North Wiltshire (constituency)
UK Parliament constituency (1832–1885, 1983–2024)
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North Wiltshire was a constituency[n 1] in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was represented since its 1983 recreation by the Conservative Party.[n 2] In the period 1832–1983, North Wiltshire was an alternative name for Chippenham or the Northern Division of Wiltshire and as Chippenham dates to the original countrywide Parliament, the Model Parliament, this period is covered in more detail in that article.
| North Wiltshire | |
|---|---|
| Former county constituency for the House of Commons | |
Boundary of North Wiltshire in Wiltshire for the 2010 general election | |
 Location of Wiltshire within England | |
| County | Wiltshire |
| Electorate | 67,154 (December 2010)[1] |
| Major settlements | Calne, Royal Wootton Bassett, Cricklade, Malmesbury |
| 1983–2024 | |
| Seats | One |
| Created from | Chippenham |
| Replaced by | Chippenham Melksham and Devizes South Cotswolds |
| 1832–1885 | |
| Replaced by | Cricklade Chippenham Devizes Westbury |
The seat was abolished for the 2024 general election and replaced by parts of three other constituencies.[2]
Boundaries
1832–1885: The Hundreds of Chippenham, North Damerham, Bradford, Melksham, Potterne and Cannings, Calne, Selkley, Ramsbury, Whorwelsdown, Swanborough, Highworth, Cricklade and Staple, Kingsbridge, and Malmesbury.[3]
1983–1997: The District of North Wiltshire.
1997–2010: The District of North Wiltshire wards of Allington, Ashton Keynes, Audley, Avon, Box, Bremhill, Brinkworth, Colerne, Corsham, Crudwell, Hill Rise, Hilmarton, Kington Langley, Kington St Michael, Lacock, Lyneham, Malmesbury, Malmesbury Road, Minety, Monkton Park, Neston and Gastard, Nettleton, Park, Pickwick, Purton, Queen's, Redland, St Paul Malmesbury Without, Sherston, Somerford, The Lydiards, Town, Westcroft, Wootton Bassett North, and Wootton Bassett South.
2010–2024: The District of North Wiltshire wards of Ashton Keynes and Minety, Box, Bremhill, Brinkworth and The Somerfords, Calne Abberd, Calne Chilvester, Calne Lickhill, Calne Marden, Calne Priestley, Calne Quemerford, Calne Without, Colerne, Cricklade, Hilmarton, Kington Langley, Kington St Michael, Lyneham, Malmesbury, Nettleton, Purton, St Paul Malmesbury Without and Sherston, The Lydiards and Broad Town, Wootton Bassett North, and Wootton Bassett South.
The constituency covered most of the northern third of Wiltshire. However, it excluded the eastern town of Swindon which was represented as North Swindon and South Swindon.
North Wiltshire constituency was formed by a renaming for the 1983 general election, with boundaries identical to the former Chippenham constituency (1885–1983).[4] The constituency sat between the Cotswolds and Swindon. Its main towns were Calne, Royal Wootton Bassett, Cricklade and Malmesbury, and it also contained villages, both small and large, spread over a large area of farming countryside, including the well-known (often-painted and photographed) village of Castle Combe.
For the 2010 general election the North Wiltshire constituency changed radically as a result of boundary change recommendations. The revised constituency covered a northern swathe of the previous version, retaining the towns of Malmesbury, Cricklade, Royal Wootton Bassett and Calne,[n 3] while the largest southern town of Chippenham was given its own seat (which was previously abolished in 1983) that brought in the nearby market towns of Bradford on Avon and Melksham.[5]
Abolition
As a result of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished with effect from the 2024 general election, with its voters distributed into three others:[2]
- Some northern and western electoral divisions, including Cricklade, Purton, and Malmesbury, went into the new seat of South Cotswolds
- Some southern and eastern divisions, including Royal Wootton Bassett, Lyneham, and most of the town of Calne, were added to a restored Chippenham constituency
- The Box and Colerne and the Calne South division were put into the new seat of Melksham and Devizes
Members of Parliament
MPs 1832–1885
| Election | First member[6] | First party | Second member[6] | Second party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | Paul Methuen | Whig[7] | Sir John Astley, Bt | Whig[7] | ||
| 1835 | Walter Long | Whig[7] | ||||
| 1837 | Francis Burdett | Conservative[7] | ||||
| 1841 | Conservative[7] | |||||
| February 1844 | T. H. S. Sotheron-Estcourt | Conservative[7] | ||||
| March 1865 | Lord Charles Bruce | Liberal | ||||
| 1865 | Richard Penruddocke Long | Conservative | ||||
| 1868 | George Jenkinson | Conservative | ||||
| 1874 | George Sotheron-Estcourt | Conservative | ||||
| 1880 | Walter Long | Conservative | ||||
| 1885 | Redistribution of Seats Act: constituency abolished; see Chippenham constituency | |||||
MPs since 1983
| Election | Member[6] | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Richard Needham | Conservative | |
| 1997 | James Gray | Conservative | |
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | James Gray | 32,373 | 59.1 |  1.2 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Brian Mathew | 14,747 | 26.9 |  9.2 | |
| Labour | Jonathan Fisher | 5,699 | 10.4 | 7.1 | |
| Green | Bonnie Jackson | 1,939 | 3.5 | 1.4 | |
| Majority | 17,626 | 32.2 | 10.4 | ||
| Turnout | 54,758 | 75.0 | 0.3 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | 5.2 |
|||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | James Gray | 32,398 | 60.3 | 3.1 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Brian Mathew | 9,521 | 17.7 | 2.1 | |
| Labour | Peter Baldrey | 9,399 | 17.5 | 7.7 | |
| Green | Phil Chamberlain | 1,141 | 2.1 | 2.5 | |
| UKIP | Paddy Singh | 871 | 1.6 | 9.9 | |
| Independent | Lisa Tweedie | 376 | 0.7 | New | |
| Majority | 22,877 | 42.6 | 1.0 | ||
| Turnout | 53,706 | 75.34 | 0.84 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | 0.5 |
|||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | James Gray[11] | 28,938 | 57.2 | 5.6 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Brian Mathew[11] | 7,892 | 15.6 | 20.6 | |
| UKIP | Pat Bryant[12] | 5,813 | 11.5 | 7.6 | |
| Labour | Peter Baldrey | 4,930 | 9.8 | 3.1 | |
| Green | Phil Chamberlain[13] | 2,350 | 4.6 | 3.4 | |
| Independent | Simon Killane[11] | 390 | 0.8 | New | |
| Independent | Giles Wareham | 243 | 0.5 | New | |
| Majority | 21,046 | 41.6 | 26.2 | ||
| Turnout | 50,556 | 74.5 | 1.1 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | 13.15 |
|||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | James Gray | 25,114 | 51.6 | +1.9 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Michael Evemy | 17,631 | 36.2 | +1.8 | |
| Labour | Jason Hughes | 3,239 | 6.7 | −5.3 | |
| UKIP | Charles Bennett | 1,908 | 3.9 | +1.2 | |
| Green | Philip Chamberlain | 599 | 1.2 | New | |
| Independent | Philip Allnatt | 208 | 0.4 | −0.6 | |
| Majority | 7,483 | 15.4 | +5.9 | ||
| Turnout | 48,699 | 73.4 | +3.9 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.05 | |||
Elections in the 2000s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | James Gray | 26,282 | 46.9 | +1.4 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Paul Fox | 20,979 | 37.4 | −0.8 | |
| Labour | David Nash | 6,794 | 12.1 | −2.2 | |
| UKIP | Neil Dowdney | 1,428 | 2.5 | +0.4 | |
| Independent | Philip Allnatt | 578 | 1.0 | New | |
| Majority | 5,303 | 9.5 | +2.2 | ||
| Turnout | 56,061 | 69.3 | +2.0 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +1.1 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | James Gray | 24,090 | 45.5 | +1.7 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Hugh Pym | 20,212 | 38.2 | +0.4 | |
| Labour | Joanne Garton | 7,556 | 14.3 | +0.1 | |
| UKIP | Neil Dowdney | 1,090 | 2.1 | +1.4 | |
| Majority | 3,878 | 7.3 | +1.3 | ||
| Turnout | 52,948 | 67.3 | −7.6 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +0.7 | |||
Elections in the 1990s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | James Gray | 25,390 | 43.8 | −12.4 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Simon Cordon | 21,915 | 37.8 | +6.3 | |
| Labour | Nigel Knowles | 8,261 | 14.2 | +4.1 | |
| Referendum | Margaret Purves | 1,774 | 3.1 | New | |
| UKIP | Alan Wood | 410 | 0.7 | New | |
| Natural Law | Joan Forsyth | 263 | 0.4 | New | |
| Majority | 3,475 | 6.0 | −16.4 | ||
| Turnout | 58,013 | 74.9 | −6.8 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −9.3 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Richard Needham | 39,028 | 55.6 | +0.5 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Christine Napier | 22,640 | 32.3 | −5.8 | |
| Labour | Christine Reid | 6,945 | 9.9 | +3.1 | |
| Green | Lydia Howitt | 850 | 1.2 | New | |
| Liberal | George Hawkins | 622 | 0.9 | New | |
| Independent | David Martienssen | 66 | 0.1 | New | |
| Majority | 16,388 | 23.4 | +6.4 | ||
| Turnout | 70,151 | 81.7 | +2.4 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +3.1 | |||
Elections in the 1980s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Richard Needham | 35,309 | 55.1 | +2.1 | |
| Liberal | Christopher Graham | 24,370 | 38.1 | −2.5 | |
| Labour | Christine Reid | 4,343 | 6.8 | +1.8 | |
| Majority | 10,939 | 17.0 | +4.6 | ||
| Turnout | 64,022 | 79.3 | +2.7 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Richard Needham | 30,924 | 53.0 | +3.9 | |
| Liberal | Christopher Graham | 23,692 | 40.6 | −0.7 | |
| Labour | Stephen Allsop | 2,888 | 5.0 | −3.7 | |
| Ecology | Edward Barham | 678 | 1.2 | New | |
| Justice for Divorced Fathers | Henri de la Perriere | 113 | 0.2 | New | |
| Majority | 7,232 | 12.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 58,295 | 76.6 | 4.5 | ||
| Conservative win (new seat) | |||||
Elections in the 1880s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Walter Long | 3,090 | 35.5 | −0.5 | |
| Conservative | George Sotheron-Estcourt | 2,836 | 32.6 | −4.2 | |
| Liberal | George Fuller | 2,784 | 32.0 | +4.8 | |
| Majority | 52 | 0.6 | −8.2 | ||
| Turnout | 5,747 (est) | 79.3 (est) | +2.1 | ||
| Registered electors | 7,249 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −1.5 | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −3.3 | |||
Elections in the 1870s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | George Bucknall-Estcourt | 3,195 | 36.8 | +18.0 | |
| Conservative | George Jenkinson | 3,129 | 36.0 | +17.2 | |
| Liberal | Charles Bruce | 2,358 | 27.2 | −35.3 | |
| Majority | 771 | 8.8 | +6.5 | ||
| Turnout | 5,520 (est) | 77.2 (est) | +3.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 7,152 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +17.8 | |||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +17.4 | |||
Elections in the 1860s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | George Jenkinson | 2,769 | 37.5 | −23.0 | |
| Liberal | Charles Bruce | 2,600 | 35.2 | +15.4 | |
| Liberal | Joseph Trigge Schomberg | 2,016 | 27.3 | +7.5 | |
| Majority | 169 | 2.3 | |||
| Turnout | 5,077 (est) | 74.0 (est) | +0.3 | ||
| Registered electors | 6,857 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −17.2 | |||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +13.5 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Charles Bruce | 2,151 | 39.6 | N/A | |
| Conservative | Richard Penruddocke Long | 1,911 | 35.2 | N/A | |
| Conservative | George Jenkinson | 1,373 | 25.3 | N/A | |
| Majority | 240 | 4.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 3,793 (est) | 73.7 (est) | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 5,146 | ||||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Charles Bruce | Unopposed | |||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | |||||
- Caused by Sotheron-Estcourt's resignation due to ill health.[24]
Elections in the 1850s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | T. H. S. Sotheron-Estcourt | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative | Walter Long | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 4,417 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | T. H. S. Sotheron-Estcourt | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
- Caused by Sotheron-Estcourt's appointment as Home Secretary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | T. H. S. Sotheron-Estcourt | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
- Caused by Sotheron-Estcourt's appointment as President of the Poor Law Board
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | T. H. S. Sotheron-Estcourt | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative | Walter Long | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 4,400 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | T. H. S. Sotheron | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative | Walter Long | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 4,955 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Elections in the 1840s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | T. H. S. Sotheron | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative | Walter Long | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 5,165 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | T. H. S. Sotheron | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
- Caused by Burdett's death.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Francis Burdett | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative | Walter Long | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 5,241 | ||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Conservative gain from Whig | |||||
Elections in the 1830s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Francis Burdett | 2,365 | 36.7 | ||
| Whig | Walter Long | 2,197 | 34.1 | ||
| Whig | Paul Methuen | 1,876 | 29.1 | ||
| Majority | 321 | 5.0 | |||
| Turnout | 4,183 | 82.5 | |||
| Registered electors | 5,068 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Whig | |||||
| Whig hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | Walter Long | Unopposed | |||
| Whig | Paul Methuen | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 3,560 | ||||
| Whig hold | |||||
| Whig hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whig | Paul Methuen | 1,835 | 46.8 | ||
| Whig | John Astley | 1,683 | 42.9 | ||
| Radical | John Edridge | 403 | 10.3 | ||
| Majority | 1,280 | 32.6 | |||
| Turnout | 2,332 | 64.5 | |||
| Registered electors | 3,614 | ||||
| Whig win (new seat) | |||||
| Whig 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.
- Since 2010 Calne is the furthest south