Romsey (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 51°00′14″N 1°29′28″W / 51.004°N 1.491°W / 51.004; -1.491

Romsey
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Boundary of Romsey in Hampshire for the 2005 general election.

Outline map

Location of Hampshire within England.
County Hampshire
19832010
Number of members One
Replaced by Romsey and Southampton North
Created from Eastleigh, New Forest

Romsey was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Boundaries

1983-1997: The Borough of Test Valley wards of Abbey, Blackwater, Chilworth and Nursling, Cuppernham, Field, North Baddesley, Romsey Extra, and Tadburn, and the District of New Forest wards of Blackfield and Langley, Colbury, Dibden and Hythe North, Dibden Purlieu, Fawley Holbury, Hythe South, Marchwood, Netley Marsh, Totton Central, Totton North, and Totton South.

1997-2010: The Borough of Test Valley wards of Abbey, Blackwater, Chilworth and Nursling, Cuppernham, Dun Valley, Field, Harewood, Kings Somborne and Michelmersh, Nether Wallop and Broughton, North Baddesley, Over Wallop, Romsey Extra, Stockbridge, and Tadburn, the Borough of Eastleigh wards of Chandler’s Ford, Hiltingbury East, and Hiltingbury West, and the City of Southampton ward of Bassett.

The constituency was located in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, although it covered a smaller area with parts of the Test Valley to the north being part of the North West Hampshire constituency. The main town within the constituency was Romsey.

History

The constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the seats of Eastleigh and New Forest. It was originally named Romsey and Waterside and included areas such as Hythe and Fawley on the west side of Southampton Water. In 1997 it lost the Waterside area and gained the Bassett Ward of the City of Southampton, and new territory in the north of the Test Valley district, and was consequently renamed to just Romsey. The first MP, Michael Colvin, held the constituency from its creation until his death in 2000. This led to a by-election, which was won by Liberal Democrat Sandra Gidley, who held the seat in the two subsequent General Elections.

Following their review of parliamentary representation in Hampshire, the Boundary Commission for England created a modified Romsey constituency called Romsey and Southampton North, to reflect the fact that two wards of Southampton form part of the constituency (though one ward had in fact formed part of the constituency since 1997).

Sandra Gidley lost to the Conservatives in the 2010 General Election when she contested the new seat. She was succeeded by Caroline Nokes.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember [1] Party
1983 constituency created as Romsey and Waterside
1983 Michael Colvin Conservative
1997 constituency renamed Romsey
1997 Michael Colvin Conservative
2000 by-election Sandra Gidley Liberal Democrat
2010 constituency abolished: see Romsey and Southampton North

Elections

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1983: Romsey and Waterside
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Michael Colvin 30,361 56.6 N/A
Social Democratic Alan Thomas Bloss 16,671 31.1 N/A
Labour M.W. Knight 6,604 12.3 N/A
Majority 13,690 25.5 N/A
Turnout 75.8 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)
General Election 1987: Romsey and Waterside
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Michael Colvin 35,303 56.4 −0.2
Social Democratic Alan Thomas Bloss 20,031 32.0 +0.9
Labour Stephen John Roberts 7,213 11.5 −0.8
Majority 15,272 24.5
Turnout 79.0
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1992: Romsey and Waterside
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Michael Colvin 37,375 54.4 −2.0
Liberal Democrat George Dawson 22,071 32.1 +0.1
Labour Ms. Angela Mawle 8,688 12.6 +1.1
Green John C.T. Spottiswood 577 0.8 N/A
Majority 15,304 22.3
Turnout 83.16
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1997: Romsey
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Michael Colvin 23,834 46.0 −17.2
Liberal Democrat Mark G. Cooper 15,249 29.4 +6.3
Labour Miss Joanne V. Ford 9,623 18.6 +5.7
UKIP Alan Sked 1,824 3.5 N/A
Referendum Michael J.L. Wigley 1,291 2.5 N/A
Majority 8,585 16.57
Turnout 76.36
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 2000s

By-election 2000: Romsey
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrat Sandra Gidley 19,571 50.6 +21.2
Conservative Tim Palmer 16,260 42.0 −4.0
Labour Andy Howard 1,451 3.7 −14.9
UKIP Garry Rankin-Moore 901 2.3 −1.2
Legalise Cannabis Derrick Large 417 1.1 +1.1
Independent (politician) Thomas Lamont 109 0.3 +0.3
Majority 3,311 8.6
Turnout 55.4
Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 2001: Romsey
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrat Sandra Gidley 22,756 47.0 +17.5
Conservative Paul John Edward Raynes 20,386 42.1 −3.9
Labour Stephen John Roberts 3,986 8.2 −10.3
UKIP Anthony Martin McCabe 730 1.5 −2.0
Legalise Cannabis Derrick Large 601 1.2 N/A
Majority 2,370 4.9
Turnout 48,459 67.2 -9.2
Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 2005: Romsey
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrat Sandra Gidley 22,465 44.7 −2.3
Conservative Caroline Nokes 22,340 44.4 +2.3
Labour Matthew Stevens 4,430 8.8 +0.6
UKIP Michael Wigley 1,076 2.1 +0.6
Majority 125 0.2
Turnout 50,311 69.7 +2.5
Liberal Democrat hold Swing −2.3

See also

Notes and references

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