Christchurch | |
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County constituency for the House of Commons |
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![]() Boundary of Christchurch in Dorset.
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![]() Location of Dorset within England.
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County | 1983– Dorset 1572–1918: Hampshire |
Population | 83,596 (2011 census)[1] |
Electorate | 69,008 (December 2010)[2] |
Major settlements | Christchurch |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1983 |
Member of parliament | Christopher Chope (Conservative) |
Number of members | One |
Created from | Christchurch and Lymington, North Dorset, New Forest |
1572–1918 | |
Number of members | 1572–1832: Two 1832–1918: One |
Type of constituency | Borough constituency |
Replaced by | New Forest and Christchurch |
Overlaps | |
European Parliament constituency | South West England |
Christchurch is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Christopher Chope of the Conservative Party. Centred on the town of the same name in Dorset that has a non-commercial harbour it includes the small resort of Mudeford, Ferndown, West Moors, St Leonards and station-served woodside settlement of Highcliffe and has been a Conservative safe seat since 1997.[n 2]
Contents
History
The original Christchurch constituency, a parliamentary borough, existed from 1572 until 1918.
The constituency was re-created as a county constituency in 1983 from parts of the seat of Christchurch and Lymington, North Dorset and New Forest. It has since 1983 seen strong Conservative majorities, with the exception of a 1993 by-election caused by the death of Robert Adley when it was won by Diana Maddock a Liberal Democrat. The Conservatives regained the seat at the next general election in 1997, despite their landslide defeat nationally and Chris Chope has retained it ever since.
Boundaries
The current boundaries include the East Dorset District wards of:
- Ameysford, Ferndown Central, Ferndown Links, Longham, Parley, St Leonards and St Ives East, St Leonards and St Ives West, Stapehill, West Moors
and the Borough of Christchurch wards:
- Burton and Winkton, Grange, Highcliffe, Jumpers, Mudeford and Friars Cliff, North Highcliffe and Walkford, Portfield, Purewell and Stanpit, St Catherine’s and Hurn, Town Centre, West Highcliffe.[3]
Constituency profile
The area is not as rural as the adjoining New Forest constituencies, nor as urban as Bournemouth and Poole, and contains a mixed assortment of coastal retirement havens, outlying Bournemouth suburbs and the town of Christchurch itself which has expanded to include dedicated villages of sheltered housing on its outskirts.
Consequently, the present Christchurch seat contains one of the most elderly electorates in the country - only Eastbourne and Devon East have an older average voter age and Christchurch has the highest proportion of over-60s of all UK seats. Having recovered from an early-1990s by-election loss, it is a safe Conservative seat, with MP Christopher Chope attaining a majority of over 30% at the last general election. It is the safest Tory seat in the South West and on most analyses is on the fringe of the area that usually qualifies as the South West, served by a station with direct links to the capital and closest to London.
Bournemouth airport is located within the seat.
Members of Parliament
Parliamentary borough (1572–1918)
MPs 1571–1640
Parliament | First member | Second member | |
---|---|---|---|
Parliament of 1571 | Andrew Rogers | John Hyett | |
Parliament of 1572-1581 | Henry Knollys | Matthew Evans | |
Parliament of 1584-1585 | Alexander Nevill | ||
Parliament of 1586-1587 | Henry Ashley | ||
Parliament of 1588-1589 | Justinian Champernoun | Sampson Lennard | |
Parliament of 1593 | John Herbert | John Agmondesham[4] | |
Parliament of 1597-1598 | Simon Willis | Andrew Rogers | |
Parliament of 1601 | Henry Meere | ||
Parliament of 1604-1611 | Richard Martin | Nicholas Hyde | |
Addled Parliament (1614) | Sir Thomas Norton | Henry Breton | |
Parliament of 1621-1622 | Sir George Hastings | Nathaniel Tomkins | |
Happy Parliament (1624-1625) | Sir George Astmyll | ||
Useless Parliament (1625) | Sir Thomas Wilford | ||
Parliament of 1625-1626 | Robert Norton | ||
Parliament of 1628-1629 | Henry Croke | ||
No Parliament summoned 1629-1640 |
MPs 1640–1832
MPs 1832–1918
County constituency
MPs since 1983
Election | Member[12][5] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1983 | Robert Adley | Conservative | |
1993 by-election | Diana Maddock | Liberal Democrat | |
1997 | Christopher Chope | Conservative |
Elections
Elections in the 2010s
General Election 2015: Christchurch[13] | |||||
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Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Christopher Chope | 28,887 | 58.1 | +1.7 | |
UKIP | Robin Grey [14] | 10,663 | 21.5 | +13.0 | |
Labour | Andrew Satherley [15] | 4,745 | 9.5 | -0.3 | |
Liberal Democrat | Andy Canning[16] | 3,263 | 6.6 | -18.7 | |
Green | Shona Dunn [17] | 2,149 | 4.3 | +4.3 | |
Majority | 18,224 | 36.7 | |||
Turnout | 49,707 | 71.7 | -0.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.0 |
General Election 2010: Christchurch | |||||
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Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Christopher Chope | 27,888 | 56.4 | +1.1 | |
Liberal Democrat | Martyn Hurll | 12,478 | 25.3 | +1.2 | |
Labour | Robert Deeks | 4,849 | 9.8 | -5.8 | |
UKIP | David Williams | 4,201 | 8.5 | +3.4 | |
Majority | 15,410 | 31.2 | |||
Turnout | 49,416 | 71.8 | +1.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.4 |
Elections in the 2000s
General Election 2005: Christchurch | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Christopher Chope | 28,208 | 54.7 | −0.4 | |
Liberal Democrat | Leslie Coman | 12,649 | 24.5 | −3.3 | |
Labour | Jim King | 8,051 | 15.6 | +0.5 | |
UKIP | David Hughes | 2,657 | 5.2 | +3.2 | |
Majority | 15,559 | 30.2 | |||
Turnout | 51,565 | 69.6 | +2.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.4 |
General Election 2001: Christchurch | |||||
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Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Christopher Chope | 27,306 | 55.1 | +8.7 | |
Liberal Democrat | Dorothy Webb | 13,762 | 27.8 | -14.8 | |
Labour | Judith Begg | 7,506 | 15.1 | +8.2 | |
UKIP | Margaret Strange | 993 | 2.0 | +0.9 | |
Majority | 13,544 | 27.3 | |||
Turnout | 49,567 | 67.5 | -11.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1990s
General Election 1997: Christchurch | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Christopher Chope | 26,095 | 46.43 | ||
Liberal Democrat | Diana Maddock | 23,930 | 42.58 | ||
Labour | Charles Mannan | 3,884 | 6.91 | ||
Referendum Party | Ray Spencer | 1,684 | 3.0 | ||
UKIP | R.H. Dickinson | 606 | 1.08 | ||
Majority | 2,165 | 3.85 | |||
Turnout | 56,199 | 78.53 | |||
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat | Swing | 18.30 |
Christchurch by-election, 1993 | |||||
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Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal Democrat | Diana Maddock | 33,164 | 62.2 | +38.6 | |
Conservative | Robert Hayward | 16,737 | 31.4 | -32.2 | |
Labour | Nigel Lickley | 1,453 | 2.7 | -9.4 | |
Anti-Federalist League | Alan Sked | 878 | 1.6 | ||
Monster Raving Loony | David Sutch | 404 | 0.8 | ||
Independent Conservative | Andrew Bannon | 357 | 0.7 | ||
Sack Graham Taylor | Peter Newman | 80 | 0.2 | ||
Buy the Daily Sport | Tara Bardot-Jackson | 67 | 0.1 | ||
Save the National Health Service | Peter A. Hollyman | 60 | 0.1 | ||
Highlander IV Wednesday Promotion | John Crockard | 48 | 0.1 | ||
Natural Law | Mark Griffiths | 45 | 0.1 | -0.3 | |
Ian For King | Mark Belcher | 23 | 0.0 | ||
Alfred The Chicken | Karl Fitzhugh | 18 | 0.0 | ||
Rainbow Alliance | John Walley | 16 | 0.0 | ||
Majority | 16,427 | 30.8 | |||
Turnout | 74.2 | ||||
Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative | Swing | 35.4 |
General Election 1992: Christchurch[18] | |||||
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Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Robert Adley | 36,627 | 63.5 | −2.4 | |
Liberal Democrat | Rev. Dennis Bussey | 13,612 | 23.6 | −0.9 | |
Labour | Alan Lloyd | 6,997 | 12.1 | +2.6 | |
Natural Law | James T. Barratt | 243 | 0.4 | N/A | |
Chauvinist Raving Alliance | Adrian D. Wareham | 175 | 0.3 | N/A | |
Majority | 23,015 | 39.9 | −1.4 | ||
Turnout | 57,654 | 80.7 | +4.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −0.7 |
Elections in the 1980s
General Election 1987: Christchurch | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Robert Adley | 35,656 | 65.89 | ||
SDP–Liberal Alliance | Miss H.J. McKenzie | 13,282 | 24.55 | ||
Labour | Ms. C.E. Longhurst | 5,174 | 9.56 | ||
Majority | 22,374 | 41.35 | |||
Turnout | 76.25 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
General Election 1983: Christchurch | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Conservative | Robert Adley | 31,722 | 67.07 | ||
SDP–Liberal Alliance | S Alexander | 11,984 | 25.34 | ||
Labour | John Mitchell | 3,590 | 7.59 | ||
Majority | 19,738 | 41.73 | |||
Turnout | 72.22 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Elections in the 1900s
General Election 1906[19]
Electorate 9,530 |
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Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
Liberal | Arthur Acland Allen | 4,634 | 53.3 | +3.4 | |
Conservative | Kenneth Robert Balfour | 4,067 | 46.7 | -3.4 | |
Majority | 567 | 6.6 | 6.8 | ||
Turnout | 91.3 | +7.4 | |||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +3.4 |
See also
Notes and references
- 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.
- References
- ^ "Christchurch: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
- ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". legislation.gov.uk. IN DORSET, BOURNEMOUTH, AND POOLE: The National Archives. p. 32. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
- ^ http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/agmondesham-john-ii-1543-98
- ^ a b c d Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 4)[self-published source][better source needed]
- ^ Knighted July 1712
- ^ Gwyn was re-elected in 1722, but had also been elected for Wells, which he chose to represent, and did not sit again for Christchurch
- ^ Knighted (KB), 1749
- ^ Styled Lord Hyde from June 1776
- ^ Succeeded to a baronetcy, April 1783
- ^ "Christchurch 1660-1918". Hansard 1803-2005. UK Parliament. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
- ^ "Christchurch 1983-". Hansard 1803-2005. UK Parliament. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
- ^ http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/Christchurch/
- ^ http://electionresults.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/christchurch-2015.html
- ^ http://electionresults.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/christchurch-2015.html
- ^ http://www.libdems.org.uk/general_election_candidates#South West
- ^ http://www.westerngazette.co.uk/North-Dorset-Green-Party-announces-candidate/story-25997325-detail/story.html
- ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
- ^ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
- Sources
- The BBC/ITN Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies (Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services, 1983)
- Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
- British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1977)
- British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1974)
- Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume I 1832-1885, edited by M. Stenton (The Harvester Press 1976)
- Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume II 1886-1918, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1978)
- Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume III 1919-1945, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1979)
- Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) [1]
- D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
- Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808) [2]
- Maija Jansson (ed.), Proceedings in Parliament, 1614 (House of Commons) (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1988) * J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
- J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 - England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
- Willis, Browne (1750). Notitia Parliamentaria, Part II: A Series or Lists of the Representatives in the several Parliaments held from the Reformation 1541, to the Restoration 1660 ... London. p. 1.
- Frederic A Youngs, jr, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol I (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979)
External links
- nomis Constituency Profile for Christchurch — presenting data from the ONS annual population survey and other official statistics.
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