Oxford East (UK Parliament constituency)

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Oxford East
Borough constituency

Oxford East shown within Oxfordshire, and Oxfordshire shown within England
Created: 1983
MP: Andrew Smith
Party: Labour
Type: House of Commons
County: Oxfordshire
EP constituency: South East England

Oxford East is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Contents

[edit] Boundaries

The constituency covers the eastern and southern parts of Oxford in Oxfordshire. It borders Oxford West and Abingdon to the West and Henley to the North, East and South.

This is the most Labour-voting part of Oxford, including Cowley (famous for its car factory) and the rather notorious Blackbird Leys council estate, but there is a large percentage of student voters from both Oxford and Oxford Brookes Universities (the latter being based in the seat, in leafy suburban Headington).

Due to the high student, and university-related, vote, Labour came within a thousand votes of losing the seat to the Lib Dems at the 2005 election with such issues as the Iraq War and top-up fees losing many votes for former Work and Pensions Secretary Andrew Smith.

[edit] Boundary Review

Following their review of parliamentary representation in Oxfordshire, the Boundary Commission for England has made minor changes to the existing arrangement as a consequence of population changes. The electoral wards used in this modified constituency are as follows.

  • From the City of Oxford - Barton and Sandhills, Blackbird Leys, Carfax, Churchill, Cowley, Cowley Marsh, Headington, Headington Hill and Northway, Hinksey Park, Holywell, Iffley Fields, Littlemore, Lye Valley, Marston, Northfield Brook, Quarry and Risinghurst, Rose Hill and Iffley, St Clement’s, and St Mary’s.

These changes have the effect of moving the Carfax and Holywell wards into Oxford East from Oxford West and Abingdon. This means that the majority of Oxford Colleges will now sit in Oxford East, whereas they had previously sat in Oxford West and Abingdon for the most part. It is expected that this change will benefit the Liberal Democrats in the marginal Oxford East constituency.

In 2008 Labour won 11 of the wards, Lib Dems 4, the Greens 3 and the Independent Working Class Association 1.

[edit] History

Until 1983, the whole of Oxford, including most of this constituency was contained in the Oxford constituency.

The 1997 boundary changes moved two semi-rural districts (that leaned to the Conservatives) out of the seat, and incorporated the urban Oxford South ward that was strong for the Liberal Democrats and Labour.

[edit] Members of Parliaments

[edit] Elections

Confirmed candidates for the next UK general election [1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ed Argar
Liberal Democrat Steve Goddard
Labour Andrew Smith
Green Peter Tatchell

[edit] Previous elections

General Election 2005: Oxford East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andrew Smith 15,405 36.9 −12.5
Liberal Democrat Steve Goddard 14,442 34.6 +11.2
Conservative Virginia Morris 6,992 16.7 −2.0
Green Jacob Sanders 1,813 4.3 +0.5
Independent ('New Loony') Honest Blair 1,485 3.6 N/A
Independent Working Class Maurice Leen 892 2.1 N/A
UK Independence Peter Gardner 715 1.7 +0.3
Independent Pathmanathan Mylvaganam 46 0.1 -0.1
Majority 963 2.3
Turnout 41,790 57.9 +2.1
Labour hold Swing −11.8
General Election 2001: Oxford East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andrew Smith 19,681 49.4 -7.4
Liberal Democrat Steve Goddard 9,337 23.4 +8.7
Conservative Cheryl Potter 7,446 18.7 -3.3
Green Pritam Singh 1,501 3.8 +1.7
Socialist Alliance John Lister 708 1.8 N/A
UK Independence Peter Gardner 570 1.4 +0.9
Socialist Labour Fahim Ahmed 274 0.7 N/A
ProLife Alliance Linda Hodge 254 0.6 -0.1
Independent Pathmanathan Mylvaganam 77 0.2 0.0
Majority 10,344 26.0
Turnout 39,848 55.8 -12.6
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1997: Oxford East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andrew Smith 27,205 56.8 +6.6
Conservative Jonathan Djanogly 10,540 22.0 -11.5
Liberal Democrat George Kershaw 7,038 14.7 +0.7
Referendum Party Martin Young 1,391 2.9
Green Craig Simmons 975 2.0
ProLife Alliance William Harper-Jones 318 0.7
UK Independence Peter Gardner 234 0.5
Natural Law John Thompson 108 0.2
Independent (politician) Pathmanathan Mylvaganam 68 0.2
Majority 16,665 34.8
Turnout 47,877 68.4
Labour hold Swing

This constituency underwent boundary changes between the 1992 and 1997 general elections and thus change in share of vote is based on a notional calculation.

General Election 1992: Oxford East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andrew Smith 23,702 50.4 +7.4
Conservative Dr Mark Mayall 16,164 34.3 -6.1
Liberal Democrat Martin Horwood 6,105 13.0 -2.6
Green Caroline Lucas 933 2.0 +1.1
Natural Law A M Wilson 101 0.2
Revolutionary Communist Party K Tompson 48 0.1
Majority 7,538 16.1
Turnout 74.6 -4.3
Labour hold Swing +6.8
General Election 1987: Oxford East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andrew Smith 21,103 43.0 +5.7
Conservative Stephen Norris 19,815 40.4 +0.4
Liberal M Godden 7,648 15.6 -7.1
Green D Dalton 441 0.9 N/A
Independent (politician) Pathmanathan Mylvaganam 60 0.1 N/A
Majority 1,288 2.6
Turnout 78.9 +5.0
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +2.7
General Election 1983: Oxford East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Norris 18,808 40.0
Labour Andrew Smith 17,541 37.3
Liberal M Godden 10,690 22.7
Majority 1,267 2.7
Turnout 73.9

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Oxford East, UKPollingReport

[edit] Sources

[edit] External links