Poole (UK Parliament constituency)

History

The first version of the Poole constituency existed from 1455 until 1885. During this period its exact status was a parliamentary borough, sending two burgesses to Westminster per year, except during its last 17 years when its representation was reduced to one member.

During its abeyance, most of Poole was in the East Dorset seat and, since its recreation in 1950, its area has been reduced as the harbour town's population has increased.

From its recreation in 1950, the seat had always elected Conservative MPs with comfortable majorities. However, at the 2024 general election, Labour captured the seat for the first time with a majority of just 18 votes.

Boundaries

1950–1983: The Municipal Borough of Poole.

1983–1997: The Borough of Poole wards of Broadstone, Canford Cliffs, Canford Heath, Creekmoor, Hamworthy, Harbour, Newtown, Oakdale, Parkstone, and Penn Hill.

1997–2010: The Borough of Poole wards of Bourne Valley, Canford Cliffs, Hamworthy, Harbour, Newtown, Oakdale, Parkstone, and Penn Hill.

2010–2019: The Borough of Poole wards of Branksome West, Canford Cliffs, Creekmoor, Hamworthy East, Hamworthy West, Newtown, Oakdale, Parkstone, Penn Hill, and Poole Town.

2019–2024: The Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council wards of Alderney and Bourne Valley (part), Broadstone (very small part), Canford Cliffs (nearly all), Canford Heath (very small part), Creekmoor, Hamworthy, Newtown and Heatherlands (most), Oakdale, Parkstone, Penn Hill and Poole Town

Changes arising from re-organisation of local authorities and wards in Dorset; no change in boundaries.

2024–present: The District of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole wards of: Canford Cliffs; Creekmoor; Hamworthy; Newtown & Heatherlands; Oakdale; Parkstone; Penn Hill; Poole Town.

Minor changes to align boundaries to those of local authority wards.

Constituency profile

The borough is an economically very diverse borough. In the centre and north are a significant minority of Output Areas which in 2001 had high rankings in the Index of Multiple Deprivation, contributing in 2012 with the remainder to producing for Poole the highest unemployment of the constituencies in the county. However, Canford Cliffs is epitomised by one sub-neighbourhood, Sandbanks with its multimillion-pound properties, the coastline area has been dubbed as "Britain's Palm Beach" by the national media. Alongside oil extraction, insurance, care, retail and customer service industries choosing the town as their base tourism contributes to overall a higher income than the national average, however the divergence is not statistically significant and the size of homes varies extensively.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1455–1629

• Borough established 1455, returning two members

MPs 1640–1868

MPs 1868–1885

MPs since 1950

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

|reg. electors = 72,509

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

Elections in the 1880s

|reg. electors = 1,983

• Caused by Schreiber's death.

|reg. electors = 1,911

Elections in the 1870s

|reg. electors = 1,526

• Caused by the election being declared void on petition, after "corrupt conduct and treating".

|reg. electors = 1,526

Elections in the 1860s

|reg. electors = 1,256

• Seat reduced to one member.

|reg. electors = 521

Elections in the 1850s

|reg. electors = 553

|reg. electors = 539

|reg. electors = 508

|reg. electors = 498

• Caused by Robinson's death.

Elections in the 1840s

|reg. electors = 522

|reg. electors = 469

Elections in the 1830s

|reg. electors = 645

|reg. electors = 450

• Caused by John Byng's elevation to the peerage, becoming 1st Earl of Strafford

|reg. electors = 450

|reg. electors = 412

|reg. electors =

• Caused by Ponsonby's resignation

|reg. electors =

|reg. electors =

Notes

References

Sources

• Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807)
• Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808) https://web.archive.org/web/20150904125310/http://www2.odl.ox.ac.uk/gsdl/cgi-bin/library?e=p-000-00---0modhis06--00-0-0-0prompt-10---4------0-1l--1-en-50---20-about---00001-001-1-1isoZz-8859Zz-1-0&a=d&cl=CL1
• F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
• Maija Jansson (ed.), Proceedings in Parliament, 1614 (House of Commons) (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1988)
• Henry Stooks Smith, The Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847, Volume 1 (London: Simpkin, Marshall & Co, 1844) https://books.google.com/books?id=OacQAAAAYAAJ&q=stooks+smith+parliaments+of+england

References

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8. {{rayment-hc. p. 2. (March 2012)
9. Browne Willis and Cobbett both list Cooper as Poole's MP. Cooper was also elected for Wiltshire, and seems to have been regarded as its Member, but there appears no record of another Member having been elected for Poole in his place
10. Cobbett again lists Cooper (elected for Wiltshire) as Poole's MP together with Bond, but Browne Willis gives Fitzjames as the second member
11. Succeeded to baronetcy, February 1662
12. Expelled from the House of Commons, 15 February 1711, for "great Frauds and Abuses in his Contract for furnishing the Navy with Beer"
13. Expelled from the House of Commons, 30 March 1732, for his role in the fraudulent sale of the [[James Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Derwentwater. Earl of Derwentwater's]] estate
14. Major-General from 1758
15. On petition, Stuart was declared not to have been duly elected and his opponent, Taylor, was declared elected in his place
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52. (2009). "ROSE, George Pitt (1797-1851), of Upper Kensington Grove, Mdx.".
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