Romsey (constituency)

51°00′14″N 1°29′28″W/51.004°N 1.491°W/ 51.004; -1.491

Romsey (Romsey and Waterside from 1983 to 1997) was a seat of the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 1983 to 2010 which elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It was similar in extent to its replacement Romsey and Southampton North which includes the Bassett and Swaythling wards of the City of Southampton.

Boundaries

Romsey and Waterside in Hampshire 1983–1997

1983–1997: The Borough of Test Valley wards of Abbey, Blackwater, Chilworth and Nursling, Cuppernham, Field, North Baddesley, Romsey Extra, and Tadburn, and the District of New Forest wards of Blackfield and Langley, Colbury, Dibden and Hythe North, Dibden Purlieu, Fawley Holbury, Hythe South, Marchwood, Netley Marsh, Totton Central, Totton North, and Totton South.

1997–2010: The Borough of Test Valley wards of Abbey, Blackwater, Chilworth and Nursling, Cuppernham, Dun Valley, Field, Harewood, Kings Somborne and Michelmersh, Nether Wallop and Broughton, North Baddesley, Over Wallop, Romsey Extra, Stockbridge, and Tadburn, the Borough of Eastleigh wards of Chandler's Ford, Hiltingbury East, and Hiltingbury West, and the City of Southampton ward of Bassett.

The constituency was approximate to the Test Valley district of Hampshire and covered a smaller area as parts of the north of Test Valley fell into part of the North West Hampshire seat to roughly ensure equal size electorates (low malapportionment). The main town within the constituency was Romsey.

History

The constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the seats of Eastleigh and New Forest. It was originally named Romsey and Waterside and included areas such as Hythe and Fawley on the west side of Southampton Water. In 1997 it lost the Waterside area and gained the Bassett Ward of the City of Southampton, and new territory in the Test Valley district, to the north of Romsey, and was consequently renamed to just Romsey. The first MP, Michael Colvin, held the constituency from its creation until his death in 2000. This led to a by-election, which was won by Liberal Democrat Sandra Gidley, who held the seat in the two subsequent General Elections.

Following their review of parliamentary representation in Hampshire, the Boundary Commission for England created a modified Romsey constituency called Romsey and Southampton North, to reflect the fact that two wards of Southampton form part of the constituency (though one ward had in fact formed part of the constituency since 1997).

Sandra Gidley lost to the Conservatives in the 2010 general election when she contested the new seat. She was succeeded by Caroline Nokes.

Members of Parliament

Election	Member	Notes
1983	Michael Colvin	Conservative	constituency created as Romsey and Waterside, renamed Romsey* in 1997*
2000 by-election	Sandra Gidley	Liberal Democrats
2010	constituency abolished: see Romsey and Southampton North

Elections

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Romsey
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Sandra Gidley	22,465	44.7	−2.3
	Conservative	Caroline Nokes	22,340	44.4	+2.3
	Labour	Matthew Stevens	4,430	8.8	+0.6
	UKIP	Michael Wigley	1,076	2.1	+0.6
Majority	125	0.3	−4.6
Turnout	50,311	69.7	+2.5
	Liberal Democrats hold	Swing	−2.3

General election 2001: Romsey
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Sandra Gidley	22,756	47.0	+17.6
	Conservative	Paul Raynes	20,386	42.1	−3.9
	Labour	Stephen Roberts	3,986	8.2	−10.4
	UKIP	Anthony McCabe	730	1.5	−2.0
	Legalise Cannabis	Derrick Large	601	1.2	New
Majority	2,370	4.9	N/A
Turnout	48,459	67.2	−9.2
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative	Swing

By-election 2000: Romsey
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Sandra Gidley	19,571	50.6	+21.2
	Conservative	Tim Palmer	16,260	42.0	−4.0
	Labour	Andy Howard	1,451	3.7	−14.9
	UKIP	Garry Rankin-Moore	901	2.3	−1.2
	Legalise Cannabis	Derrick Large	417	1.1	New
	Independent	Thomas Lamont	109	0.3	New
Majority	3,311	8.6	N/A
Turnout	38,709	55.4	−21.0
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative	Swing	+8.6

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Romsey
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Colvin	23,834	46.0	−17.2
	Liberal Democrats	Mark G. Cooper	15,249	29.4	+6.3
	Labour	Joanne V. Ford	9,623	18.6	+5.7
	UKIP	Alan Sked	1,824	3.5	New
	Referendum	Michael J.L. Wigley	1,291	2.5	New
Majority	8,585	16.57	−23.5
Turnout	51,821	76.4	−6.8
	Conservative hold	Swing

General election 1992: Romsey and Waterside
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Colvin	37,375	54.4	−2.0
	Liberal Democrats	George Dawson	22,071	32.1	+0.1
	Labour	Angela Mawle	8,688	12.6	+1.1
	Green	John C.T. Spottiswood	577	0.8	New
Majority	15,304	22.3	−2.2
Turnout	68,711	83.16	+4.2
	Conservative hold	Swing

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Romsey and Waterside
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Colvin	35,303	56.4	−0.2
	SDP	Alan Bloss	20,031	32.0	+0.9
	Labour	Stephen Roberts	7,213	11.5	−0.8
Majority	15,272	24.5	−1.0
Turnout	62,547	79.0	+3.2
	Conservative hold	Swing

General election 1983: Romsey and Waterside
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Colvin	30,361	56.6
	SDP	Alan Bloss	16,671	31.1
	Labour	Matthew Knight	6,604	12.3
Majority	13,690	25.5
Turnout	53,636	75.8
	Conservative win (new seat)

Notes and references

External links

(boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK