Spelthorne (UK Parliament constituency)

Spelthorne is a constituency^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Kwasi Kwarteng, a Conservative.^{[n 2]}

Boundaries

1918-1945: The Urban Districts of Feltham, Hampton, Hampton Wick, Staines, Sunbury-on-Thames, and Teddington, and the Rural District of Staines.

1945-1950: The Urban Districts of Feltham, Staines, Sunbury-on-Thames, and Yiewsley and West Drayton.

1950-1955: The Urban Districts of Feltham, Staines, and Sunbury-on-Thames.

1955-1983: The Urban Districts of Staines and Sunbury-on-Thames.

1983-present: The Borough of Spelthorne.

History of boundaries

Spelthorne in Middlesex 1918-45

Spelthorne in Middlesex 1945-50

Spelthorne was one of the ancient hundreds of the historic county of Middlesex. The hundred, which covered the south west of the historic county, had an area larger than the modern borough. Greater London, formed in 1965, incorporated almost all of the historic county of Middlesex; however Potters Bar was placed in Hertfordshire and Spelthorne was placed in Surrey. Accordingly, Spelthorne became the most northern part of Surrey.

Before 1918 the area formed part of the Uxbridge constituency.

1918-1945

The constituency was created by the Representation of the People Act 1918 as a Middlesex county constituency, and occupied the south west of the county. The seat was larger than it is today and included the whole of the ancient hundred.

1945-1950

The constituency lost an eastern section: Hampton, Hampton Wick and Teddington to Twickenham constituency. However, the seat gained territory to the north from the Uxbridge constituency.

1950-1955

Yiewsley and West Drayton were returned to the Uxbridge seat.

1955 onwards

In the 1955 redistribution Feltham became the southwest of the new Feltham constituency. Since 1955 the constituency has comprised the former urban districts of Staines and Sunbury-on-Thames, added to Surrey in 1965, and merged in 1974 to form the Borough of Spelthorne.

The seat was categorised as a borough constituency of Surrey from the February 1974 general election. This was the result of the first redistribution after the formation of Greater London. In 1995 the small settlement of Poyle, transferred from Buckinghamshire to the area in 1974, was transferred to the Borough of Slough.

The Boundary Commission recommended no boundary changes to this constituency in their review for the 2010 election.

Constituency profile

The seat is south of Heathrow Airport bounded by a long meander of the Thames. It is a more built-up area with numerous but less expansive green spaces, fewer private roads and little woodland compared to further south in Surrey. Some 30% is embanked reservoir or flood plain protected in planning.^[2]

While relative to the county as a whole this borough is marginally less affluent, in national terms it is more affluent. Workless claimants (registered jobseekers) were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 2.0% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.^[3] Most residents can afford to buy their own homes: social housing accounts for only 10% of the total,^[4] and the proportion of professionals and managerial workers is high. Stanwell comprises the only county council ward in Surrey held by a Labour councillor, and in common with Sunbury Common has significant social housing.

Commercially, the area is one of the most active in Surrey. About 20% of all commercial or industrial property in the County is located here, including the headquarters of many national and international companies, such as BP, Courage, the Ian Allen Group, McVitie's, Del Monte, Samsung Electronics and Shepperton Film Studios.

Members of Parliament

The Spelthorne constituency has almost always been a Conservative stronghold. The only time a non-Conservative Member of Parliament was elected was in the 1945 general election, when Labour's George Pargiter was returned for one term. While the area has most often been a safe Conservative seat and saw majorities of 20,000 at the 1987 and 1992 general elections, it has also seen close contests from time to time.^{[n 3]}

The constituency's first MP was Philip Pilditch, an architect who piloted the Ancient Monuments Act 1931 through Parliament: see Scheduled Monument.

Elections

Note the standard two-party swing is only accurate when the same two parties, as in the previous election, share first and second place. Votes for other candidates are ignored in the calculation of 'Butler swing'. A positive swing is from Labour or SDP in 1987 towards the Conservative candidate and a negative swing is from Conservative towards a Labour or SDP in 1987 candidate.

Elections in the 2010s

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Boundary changes

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1910s

• endorsed by Coalition Government

See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in Surrey

Notes and references

Notes

References

Sources

• Election result, 2010 (BBC)
• Election result, 2005 (BBC)
• Election results, 1997 - 2001 (BBC)
• Election results, 1997 - 2001 (Election Demon)
• Election results, 1983 - 1992 (Election Demon)
• Election results, 1992 - 2010 (Guardian)
• Election results, 1945 - 1979 (Politics Resources)
• Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
• Britain Votes 4: British Parliamentary Election Results 1983-1987, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Research Services 1988)
• Britain Votes 5: British Parliamentary Election Results 1988-1992, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher (Parliamentary Research Services/Dartmouth Publishing 1993)
• British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press, revised edition 1977)
• British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Research Services 1983).
• British Parliamentary Election Results 1974-1983, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Research Services 1984)
• Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume III 1919-1945, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1979)
• Who's Who of British Members of Parliament, Volume IV 1945-1979, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (Harvester Press 1981)

External links

• Spelthorne Labour Party
• Spelthorne Conservatives
• Spelthorne Lib Dems
• Spelthorne Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Coordinates: 51°25′N 0°28′W / 51.42°N 0.46°W / 51.42; -0.46