Oxford West and Abingdon (UK Parliament constituency)

Oxford West and Abingdon
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Oxford West and Abingdon in Oxfordshire.
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	Nicola Blackwood (Conservative)
Number of members	One
Created from	Oxford, Abingdon
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency	South East England

Oxford West and Abingdon is a constituency^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Nicola Blackwood, a Conservative.^{[n 2]}

History

The constituency was created in 1983 by the division of the former constituency of Oxford. Abingdon had its own seat prior to 1983.

The former Conservative Minister John Patten, MP for Oxford from 1979, won the West 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 the one of the most marginal results of that election.

Constituency profile

The constituency stretches from 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. 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]

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.

2010–present: 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

Election		Member[3]	Party
	1983	John Patten	Conservative
	1997	Evan Harris	Liberal Democrat
	2010	Nicola Blackwood	Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

Election results for Oxford West and Abingdon

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 2015: Oxford West and Abingdon[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Nicola Blackwood	26,153	45.7	+3.4
	Liberal Democrat	Layla Moran[5]	16,571	28.9	−13.1
	Labour	Sally Copley[6]	7,274	12.7	+2.1
	UKIP	Alan Harris[7]	3,963	6.9	+4.2
	Green	Larry Sanders[8]	2,497	4.4	+2.3
	National Health Action	Helen Salisbury[9]	723	1.3	N/A
	Socialist (GB)	Mike Foster [10]	66	0.1	N/A
Majority			9,582	16.7
Turnout			57,247	75.2	+5.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	+8.2

General Election 2010: Oxford West and Abingdon[11]
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[12]
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[13]
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[14][15][16]
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 Marie 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[17][18]
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[19]
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[20]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Patten	23,778	47.7	N/A
	Social Democratic	Evan Luard	16,627	33.3	N/A
	Labour	J.H. Jacottet	8,440	16.9	N/A
	Ecology	S.G. Starmer	544	1.1	N/A
	Monster Raving Loony	R.A. Jones	267	0.5	N/A
	Independent	C.N. Smith	95	0.2	N/A
	Independent	P.M. Doubleday	86	0.2	N/A
	Independent	R. 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

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in Oxfordshire
• Opinion polling for the next United Kingdom general election in individual constituencies
• Banbury
• Henley
• Oxford East
• Wantage
• Witney

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. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
5. "Candidates". Liberal Democrats.
6. "The Labour Party". labour.org.uk.
7. http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/oxfordwestandabingdon/
8. "Larry Sanders is the new candidate for Oxford West and Abingdon". Oxfordshire Green Party.; http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/apr/30/bernie-larry-sanders-brothers-us-uk-politics
9. Jessica Ormerod. "DR HELEN SALISBURY". NHA Party.
10. "General Election - Campaign News". worldsocialism.org.
11. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
12. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
13. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
14. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
15. C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.451 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
16. The 1997 election result is calculated relative to the notional, not the actual, 1992 result.
17. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
18. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
19. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
20. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources

16-Jun-15 http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/services-and-advice/local-democracy/elections-and-registering-vote/elections-2015/parliamentary-elec

• Election result, 2015 (BBC)
• Election result, 2010 (BBC)
• Election result, 2005 (BBC)
• Election results, 1997–2001 (BBC)
• Election results, 1997–2001 (Election Demon)
• Election results, 1983–1997 (Election Demon)

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