Bristol Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Bristol Central is a parliamentary constituency to be represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, located within the City of Bristol, in South West England, from the 2024 general election.[2][3] It returns one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
| Bristol Central | |
|---|---|
| Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
 Boundary of Bristol Central in South West England | |
| County | City of Bristol |
| Electorate | [1] |
| Major settlements | Bristol |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 2024 |
| Member of Parliament | TBD |
| Seats | 1 |
| Created from | Bristol West |
| 1918–1974 | |
| Seats | one |
| Created from | Bristol East Bristol North Bristol South Bristol West |
| Replaced by | Bristol North East Bristol South East |
A constituency of the same name was previously created for the 1918 general election, and abolished for the February 1974 general election, after which it was absorbed into Bristol North East and Bristol South East. The constituency name was re-established in the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies as a successor to Bristol West.[4]
Background
editDuring the 2007 review, a proposal to rename Bristol West to "Bristol Central" was rejected.[5]
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, Bristol Central will largely replace Bristol West, and will be first contested at the 2024 general election.[6] However the Bishopston and Ashley Down ward will move to Bristol North West, and the Lawrence Hill and Easton wards to Bristol East.[7]
Constituency profile
editBased on data from the 2021 census, the Electoral Calculus categorises the proposed seat as being part of the “Strong Left” demographic, those who have very economically left wing and socially liberal views, are composed of a largely student population and have an internationalist outlook including strong opposition to Brexit. For reference, the site gives a notional result of only 12% for those who voted Brexit back in 2016, indicating that Bristol Central is a heavily pro-Remain area. In addition to this, around 43% of the constituency is deprived, in terms of employment, income and education, which can be seen as considerably low in contrast to the national average of 52% deprivation, according to the site. For general statistics, the average age is 37.6, at least 65% of the local population owns a car, whilst 41% own a home, and the gross household income is £48,529.[8]
Bristol Central has also been reported to be the most pro-immigration constituency in the United Kingdom; 55 per cent of voters wanted fewer controls and higher numbers in Bristol, a survey published by the Telegraph found.[9]
History
editModern constituency
editBristol Central was recreated as a constituency for the 2024 general election, after being abolished in the 1970s. The modern Bristol Central became the successor constituency to Bristol West created from the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, of which Thangam Debbonaire was the final MP.[10]
2024 election
editIn January 2022, Debbonaire was reselected by the Labour Party to re-stand as a candidate in the next general election; on 4 September 2023 she was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport by Keir Starmer.[10][11] London Mayor Sadiq Khan visited Clifton to show support for Debbonaire, claiming that Bristol would "have a strong champion as culture secretary in the next Labour government”.[12]
Bristol Central is a target seat for the Green Party where all 14 Bristol City Council members are Greens; the Green party selected Carla Denyer as their candidate.[13][14][15] Following the May local elections, the Green Party became the biggest party in Bristol City Council.[16] Denyer aimed to capitalise upon voters “feeling utterly uninspired by the potential of a Keir Starmer-led Labour party”.[17] Former MP for Liverpool Riverside, Dame Louise Ellman accused the Green Party of stirring up divisions over the Gaza War as part of their electoral campaign, by including the Palestinian flag and images of destruction in Gaza on their distribution letters in Bristol.[18]
Other running candidates included, Reform UK's Robert Clarke,[19] the Liberal Democrats's Nicholas Coombes,[20] and the Conservatives's Samuel Williams.[21]
At the beginning of the election campaign, The Economist and the Financial Times predicted that Labour would win in Bristol Central Constituency, based upon poll tracking.[22][23]
Constituent Carol Vorderman predicted the Green Party would win the election with 52% of the vote share.[24]
Boundaries
edit1918–1950: The County Borough of Bristol wards of Central East, Central West, Redcliffe, St Augustine, St James, St Paul, and St Philip and Jacob South.
1950–1955: The County Borough of Bristol wards of Easton, Knowle, Redcliffe, St Paul, St Philip and Jacob North, and St Philip and Jacob South.
1955–1974: The County Borough of Bristol wards of Easton, Knowle, St Paul, St Philip and Jacob, and Windmill Hill.
2024-present:
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the 2024 general election, the constituency will be composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
- The City of Bristol wards of Ashley, Central, Clifton, Clifton Down, Cotham, Hotwells and Harbourside, and Redland.[25]
The re-established seat will comprise approximately 70% of the, to be abolished, constituency of Bristol West.[26]
Members of Parliament
edit| Election | Member | Party | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | Thomas Inskip | Conservative | ||
| 1929 | Joseph Alpass | Labour | ||
| 1931 | Lord Apsley | Conservative | Killed in action, 1942 as Commander of the Arab Legion in Malta | |
| 1943 by-election | Lady Apsley | Conservative | ||
| 1945 | Stan Awbery | Labour | ||
| 1964 | Arthur Palmer | Labour | ||
| 1974 | constituency abolished | |||
Election results
editElections in the 2020s
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reform UK | Robert Clarke | ||||
| Liberal Democrats | Nicholas Coombes | ||||
| Labour | Thangam Debbonaire | ||||
| Green | Carla Denyer | ||||
| Party of Women | Kellie-Jay Keen | ||||
| Conservative | Samuel Williams | ||||
| Majority | |||||
| Turnout | |||||
| Swing | |||||
Elections in the 1970s
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Arthur Palmer | 12,375 | 51.4 | -7.5 | |
| Conservative | James R. E. Taylor | 9,130 | 37.9 | +1.9 | |
| Liberal | Antony Rider | 2,569 | 10.7 | New | |
| Majority | 3,245 | 13.5 | -9.4 | ||
| Turnout | 24,074 | 66.7 | -3.3 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1960s
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Arthur Palmer | 15,399 | 58.9 | +3.4 | |
| Conservative | James R. E. Taylor | 9,410 | 36.0 | -3.0 | |
| Independent | Desmond H. R. Burgess | 1,322 | 5.1 | -1.4 | |
| Majority | 5,989 | 22.9 | +7.4 | ||
| Turnout | 26,131 | 70.0 | -1.9 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Arthur Palmer | 16,207 | 54.5 | +0.9 | |
| Conservative | James R. E. Taylor | 11,616 | 39.0 | -7.4 | |
| Independent | Desmond H. R. Burgess | 1,936 | 6.5 | New | |
| Majority | 4,591 | 15.5 | +8.3 | ||
| Turnout | 29,759 | 71.9 | -3.1 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1950s
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Stan Awbery | 19,905 | 53.6 | -6.9 | |
| Conservative | L. G. Pine | 17,209 | 46.4 | +6.9 | |
| Majority | 2,696 | 7.2 | -13.8 | ||
| Turnout | 37,114 | 75.0 | +1.2 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Stan Awbery | 25,158 | 60.5 | -1.9 | |
| Conservative | Kenelm Antony Philip Dalby | 16,406 | 39.5 | +1.9 | |
| Majority | 8,752 | 21.0 | -3.8 | ||
| Turnout | 41,564 | 73.8 | -9.3 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Stan Awbery | 26,091 | 62.4 | +2.7 | |
| Conservative | Kenelm Antony Philip Dalby | 15,725 | 37.6 | +6.6 | |
| Majority | 10,366 | 24.8 | -3.9 | ||
| Turnout | 41,816 | 83.1 | -1.4 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Stan Awbery | 25,889 | 59.7 | -4.2 | |
| Conservative | John Peyton | 13,461 | 31.0 | -5.1 | |
| Liberal | Donald David Oliver Jones | 4,042 | 9.3 | New | |
| Majority | 12,428 | 28.7 | +0.9 | ||
| Turnout | 43,392 | 84.5 | +14.5 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1940s
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Stan Awbery | 13,045 | 63.9 | +16.4 | |
| Conservative | Violet Bathurst | 7,369 | 36.1 | -16.4 | |
| Majority | 5,676 | 27.8 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 20,414 | 70.0 | -2.8 | ||
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Violet Bathurst | 5,867 | 52.1 | −0.4 | |
| Independent Labour | Jennie Lee | 4,308 | 38.2 | New | |
| Ind. Labour Party | John McNair | 830 | 7.4 | New | |
| Independent | F. H. Dunn | 258 | 2.3 | New | |
| Majority | 1,559 | 13.9 | +8.9 | ||
| Turnout | 11,263 | 32.9 | −39.9 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1930s
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Allen Bathurst | 15,774 | 52.5 | -7.1 | |
| Labour | J. J. Taylor | 14,258 | 47.5 | +7.1 | |
| Majority | 1,516 | 5.0 | -14.2 | ||
| Turnout | 30,032 | 72.8 | -7.6 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Allen Bathurst | 22,311 | 59.6 | +15.3 | |
| Labour | Joseph Alpass | 15,143 | 40.4 | -15.3 | |
| Majority | 7,168 | 19.2 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 37,454 | 80.4 | +2.9 | ||
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1920s
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Joseph Alpass | 20,749 | 55.7 | +10.8 | |
| Unionist | Thomas Inskip | 16,524 | 44.3 | −10.8 | |
| Majority | 4,225 | 11.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 37,273 | 77.5 | 0.0 | ||
| Registered electors | 48,081 | ||||
| Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +10.8 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Thomas Inskip | 17,177 | 55.1 | +0.4 | |
| Labour | James Lovat-Fraser | 14,018 | 44.9 | −0.4 | |
| Majority | 3,159 | 10.2 | +0.8 | ||
| Turnout | 31,195 | 77.5 | +11.7 | ||
| Registered electors | 40,252 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | +0.4 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Thomas Inskip | 14,386 | 54.7 | −1.2 | |
| Labour | Samuel Edward Walters | 11,932 | 45.3 | +1.2 | |
| Majority | 2,454 | 9.4 | −2.4 | ||
| Turnout | 26,318 | 65.8 | −6.2 | ||
| Registered electors | 40,000 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | −1.2 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Thomas Inskip | 15,568 | 55.9 | −6.3 | |
| Labour | Christopher Thomson | 12,303 | 44.1 | +6.3 | |
| Majority | 3,265 | 11.8 | −12.6 | ||
| Turnout | 27,871 | 72.0 | +18.3 | ||
| Registered electors | 38,709 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | −6.3 | |||
Elections in the 1910s
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Unionist | Thomas Inskip | 12,232 | 63.2 | |
| Labour | Ernest Bevin | 7,137 | 36.8 | ||
| Majority | 5,095 | 26.4 | |||
| Turnout | 19,369 | 53.7 | |||
| Registered electors | 36,038 | ||||
| Unionist win (new seat) | |||||
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. | |||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "England Parliamentary electorates 2010-2018". Boundary Commission for England. Archived from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "South West region – Revised proposals" (PDF). Boundary Commission for England. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "Bristol Central Borough Constituency" (PDF). Boundary Commission for England. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "Revised proposals for new Parliamentary constituency boundaries in the South West region". Boundary Commission for England. Archived from the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "Fifth Periodical Report" (PDF). Boundary Commission for England. 26 February 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ Cork, Tristan (30 June 2023). "New 'Bristol Central' election contest confirmed – and the Greens already say they can win it". BristolLive. Archived from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
- ^ "How Bristol constituency boundaries could change". BBC News. 8 November 2022. Archived from the original on 8 November 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
- ^ "The Electoral Calculus' profile of Bristol Central". Electoral Calculus. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "Bristol Central most pro-immigration constituency in the UK". Bristol24/7. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ a b Cork, Tristan (26 January 2022). "Bristol MP reselected as candidate for next General Election". BristolLive. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
- ^ Harris, Aden (13 September 2023). "Shadow sports minister Debbonaire admits she has never been to a football match". Bristol 24/7. Archived from the original on 26 September 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
- ^ Booth, Martin (31 May 2024). "Khan Campaigns In Bristol Central To Support Debbonaire". Bristol 24/7. Archived from the original on 2 June 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
- ^ Walker, Peter (6 October 2023). "Green party says it plans to focus its effort on four seats at general election". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 April 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ Green, Tilly (28 June 2023). "Bristol constituency boundary changes halve Labour majority". Bristol Green Party. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
- ^ "Full list of all Green Party candidates at the next general election". Bright Green. 17 September 2023. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ Ketibuah-Foley, Jasmine (3 May 2024). "Greens become biggest party in Bristol after poll". BBC News. Archived from the original on 4 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Fisher, Lucy (30 May 2024). "Greens aim to win voters 'utterly uninspired' by Keir Starmer". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 30 May 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
- ^ Bell-Cross, Lorin (30 May 2024). "Green Party accused of 'stirring division' over Palestinian flag leaflet". The Jewish Chronicle. Archived from the original on 3 June 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
- ^ "Bristol Central Constituency". Reform UK. Archived from the original on 19 February 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ "Lib Dems announce Bristol candidates for the General Election". Bristol Liberal Democrats. 23 May 2024. Archived from the original on 23 May 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ Williams, Samuel [@SPSWilliams] (2 June 2024). "It's a huge privilege to be selected as the parliamentary candidate for Bristol Central" (Tweet). Retrieved 3 June 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ "UK election 2024". The Economist. Archived from the original on 28 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ "Predict the UK general election result". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Booth, Martin (3 June 2024). "Carol Vorderman: 'I Wish the Race in Bristol Central Wasn't Between Two Great Women With Strong Political Voices'". Bristol 24/7. Archived from the original on 3 June 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 1 March 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ Baker, Carl; Johnston, Neil (20 March 2024). "Boundary review 2023: Which seats will change in the UK?". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll". Bristol City Council. 7 June 2024. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
Sources
edit- Craig, Fred W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.