Woodspring (UK Parliament constituency)

Woodspring
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Boundary of Woodspring in Avon for the 2005 general election.

Outline map

Location of Avon within England.
County Somerset
1983–2010
Number of members One
Replaced by North Somerset
Created from North Somerset and Weston-super-Mare[1]

Woodspring was, from 1983 until 2010, a 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. From 1992 until 2010, it was represented by Liam Fox, former Secretary of State for Defence.

Boundaries

1983–1997: The District of Woodspring wards of Backwell, Clevedon Central, Clevedon East, Clevedon North, Clevedon South, Clevedon Walton, Clevedon West, Easton-in-Gordano, Gordano, Long Ashton, Nailsea East, Nailsea North and West, North Weston, Portishead Central, Portishead Coast, Portishead South, Portishead West, Winford, and Wraxall, and the District of Wansdyke wards of Cameley, Chew Magna, Chew Stoke, Clutton, Compton Dando, Farmborough, Harptrees, High Littleton, Paulton, Publow, Stowey Sutton, and Timsbury.

1997–2010: The District of Woodspring wards of Backwell, Clevedon Central, Clevedon East, Clevedon North, Clevedon South, Clevedon Walton, Clevedon West, Easton-in-Gordano, Gordano, Long Ashton, Nailsea East, Nailsea North and West, North Weston, Portishead Central, Portishead Coast, Portishead South, Portishead West, Winford, Wraxall, Wrington, and Yatton.

The constituency contained the northern and eastern parts of the North Somerset unitary authority (formerly the Woodspring district of the County of Avon, and roughly the same area as the ancient Hundred of Portbury). The constituency extended between two rivers with the Avon running along the north-east edge and the Congresbury Yeo to the south. It included the three main towns of Clevedon on the west coast, Nailsea to the south, and Portishead to the north, along with smaller surrounding villages like Backwell, Easton-in-Gordano, and Long Ashton.

Boundary review

Following the review of parliamentary representation by the Boundary Commission for England in North Somerset which took effect at the 2010 general election, this seat was renamed North Somerset.[2]

History

On its creation in 1983, Woodspring was won by the Conservative Sir Paul Dean, who had held the old seat of Somerset North since 1964. Sir Paul was a Deputy Speaker of the House to George Thomas and latterly Bernard Weatherill from 1982 to 1992; he served longer than anyone else since the post was created in 1902. On his retirement in 1992 Liam Fox succeeded him, and held the seat until its abolition in 2010; during this time he served as a junior minister in the Major government, and later became an opposition frontbencher during the Blair and Brown governments.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember[3]Party
1983 Sir Paul Dean Conservative
1992 Liam Fox Conservative
2010 constituency abolished: see North Somerset

Elections

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Woodspring
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Liam Fox 21,587 41.8 −1.9
Liberal Democrat Mike Bell 15,571 30.2 +6.0
Labour Chanel Stevens 11,249 21.8 −3.8
Green Rebecca Lewis 1,309 2.5 −0.1
UKIP Anthony Butcher 1,269 2.5 +1.6
BNP Michael Howson 633 1.2 N/A
Majority 6,016 11.7
Turnout 51,618 72.0 +3.3
Conservative hold Swing −3.9
General Election 2001: Woodspring
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Liam Fox 21,297 43.7 -0.8
Labour Chanel Stevens 12,499 25.6 +4.9
Liberal Democrat Colin Eldridge 11,816 24.2 -6.1
Independent David Shopland 1,412 2.9 +2.7
Green Richard Lawson 1,282 2.6 +1.4
UKIP Fraser Crean 452 0.9 N/A
Majority 8,798 18.1
Turnout 48,758 68.7 -9.8
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Woodspring
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Liam Fox 24,425 44.4
Liberal Democrat Nan Kirsen 16,691 30.4
Labour Debbie Sander 11,377 20.7
Referendum Richard Hughes 1,641 3.0
Green Richard Lawson 667 1.2
Independent Andrew Glover 101 0.2
Natural Law Mike Mears 667 1.2
Majority 7,734 14.1
Turnout 54,954 78.4
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1992: Woodspring[4] [1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Dr Liam Fox 35,175 54.5 −2.1
Liberal Democrat Mrs NE Kirsen 17,666 27.4 +0.4
Labour RE Stone 9,942 15.4 +1.0
Liberal NE Brown 836 1.3 −25.7
Green Mrs RJ Knifton 801 1.2 −0.8
Natural Law BD Lee 100 0.2 +0.2
Majority 17,509 27.1 −2.4
Turnout 64,520 83.2 +4.1
Conservative hold Swing −1.2

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Woodspring[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir Paul Dean 34,134 56.57
Liberal CR Coleman 16,282 26.98
Labour DLT Chapple 8,717 14.45
Green BR Keeble 1,208 2.00
Majority 17,852 29.59
Turnout 79.10
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1983: Woodspring[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir Paul Dean 31,932 57.59
Liberal R Morgan 16,800 30.30
Labour DH White 6,536 11.79
Wessex Regionalist D Robyns 177 0.32
Majority 15,132 27.29
Turnout 77.78
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 3 4 "'Woodspring', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  2. ↑ "Somerset North: New Boundaries Calculation". Electoral Calculus. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
  3. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 5)
  4. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 Dec 2010.

Coordinates: 51°24′N 2°45′W / 51.400°N 2.750°W / 51.400; -2.750

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