Oxford West and Abingdon (UK Parliament constituency)

Oxford West and Abingdon
County constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Boundary of Oxford West and Abingdon in Oxfordshire.

Outline map

Location of Oxfordshire within England.
County Oxfordshire
Electorate 78,404 (December 2014)[1]
Major settlements Abingdon, Kidlington, Oxford (5 wards), Radley
Current constituency
Created 1983
Member of parliament Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat)
Number of members One
Created from Oxford, Abingdon
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency South East England

Oxford West and Abingdon is a constituency in the House of Commons, the dominant chamber of the UK Parliament.[n 1] It has been represented since 9 June 2017 by Layla Moran, a member of the Liberal Democrats. Her predecessor between 2010 and the 2017 general election was Nicola Blackwood, a Conservative.[n 2]

History

The constituency was created in 1983 on the division of the former constituency of Oxford taking approximately half of its content and an eastern part of the simultaneously abolished Abingdon seat.

The former Conservative Minister John Patten, MP for Oxford from 1979, won the seat on its creation and remained the MP until he retired in 1997 when the seat was gained by a Liberal Democrat, Dr Evan Harris, who held the seat until the 2010 General Election, when it was gained by Conservative MP Nicola Blackwood in one of the most marginal results of that election. Blackwood held the seat until the 2017 general election when she was defeated by Liberal Democrat Layla Moran.

Economic profile

The constituency includes the town of Abingdon, the village of Kidlington, and the western and northern parts of the city of Oxford, as well as a minority of the colleges of the University of Oxford – the constituency covering the rest of the city being Oxford East. At the end of 2010 unemployment was the fifth lowest of the 84 South East constituencies (measure used: claimant count), at 1.2% compared to a mean of 2.45%.[2] The area has rapid transit connections to London, Reading and the commercial heart of Oxford, has large business and research parks and a choice of two major railway stations, Oxford and Didcot Parkway.

Boundaries

1983–1997
The District of Vale of White Horse wards of Abbey, Caldecott, Cumnor, Fitzharris, Hinksey, Kennington, Northcourt, Ock, Radley, St Helen Without, and Sunningwell and Wootton, and the City of Oxford wards of Central, Cherwell, North, South, West, and Wolvercote.
1997–2010
The District of Vale of White Horse wards of Abbey, Caldecott, Cumnor, Fitzharris, Hinksey, Kennington, Northcourt, Ock, Radley, St Helen Without, and Sunningwell and Wootton, the City of Oxford wards of Central, Cherwell, North, West, and Wolvercote, and the District of Cherwell wards of Gosford, North West Kidlington, and South East Kidlington.
Since 2010
The District of Vale of White Horse wards of Abingdon Abbey and Barton, Abingdon Caldecott, Abingdon Dunmore, Abingdon Fitzharris, Abingdon Northcourt, Abingdon Ock Meadow, Abingdon Peachcroft, Appleton and Cumnor, Kennington and South Hinksey, North Hinksey and Wytham, Radley, and Sunningwell and Wootton, the City of Oxford wards of Jericho and Osney, North, St Margaret's, Summertown, and Wolvercote, and the District of Cherwell wards of Kidlington North, Kidlington South, and Yarnton, Gosford and Water Eaton.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember[3][4]Party
1983 John Patten Conservative
1997 Evan Harris Liberal Democrat
2010 Nicola Blackwood Conservative
2017 Layla Moran Liberal Democrat

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

Election results for Oxford West and Abingdon
General Election 2017: Oxford West and Abingdon[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrat Layla Moran 26,256 43.7 +14.8
Conservative Nicola Blackwood 25,440 42.4 -3.3
Labour Marie Tidball 7,573 12.6 -0.1
UKIP Alan Harris 751 1.3 -5.7
Majority 816 1.4
Turnout 60,020 79.6
Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative Swing Increase 9.1
General Election 2015: Oxford West and Abingdon[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Nicola Blackwood 26,153 45.7 +3.4
Liberal Democrat Layla Moran 16,571 28.9 −13.1
Labour Sally Copley 7,274 12.7 +2.1
UKIP Alan Harris 3,963 6.9 +4.2
Green Larry Sanders 2,497 4.4 +2.3
National Health Action Helen Salisbury 723 1.3 N/A
Socialist (GB) Mike Foster 66 0.1 N/A
Majority 9,582 16.7
Turnout 57,247 75.2 +5.0
Conservative hold Swing +8.2
A pre-election husting at the Oxford West and Abingdon constituency during the 2010 campaign. From left to right: Richard Stevens, Evan Harris (standing, incumbent), Tim Gardam (chair, Principal of St Anne's College), Chris Goodall, Nicola Blackwood.
General Election 2010: Oxford West and Abingdon[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Nicola Blackwood 23,906 42.3 +9.6
Liberal Democrat Evan Harris 23,730 42.0 −4.1
Labour Richard Stevens 5,999 10.6 −5.2
UKIP Paul Williams 1,518 2.7 +1.2
Green Chris Goodall 1,184 2.1 -1.7
Animal Protection Keith Mann 143 0.3 –
Majority 176 0.3
Turnout 56,480 70.2 +3.0
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat Swing +6.9

Elections in the 2000s

A pre-election husting at the Oxford West and Abingdon constituency during the 2005 campaign.
General Election 2005: Oxford West and Abingdon[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrat Evan Harris 24,336 46.3 −1.5
Conservative Amanda McLean 16,653 31.7 +1.7
Labour Antonia Bance 8,725 16.6 −1.1
Green Tom Lines 2,091 4.0 +1.2
UKIP Marcus Watney 795 1.5 +0.6
Majority 7,683 14.6
Turnout 52,600 65.6 +1.1
Liberal Democrat hold Swing −1.6
General Election 2001: Oxford West and Abingdon[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrat Evan Harris 24,670 47.8 +4.9
Conservative Ed Matts 15,485 30.0 −2.6
Labour Gillian Kirk 9,114 17.7 −2.5
Green Mike Woodin 1,423 2.8 +1.6
UKIP Marcus Watney 451 0.9 +0.5
Independent Sigrid Shreeve 332 0.6 N/A
Extinction Club Robert Twigger 93 0.2 N/A
Majority 9,185 17.8
Turnout 51,568 64.5 −13.5
Liberal Democrat hold Swing +3.8

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Oxford West and Abingdon[11][12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Democrat Evan Harris 26,268 42.9 +7.1
Conservative Laurence Harris 19,983 32.7 −13.6
Labour Susan Brown 12,361 20.2 +4.1
Referendum Gillian Eustace 1,258 2.1 N/A
Green Mike Woodin 691 1.1 −0.1
UKIP Rodney Buckton 258 0.4 N/A
ProLife Alliance Linda Hodge 238 0.4 N/A
Natural Law Anne Wilson 91 0.1 +0.0
Local Government John Rose 48 0.1 N/A
Majority 6,285 10.2
Turnout 61,196 78.0
Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative Swing +10.4
General Election 1992: Oxford West and Abingdon[14][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Patten 25,163 45.4 −1.0
Liberal Democrat William Goodhart 21,624 39.0 +1.6
Labour Bruce Kent 7,652 13.8 −1.1
Green Mike Woodin 660 1.2 −0.1
Liberal Roger Jenking 194 0.3 N/A
Anti-Federalist League Susan Nelson 98 0.2 N/A
Natural Law Geoffrey Wells 75 0.1 N/A
Majority 3,539 6.4
Turnout 55,466 76.7 −1.7
Conservative hold Swing −1.3

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Oxford West and Abingdon[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Patten 25,171 46.4 −1.3
Social Democratic Chris Huhne 20,293 37.4 +4.1
Labour John Power 8,108 14.9 −2.0
Green Donald Smith 695 1.3 +0.2
Majority 4,878 9.0
Turnout 54,267 78.4 +4.4
Conservative hold Swing −2.7
General Election 1983: Oxford West and Abingdon[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Patten 23,778 47.7 N/A
Social Democratic Evan Luard 16,627 33.3 N/A
Labour Julian Jacottet 8,440 16.9 N/A
Ecology Suzette Starmer 544 1.1 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Robert Jones 267 0.5 N/A
Independent Christopher Smith 95 0.2 N/A
Independent Peter Doubleday 86 0.2 N/A
Independent Ruth Pinder 26 0.1 N/A
Majority 7,151 14.4 N/A
Turnout 49,863 74.0 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)

Neighbouring constituencies

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ↑ 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

  1. ↑ "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". 2014 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 2 February 2015.
  2. ↑ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  3. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "O"
  4. ↑ "Oxford West & Abingdon parliamentary constituency - Election 2017". BBC News. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  5. ↑ "GENERAL ELECTION: List of Oxfordshire parliamentary candidates published". The Oxford Times.
  6. ↑ "South Live: Thursday 11 May". BBC News.
  7. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  8. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  9. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  10. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  12. ↑ C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.451 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
  13. ↑ The 1997 election result is calculated relative to the notional, not the actual, 1992 result.
  14. ↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  16. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources

Coordinates: 51°45′N 1°18′W / 51.75°N 1.30°W / 51.75; -1.30

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