The Cotswolds (UK Parliament constituency)

Members of Parliament

Constituency profile

The Cotswolds was a safe Conservative seat.

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. 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.

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

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

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:

• 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

Elections in the 2010s

|reg. electors =81,939

|reg. electors =80,449

|reg. electors =78,292

|reg. electors =76,728

Elections in the 2000s

|reg. electors =71,039

|reg. electors =68,157

Elections in the 1990s

|reg. electors =67,333

Notes

References

References

1. (4 March 2011). "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". Boundary Commission for England.
2. "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – South West {{!}} Boundary Commission for England".
3. (16 December 2022). "Cotswolds constituency split will create a 'mish-mash'".
4. {{Rayment-hc. c. 6. (March 2012)
5. (2007). "The Almanac of British Politics". Taylor & Francis.
6. Port, Samuel. (2019-12-13). "The priorities for newly re-elected Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown".
7. [https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/nov/17/unemployment-and-employment-statistics-economics Unemployment claimants by constituency] ''[[The Guardian]]''
8. "Statement of Persons Nominated".
9. "Cotswolds, The parliamentary constituency - Election 2017". BBC News.
10. (9 June 2017). "Declaration-of-result".
11. "Election Data 2015". [[Electoral Calculus]].
12. (19 June 2015). "Declaration of result". Cotswold District Council.
13. "UK ELECTION RESULTS: COTSWOLDS 2015".
14. "Election Data 2010". [[Electoral Calculus]].
15. "BBC News | Election 2010 | Constituency | Cotswolds, The".
16. "Press Association Elections". [[Press Association]].
17. "Election Data 2005". [[Electoral Calculus]].
18. "Election Data 2001". [[Electoral Calculus]].
19. "Election Data 1997". [[Electoral Calculus]].
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)