Wycombe (UK Parliament constituency)

Constituency profile

The constituency shares similar borders with Wycombe local government district, although it covers a slightly smaller area. The main town within the constituency, High Wycombe, contains many working and middle class voters and a sizeable ethnic minority population that totals around one quarter of the town's population, with some census output areas of town home to over 50% ethnic minorities, and a number of wards harbouring a considerable Labour vote. The surrounding villages, which account for just under half of the electorate, are some of the most wealthy areas in the country, with extremely low unemployment, high incomes and favour the Conservatives. Workless claimants totalled 3.0% of the population in November 2012, lower than the national average of 3.8%.

History

The Parliamentary Borough of Chipping Wycombe had continuously returned two MPs to the House of Commons of England since the Model Parliament of 1295 until 1707, then to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and finally to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801. This was reduced to one MP by the Representation of the People Act 1867 and the Borough was abolished altogether by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. It was transformed into a large county division, formally named the Southern or Wycombe Division of Buckinghamshire. It was one of three divisions formed from the undivided three-member Parliamentary County of Buckinghamshire, the other two being the Mid or Aylesbury Division and the Northern or Buckingham Division. As well as the abolished Borough, it absorbed the abolished Parliamentary Borough of Great Marlow and included the towns of Beaconsfield and Slough.

Since 1885, the seat has generally been held by the Conservative Party except for brief intervals for the Liberals (1906–1910 and 1923–1924) and Labour (1945–1951) and since 2024.

The seat bucked the trend in 2019 with a swing of 2.3% to the Labour Party in spite of their heavy general election defeat, and was looked on as a key blue wall marginal constituency in the 2024 general election, with Labour winning for the first time since 1951.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1885–1918

• The Municipal Borough of Chepping Wycombe;
• The Sessional Divisions of Burnham and Stoke; and
• Parts of the first and second Sessional Divisions of Desborough.

1918–1945

• The Municipal Borough of Chepping Wycombe;
• The Urban Districts of Eton, Marlow, and Slough;
• The Rural Districts of Eton and Hambleden; and
• Part of the Rural District of Wycombe.

Beaconsfield was transferred to Aylesbury. Gained Eton which had been part of the abolished Parliamentary Borough of New Windsor in Berkshire.

1945–1950

The House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1944 set up Boundaries Commissions to carry out periodic reviews of the distribution of parliamentary constituencies. It also authorised an initial review to subdivide abnormally large constituencies in time for the 1945 election. This was implemented by the Redistribution of Seats Order 1945 under which Buckinghamshire was allocated an additional seat. As a consequence, the new constituency of Eton and Slough was formed from the Wycombe constituency, comprising the Municipal Borough of Slough and the Urban and Rural Districts of Eton. In compensation, the parts of the (revised) Rural District of Wycombe in the Aylesbury Division, including Hughenden and Princes Risborough, were transferred to Wycombe.

The revised composition of the constituency, after taking account of changes to local authorities, was:

• The Municipal Borough of Chepping Wycombe;
• The Urban District of Marlow; and
• The Rural District of Wycombe.

1950–1974

• The Municipal Borough of High Wycombe;
• The Urban District of Marlow; and
• The Rural District of Wycombe.

No changes to boundaries.

1974–1983

• The Municipal Borough of High Wycombe;
• The Urban District of Marlow; and
• The Rural District of Wycombe parishes of Chepping Wycombe, Fawley, Fingest and Lane End, Great Marlow, Hambleden, Hughenden, Little Marlow, Medmenham, Turville, and West Wycombe Rural.

Northern parts of the Rural District of Wycombe, including Princes Risborough, but excluding Hughenden, were transferred back to Aylesbury.  Wooburn was included in the new constituency of Beaconsfield.

1983–1997

• The District of Wycombe wards of Booker and Castlefield, Bowerdean and Daws Hill, Cressex and Frogmoor, Downley, Great Marlow, Green Hill and Totteridge, Hambleden Valley, Hughenden Valley, Keep Hill and Hicks Farm, Kingshill, Lane End and Piddington, Little Marlow, Marlow Bottom, Marlow North, Marlow South, Marsh and Micklefield, Oakridge and Tinkers Wood, and West Wycombe and Sands.

Areas to the east of High Wycombe (former parish of Chepping Wycombe) transferred to Beaconsfield. Hazlemere transferred to Chesham and Amersham.

1997–2010

• The District of Wycombe wards of Booker and Castlefield, Bowerdean and Daws Hill, Cressex and Frogmoor, Downley, Great Marlow, Green Hill and Totteridge, Hambleden Valley, Hughenden Valley, Keep Hill and Hicks Farm, Kingshill, Lane End and Piddington, Marlow Bottom, Marlow North, Marlow South, Marsh and Micklefield, Oakridge and Tinkers Wood, and West Wycombe and Sands.

*Minor changes.*2010–2024

• The District of Wycombe wards of Abbey, Booker and Cressex, Bowerdean, Chiltern Rise, Disraeli, Downley and Plomer Hill, Greater Marlow, Hambleden Valley, Hazlemere North, Hazlemere South, Micklefield, Oakridge and Castlefield, Ryemead, Sands, Terriers and Amersham Hill, Totteridge, and Tylers Green and Loudwater.

Hazlemere transferred back from Chesham and Amersham.  Marlow transferred to Beaconsfield and Hughenden to Aylesbury.

In April 2020, the District of Wycombe, together with those of Aylesbury, Chiltern and South Bucks were merged into the new unitary authority of Buckinghamshire Council. Accordingly, the contents of the constituency at that time were:

• The Buckinghamshire Council wards of Abbey, Booker, Cressex & Castlefield, Chiltern Villages, Downley, Hazlemere, Ryemead & Micklefield, Terriers & Amersham Hill, Totteridge & Bowerdean, Tylers Green & Loudwater, and West Wycombe (part).

2024–present

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 United Kingdom general election, the constituency is composed of the following:

• The District of Buckinghamshire wards of: Abbey; Booker & Cressex; Castlefield & Oakridge; Chiltern Villages (part); Disraeli; Downley; Hazlemere; Penn, Tylers Green & Loudwater (part); Marlow (part); Marsh & Micklefield; Ridgeway West (part); Sands; Terriers and Amersham Hill; Totteridge and Bowerdean; West Wycombe & Lane End.

The electorate was reduced to bring it within the permitted range by transferring Hazlemere back to Chesham and Amersham once again.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1295–1640

• Constituency created (1295)

MPs 1640–1868

MPs 1868–present

• Reduced to one member (1868)

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

| reg. electors = 73,846

Elections in the 2010s

| reg. electors =

| reg. electors =

| reg. electors = 76,371

| reg. electors = 74,502

Elections in the 2000s

| reg. electors = 71,464

| reg. electors = 74,647

Elections in the 1990s

| reg. electors = 73,589

url=http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/ge92index.htm|title=Politics Resources|date=9 April 1992|work=Election 1992|publisher=Politics Resources|access-date=2010-12-06}} | reg. electors = 72,564

Elections in the 1980s

| reg. electors = 71,918

| reg. electors = 70,065

Elections in the 1970s

| reg. electors = 85,843

| reg. electors =

| reg. electors = 78,832

| reg. electors = 78,203

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Election in the 1940s

A general election was expected 1939–40 and by 1939 the following had been adopted as candidates;

• Conservative: Alfred Knox
• Labour: Ernest Whitfield
• Liberal: Vaughan Watkins In 1938, the local Labour and Liberal parties had set up a formal organisation, 'The South Bucks Unity Committee' in support of a Popular Front and may well have agreed to support a joint candidate against the sitting Conservative.

Election in the 1930s

Election in the 1920s

Elections 1868–1918

Elections in the 1910s

|reg. electors = 18,268

|reg. electors = 16,366

Elections in the 1900s

|reg. electors = 15,050

|reg. electors = 13,064

Elections in the 1890s

• Caused by Curzon's appointment as Treasurer of the Household.

|reg. electors = 11,546

Elections in the 1880s

|reg. electors = 11,269

|reg. electors = 11,269

|reg. electors = 2,062

|reg. electors = 1,865

• Caused by Carington's appointment as a Groom in Waiting.

|reg. electors = 1,865

Elections in the 1870s

|reg. electors = 1,599

Elections in the 1860s

|reg. electors = 1,338

Elections 1832–1868

Elections in the 1860s

• Caused by Carrington's succession to the peerage, becoming Lord Carrington.

|reg. electors = 551

|reg. electors = 423

• Caused by Dashwood's death.

Elections in the 1850s

|reg. electors = 392

|reg. electors = 390

|reg. electors = 346

Elections in the 1840s

|reg. electors = 335

|reg. electors = 388

Elections in the 1830s

• Caused by Smith's succession to the peerage, becoming 2nd Baron Carrington

|reg. electors = 387

|reg. electors = 309

|reg. electors = 298

|reg. electors = 104

• Caused by Baring's resignation

|reg. electors = 104

Notes

References

References

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