 22.5 | +2.1 | |
| Majority | 67 | 0.1 | −0.5 | ||
| Turnout | 33,205 | 87.1 | +2.5 | ||
| Unionist hold | Swing | -0.3 | |||
Elections in the 1930s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Robert Grimston | 16,949 | 51.2 | +12.4 | |
| Liberal | John Hobbis Harris | 11,014 | 33.3 | −5.4 | |
| Labour | Maurice Hackett | 5,127 | 15.5 | −7.0 | |
| Majority | 5,935 | 17.9 | +17.8 | ||
| Turnout | 33,090 | 85.4 | −1.7 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +8.9 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Robert Grimston | 15,804 | 49.0 | −2.2 | |
| Liberal | Charles Byers | 10,789 | 33.5 | +0.2 | |
| Labour | R. St John Reade | 5,641 | 17.5 | +2.0 | |
| Majority | 5,015 | 15.5 | −2.4 | ||
| Turnout | 32,234 | 80.1 | −5.3 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | -1.2 | |||
General Election 1939–40
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
- Conservative: Robert Grimston
- Liberal: Harcourt Johnstone[33]
- Labour: George Ward[34]
Elections in the 1940s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Robert Grimston | 14,328 | 39.0 | −10.0 | |
| Labour | George Ward | 13,397 | 36.5 | +19.0 | |
| Liberal | Walter Geoffrey Milne | 9,004 | 24.5 | −9.0 | |
| Majority | 931 | 2.5 | −13.0 | ||
| Turnout | 36,729 | 75.5 | −4.6 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | -14.5 | |||
Elections in the 1950s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Robert Grimston | 17,445 | 39.5 | +0.5 | |
| Labour | Reginald James Travess | 15,766 | 35.6 | −0.9 | |
| Liberal | Harold Banning Richardson | 11,031 | 24.9 | +0.4 | |
| Majority | 1,679 | 3.9 | +1.4 | ||
| Turnout | 44,242 | 86.3 | +10.8 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Robert Grimston | 19,654 | 43.7 | +4.2 | |
| Labour | Reginald James Travess | 17,623 | 39.2 | +3.6 | |
| Liberal | Harold Banning Richardson | 7,666 | 17.1 | −7.8 | |
| Majority | 2,031 | 4.5 | +0.6 | ||
| Turnout | 44,943 | 86.2 | −0.1 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Robert Grimston | 19,684 | 45.6 | +1.9 | |
| Labour | Reginald James Travess | 16,295 | 37.8 | −1.4 | |
| Liberal | Peter Leslie Martin Hurd | 7,165 | 16.6 | −0.5 | |
| Majority | 3,389 | 7.8 | +3.3 | ||
| Turnout | 43,144 | 82.4 | −3.8 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Robert Grimston | 20,396 | 45.6 | 0.0 | |
| Labour | Jasper Ridley | 14,570 | 32.5 | −5.3 | |
| Liberal | Basil Wigoder | 9,816 | 21.9 | +5.3 | |
| Majority | 5,826 | 13.1 | +5.3 | ||
| Turnout | 44,782 | 84.1 | +1.7 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1960s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Dennis Walters | 19,950 | 43.1 | −2.5 | |
| Labour | Philip William Hopkins | 15,049 | 32.6 | +0.1 | |
| Liberal | Basil Wigoder | 11,232 | 24.3 | +2.4 | |
| Majority | 4,901 | 10.5 | −2.6 | ||
| Turnout | 46,231 | 82.8 | −1.3 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Dennis Walters | 20,989 | 43.6 | +0.5 | |
| Labour | Philip William Hopkins | 18,192 | 37.8 | +5.2 | |
| Liberal | Iain Meiklejohn Fowler | 8,962 | 18.6 | −5.7 | |
| Majority | 2,797 | 5.8 | −4.7 | ||
| Turnout | 48,143 | 82.5 | −0.3 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1970s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Dennis Walters | 26,524 | 50.3 | +6.7 | |
| Labour | John McLaren | 17,413 | 33.0 | −4.8 | |
| Liberal | Robert George Otter | 8,781 | 16.7 | −1.9 | |
| Majority | 9,111 | 17.3 | +11.5 | ||
| Turnout | 52,718 | 77.0 | −5.5 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Dennis Walters | 26,197 | 43.0 | −7.3 | |
| Liberal | A. W. Glyn Court | 17,778 | 29.2 | +12.5 | |
| Labour | Anthony J. Smith | 16,453 | 27.0 | −6.0 | |
| Wessex Regionalists | Viscount Weymouth | 521 | 0.8 | New | |
| Majority | 8,419 | 13.8 | −3.5 | ||
| Turnout | 60,949 | 83.5 | +6.5 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Dennis Walters | 24,172 | 41.7 | −1.3 | |
| Liberal | A. W. Glyn Court | 18,129 | 31.3 | +2.1 | |
| Labour | Anthony J. Smith | 15,613 | 27.0 | 0.0 | |
| Majority | 6,043 | 10.4 | −3.4 | ||
| Turnout | 57,914 | 78.7 | −4.7 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Dennis Walters | 29,929 | 47.2 | +5.5 | |
| Liberal | P. Jackson | 15,950 | 25.1 | −6.2 | |
| Labour | P. R. Atkins | 12,532 | 19.8 | −7.2 | |
| Independent | S. Alexander | 2,547 | 4.0 | New | |
| Wessex Regionalists | Tom Thatcher | 1,905 | 3.0 | New | |
| Ecology | Sally Rodwell | 554 | 0.9 | New | |
| Majority | 13,979 | 22.1 | +11.7 | ||
| Turnout | 63,417 | 79.7 | +1.0 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1980s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Dennis Walters | 31,133 | 51.4 | ||
| Liberal | David J. Hughes | 22,627 | 37.4 | ||
| Labour | Haydn W. Thomas | 6,058 | 10.0 | ||
| Ecology | Paul W. Ekins | 609 | 1.0 | ||
| Wessex Regionalists | John C. Banks | 131 | 0.2 | ||
| Majority | 8,506 | 14.0 | |||
| Turnout | 60,558 | 75.5 | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Dennis Walters | 34,256 | 51.6 | +0.2 | |
| Liberal | David J. Hughes | 24,159 | 36.4 | −1.0 | |
| Labour | Haydn W. Thomas | 7,982 | 12.0 | +2.0 | |
| Majority | 10,097 | 15.2 | +1.2 | ||
| Turnout | 66,397 | 78.2 | +2.73 | ||
| Registered electors | 84,860 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.1 | |||
Elections in the 1990s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | David Faber | 36,568 | 50.4 | −1.2 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Vivienne A. Rayner | 23,950 | 33.0 | −3.4 | |
| Labour | William Stallard | 9,642 | 13.3 | +1.3 | |
| Liberal | Paul I. Macdonald | 1,440 | 2.0 | New | |
| Green | Patrick R. French | 888 | 1.2 | New | |
| Majority | 12,618 | 17.4 | +2.2 | ||
| Turnout | 72,488 | 82.8 | +4.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 87,356 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +1.1 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | David Faber | 23,037 | 40.6 | −9.8 | |
| Liberal Democrats | John Miller | 16,969 | 29.9 | −3.1 | |
| Labour | Kevin Small | 11,969 | 21.1 | +7.8 | |
| Liberal | George Hawkins | 1,956 | 3.4 | +1.4 | |
| Referendum | Nick Hawkings-Byass | 1,909 | 3.4 | New | |
| UKIP | R. Westbury | 771 | 1.4 | New | |
| Natural Law | Colin Haysom | 140 | 0.2 | New | |
| Majority | 6,068 | 10.7 | −6.7 | ||
| Turnout | 56,751 | 76.2 | −6.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 74,457 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | 3.4 | |||
Elections in the 2000s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Andrew Murrison | 21,299 | 42.1 | +1.5 | |
| Liberal Democrats | David Vigar | 16,005 | 31.6 | +1.7 | |
| Labour | Sarah Cardy | 10,847 | 21.4 | +0.3 | |
| UKIP | Charles Booth-James | 1,261 | 2.5 | +1.1 | |
| Green | Bob Gledhill | 1,216 | 2.4 | New | |
| Majority | 5,294 | 10.5 | −0.2 | ||
| Turnout | 50,628 | 66.6 | −9.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 76,056 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.1 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Andrew Murrison | 24,749 | 44.5 | +2.4 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Duncan Hames | 19,400 | 34.9 | +3.3 | |
| Labour | Paul Gibby | 9,640 | 17.3 | −4.1 | |
| UKIP | Lincoln Williams | 1,815 | 3.3 | +0.8 | |
| Majority | 5,346 | 9.6 | −0.9 | ||
| Turnout | 55,604 | 67.0 | +0.4 | ||
| Registered electors | 82,380 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.4 | |||