Woodspring (UK Parliament constituency)

Woodspring was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until 2010. 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. Fox went on to represent the new North Somerset constituency from 2010.

Woodspring
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of Woodspring in Avon for the 2005 general election
Location of Avon within England
CountySomerset
1983–2010
Number of membersOne
Replaced byNorth Somerset
Created fromNorth Somerset and Weston-super-Mare[1]

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[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Liam Fox 21,587 41.8 −1.9
Liberal Democrats 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 New
Majority 6,016 11.6 -6.5
Turnout 51,618 72.0 +3.3
Conservative hold Swing −3.9
General election 2001: Woodspring[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Liam Fox 21,297 43.7 -0.7
Labour Chanel Stevens 12,499 25.6 +4.9
Liberal Democrats Colin Eldridge 11,816 24.2 -6.2
Independent David Shopland 1,412 2.9 +2.7
Green Richard Lawson 1,282 2.6 +1.4
UKIP Fraser Crean 452 0.9 New
Majority 8,798 18.1 +4.1
Turnout 48,758 68.7 -9.7
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1997: Woodspring[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Liam Fox 24,425 44.4 -10.1
Liberal Democrats Nan Kirsen 16,691 30.4 +3.0
Labour Debbie Sander 11,377 20.7 +5.3
Referendum Richard Hughes 1,641 3.0 New
Green Richard Lawson 667 1.2 0.0
Independent Andrew Glover 101 0.2 New
Natural Law Mike Mears 66 1.2 +1.0
Majority 7,734 14.0 -13.1
Turnout 54,954 78.4 -4.8
Conservative hold Swing -6.5
General election 1992: Woodspring[7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Liam Fox 35,175 54.5 −2.1
Liberal Democrats NE Kirsen 17,666 27.4 +0.4
Labour RE Stone 9,942 15.4 +0.9
Liberal NE Brown 836 1.3 New
Green RJ Knifton 801 1.2 −0.8
Natural Law BD Lee 100 0.2 New
Majority 17,509 27.1 −2.5
Turnout 64,520 83.2 +4.1
Conservative hold Swing −1.2

Elections in the 1980s
General election 1987: Woodspring[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Paul Dean 34,134 56.6 -1.0
Liberal Christine Coleman 16,282 27.0 -3.3
Labour David Chapple 8,717 14.5 +2.7
Green Brian Keeble 1,208 2.0 New
Majority 17,852 29.59 +2.30
Turnout 60,341 79.10 +1.3
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1983: Woodspring[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative 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 55,445 77.78
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

Notes and references
  1. "'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. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  5. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  6. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  7. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  8. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 Dec 2010.
  9. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  10. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

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