The Cotswolds (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1997-2024

The Cotswolds

Former county constituency
for the House of Commons

Boundary of The Cotswolds in Gloucestershire for the 2010 general election

Location of Gloucestershire within England

County| Gloucestershire
Electorate| 78,439 (December 2010)[1]
1997–2024
Seats| One
Created from| Cirencester and Tewkesbury
Replaced by| North Cotswolds, South Cotswolds

The Cotswolds was a constituency[n 1] in Gloucestershire in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was represented by Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, a Conservative, since its 1997 creation.[n 2]

Further to the completion of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished. It was split into two smaller constituencies: North Cotswolds and South Cotswolds, to even up voter numbers relative to other constituencies.[2][3]

## Members of Parliament

[edit]

Election | Member[4] | Party  |

|
|
|

| 1997 | Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | Conservative | 1992–1997: represented Cirencester and Tewkesbury.

## Constituency profile

[edit]

The Cotswolds was a safe Conservative seat.[5][6]

The largest town in the constituency was Cirencester, a compact traditional town. Other settlements included Andoversford, Bourton-on-the-Water, Chipping Campden, Fairford, Lechlade, Moreton-in-Marsh, Northleach, Stow-on-the-Wold, Tetbury (and the neighbouring village of Doughton, location of Highgrove, the Prince of Wales's estate), and Wotton-under-Edge.

The seat had the highest number of listed buildings of any constituency in Britain.[citation needed] It also contained eight of the 20 most popular attractions in Gloucestershire, including Westonbirt Arboretum, Hidcote Manor, and Chedworth Roman Villa.

Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 1.6% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[7]

This was also the constituency that, when declared during the 2015 general election, saw the Conservatives win a surprise majority, in which David Cameron was re-elected as prime minister; a hung parliament had been widely expected.

## Boundaries

[edit]

Map of boundaries 2010–2024

The constituency was created in 1997 as Cotswold, mostly from the former seat of Cirencester and Tewkesbury. In 2010 the name was changed to The Cotswolds to reflect the commonly used name of the area.

1997–2010: The District of Cotswold, and the District of Stroud ward of Wotton and Kingswood.

2010–2024: The District of Cotswold, and the District of Stroud wards of Kingswood, Minchinhampton, and Wotton-under-Edge.

## Abolition

[edit]

Further to the completion of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished prior to the 2024 general election, with its contents distributed to two new constituencies:[2][3]

* The towns of Chipping Campden, Moreton-in-Marsh, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water and Minchinhampton to North Cotswolds
* The towns of Cirencester and Tetbury to South Cotswolds

Wotton-under-Edge will be transferred to Stroud.

## Elections

[edit]

### Elections in the 2010s

[edit]

2019 general election: The Cotswolds[8] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | 35,484  | 58.0  | −2.1
| Liberal Democrats | Liz Webster  | 15,270  | 25.0  | +8.7
| Labour | Alan MacKenzie  | 7,110  | 11.6  | −6.3
| Green | Sabrina Poole  | 3,312  | 5.4  | +2.5
Majority | 20,214  | 33.0  | −9.3
Turnout | 61,176  | 74.7  | +0.4
Registered electors | 81,939  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | −5.4  |
2017 general election: The Cotswolds[9][10] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | 36,201  | 60.1  | +4.1
| Labour | Mark Huband  | 10,702  | 17.9  | +8.7
| Liberal Democrats | Andrew Gant | 9,748  | 16.3  | −2.3
| Green | Sabrina Poole  | 1,747  | 2.9  | −1.7
| UKIP | Chris Harlow  | 1,197  | 2.0  | −8.9
| Independent | Sandy Steel  | 107  | 0.2  | N/A
Majority | 25,499  | 42.3  | +4.8
Turnout | 59,702  | 74.2  | +1.8
Registered electors | 80,449  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing | −2.3  |
2015 general election: The Cotswolds[11][12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | 32,045  | 56.5  | +3.5
| Liberal Democrats | Paul Hodgkinson[13] | 10,568  | 18.6  | −10.9
| UKIP | Chris Harlow  | 6,188  | 10.9  | +6.7
| Labour | Manjinder Kang  | 5,240  | 9.2  | −1.5
| Green | Penny Burgess  | 2,626  | 4.6  | +2.9
Majority | 21,477  | 37.9  | +14.4
Turnout | 56,667  | 72.4  | +0.9
Registered electors | 78,292  |  | +2.0
| Conservative hold | Swing | +7.2  |
2010 general election: The Cotswolds[14][15] [16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | 29,075  | 53.0  | +3.7
| Liberal Democrats | Mike Collins  | 16,211  | 29.6  | +1.5
| Labour | Mark Dempsey  | 5,886  | 10.7  | −7.9
| UKIP | Adrian Blake  | 2,292  | 4.2  | +1.0
| Green | Kevin Lister  | 940  | 1.7  | N/A
| Independent | Alex Steel  | 428  | 0.8  | N/A
Majority | 12,864  | 23.5  | +2.2
Turnout | 54,832  | 71.5  | +4.2
Registered electors | 76,728  |  | +2.3
| Conservative hold | Swing | +1.1  |

### Elections in the 2000s

[edit]

2005 general election: Cotswold[17] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | 23,326  | 49.3  | −1.0
| Liberal Democrats | Philip Beckerlegge  | 13,638  | 28.8  | +4.6
| Labour | Mark Dempsey  | 8,457  | 17.9  | −4.7
| UKIP | Richard Buckley  | 1,538  | 3.2  | +0.3
| Independent | James Derieg  | 392  | 0.8  | N/A
Majority | 9,688  | 20.5  | −5.6
Turnout | 47,351  | 66.7  | −0.8
Registered electors | 71,039  |  | +4.2
| Conservative hold | Swing | −2.8  |
2001 general election: Cotswold[18] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | 23,133  | 50.3  | +4.0
| Liberal Democrats | Angela Lawrence  | 11,150  | 24.2  | +1.3
| Labour | Richard Wilkins  | 10,383  | 22.6  | −0.1
| UKIP | Jill Stopps  | 1,315  | 2.9  | N/A
Majority | 11,983  | 26.1  | +2.7
Turnout | 45,981  | 67.5  | −8.5
Registered electors | 68,157  |  | +1.2
| Conservative hold | Swing | +1.3  |

### Elections in the 1990s

[edit]

1997 general election: Cotswold[19][20] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | 23,698  | 46.4  | −8.0
| Liberal Democrats | David Gayler  | 11,733  | 22.9  | −10.4
| Labour | David Elwell  | 11,608  | 22.7  | +11.8
| Referendum | Rupert Lowe | 3,393  | 6.6  | −
| Green | Valerie Michael  | 560  | 1.1  | −
| Natural Law | Henry Brighouse  | 129  | 0.3  | −
Majority | 11,965  | 23.4  | +2.4
Turnout | 51,121  | 75.9  | −6.5
Registered electors | 67,333  |  | +5.9
| Conservative win (new seat)

## See also

[edit]

* Parliamentary constituencies in Gloucestershire

## Notes

[edit]

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

[edit]

1. ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
2. ^ a b "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – South West | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
3. ^ a b "Cotswolds constituency split will create a 'mish-mash'". Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
4. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 6)
5. ^ Waller, Robert; Criddle, Byron (2007). The Almanac of British Politics. Taylor & Francis. pp. 320–321\. ISBN 9780415378246.
6. ^ Port, Samuel (13 December 2019). "The priorities for newly re-elected Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown". GloucestershireLive. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
7. ^ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
8. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated" (PDF).
9. ^ "Cotswolds, The parliamentary constituency - Election 2017". BBC News.
10. ^ "Declaration-of-result" (PDF). 9 June 2017.
11. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
12. ^ "Declaration of result" (PDF). Cotswold District Council. 19 June 2015.
13. ^ "UK ELECTION RESULTS: COTSWOLDS 2015".
14. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
15. ^ "BBC News | Election 2010 | Constituency | Cotswolds, The". news.bbc.co.uk.
16. ^ Percentage change and swing for 2010 is calculated relative to the PA (Rallings and Thrasher) 2005 notional result, not actual 2005 result "Press Association Elections". Press Association. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
17. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
18. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
19. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
20. ^ Percentage change and swing for 1997 is calculated relative to the Rallings and Thrasher 1992 notional constituency result, not actual 1992 result. See C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)

## External links

[edit]

* Cotswold UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
* The Cotswolds UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK

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* North Devon
* South Cotswolds
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Conservative (11)|

* Bridgwater
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Green (1)|

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