Winchester is a constituency in Hampshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Danny Chambers, a Liberal Democrat.
Boundaries
1918–1950: The Borough of Winchester, the Urban District of Eastleigh and Bishopstoke, the Rural Districts of Hursley and Winchester, and the Rural District of South Stoneham except the parish of Bittern.
1950–1955: The Boroughs of Eastleigh, Romsey, and Winchester, in the Rural District of Romsey and Stockbridge the parishes of Ampfield, Chilworth, East Dean, Lockerley, Melchet Park and Plaitford, Michelmersh, Mottisfont, North Baddesley, Nursling and Rownhams, Romsey Extra, Sherfield English, and Wellow, and part of the Rural District of Winchester.
1955–1974: The Boroughs of Romsey and Winchester, and parts of the Rural Districts of Romsey and Stockbridge, and Winchester.
1974–1983: The Municipal Boroughs of Andover and Winchester, the Rural District of Andover, and parts of the Rural Districts of Romsey and Stockbridge, and Winchester.
1983–1997: The City of Winchester wards of Bishop's Sutton, Bishop's Waltham, Cheriton, Compton, Durley and Upham, Itchen Valley, Littleton, Micheldever, New Alresford, Olivers Battery, Otterbourne and Hursley, Owlesbury and Colden Common, St Barnabas, St Bartholomew, St John and All Saints, St Luke, St Michael, St Paul, Sparsholt, The Worthys, Twyford, Upper Meon Valley, and Wonston, and the District of East Hampshire wards of Alton Holybourne, Alton North East, Alton North West, Alton South East, Alton South West and Beech, Farringdon, Four Marks, Medstead, North Downland and Ropley, and West Tisted.
1997–2010: The City of Winchester.
2010–2024: The City of Winchester wards of Colden Common and Twyford, Compton and Otterbourne, Itchen Valley, Kings Worthy, Littleton and Harestock, Olivers Battery and Badger Farm, St Barnabas, St Bartholomew, St John and All Saints, St Luke, St Michael, St Paul, Sparsholt, The Alresfords, and Wonston and Micheldever, and the Borough of Eastleigh wards of Chandler's Ford East, Chandler's Ford West, Hiltingbury East, and Hiltingbury West.
Parliament accepted the Boundary Commission's Fifth periodic review of Westminster constituencies by making slight changes to this constituency for the 2010 general election, removing 11 mostly rural wards in and around Bishops Waltham to a new seat, Meon Valley. In return, Winchester gained four suburban and partially urban wards at the northern edge of Eastleigh.2010 post-revision map non-metropolitan areas and unitary authorities of England
2024–present: Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies which became effective for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
The City of Winchester wards of: Alresford & Itchen Valley; Badger Farm & Oliver’s Battery; Bishop’s Waltham; Central Meon Valley; Colden Common & Twyford; St. Barnabas; St. Bartholomew; St. Luke; St. Michael; St. Paul; The Worthys; Upper Meon Valley; Wonston & Micheldever.
The constituency again solely comprises areas within the City of Winchester local authority with the transfer of Chandler's Ford and Hiltingbury back to Eastleigh. Bishop's Waltham and the Meon valley area was transferred back from the abolished Meon Valley seat.
History 1295–1885 The chartered city sent burgesses (equivalent to advisory MPs) to the Model Parliament of 1295 and then to most Parliaments convened by the monarch in the medieval period and thereafter; its representation being fixed at two in number during this long period of English history. As is common, major disruption in representation caused by both infrequency of Parliaments convened and allegiance of the incumbents (whether a Royalist or a Parliamentarian) led to sporadic representation during the Protectorate of England and its Commonwealth which followed the end of most fighting during the English Civil War, in this case the stripping of wealth and status from Sir William Ogle followed his being supportive of the wrong faction at the wrong time.
1885–present The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 reduced the narrow borough constituency that elected two MPs to only one, permitting the creation of new broader replacement seats in surrounding Hampshire countryside for two abolished boroughs: Andover and Fareham (also known as West and South Hampshire respectively).
Political history The seat was a Conservative safe seat in terms of majority and length of time held from 1950 until 1997.
At the 1997 general election the incumbent MP Gerry Malone of the Conservative Party was defeated by Mark Oaten of the Liberal Democrats by just two votes. This was the closest result in any of the 659 constituencies contested at the 1997 general election, followed by the Liberal Democrats 12 vote majority (also over the Conservatives) in Torbay. Malone petitioned the result and it was declared void by the High Court on the grounds of mis-stamped ballots having altered the outcome, necessitating a by-election. This was won definitively by Oaten with a very large majority of 21,556, in an election that saw the Labour vote collapse to 1.7% hence the candidate, Patrick Davies, losing his deposit.
The events of 1997 swung the constituency strongly away from its usual status as a fairly safe Conservative seat.
Avoidance of confusion in party names The candidacy of Richard Huggett in both 1997 elections as a "Literal Democrat" candidate led in part to the creation of the Registration of Political Parties Act 1998.
Oaten stood down at the 2010 general election and was replaced as Liberal Democrat candidate by Martin Tod. Following significant boundary changes, Tod was defeated by Conservative candidate Steve Brine, who took the seat with a majority of 3,048 votes. Brine held the seat in 2015, 2017 and 2019, although in 2019 his majority was reduced to just 985 votes over Paula Ferguson of the Liberal Democrats, making Winchester one of the most marginal seats in the UK.
Brine stood down for the 2024 election and Flick Drummond, the incumbent MP for the now abolished seat of Meon Valley, was selected for the Conservatives, having failed to be selected for the new seat of Fareham and Waterlooville. However, despite boundary changes favouring the Conservative Party, she was easily defeated by the Liberal Democrats' Danny Chambers after a notional swing of 19.2%.
Prominent frontbenchers Sir George Hennessy was a senior whip (Vice-Chamberlain of the Household then Treasurer of the Household) from 1925 to 1929, being given the style 'sir' through a baronetcy in 1927. Peter Smithers resigned the seat in 1964 to serve as Secretary General of the Council of Europe until 1969. Gerry Malone became a Health Minister in 1994. Mark Oaten became Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesman from 2003 until January 2006.
Constituency profile The constituency is in mid-Hampshire and comprises the bulk of the large City of Winchester District. The largest settlements after Winchester itself are Bishop's Waltham, New Alresford and Kings Worthy.
The ancient capital of Wessex, Winchester is a cathedral city with the arts and humanities-oriented University and an affluent population. Poverty is very low, and the population is a mixture of students, academics, London and Southampton commuters, and those employed locally in high-tech and creative industries.2011 Census - Key Statistics - Industries
Workless claimants who were registered jobseekers were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 1.4% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
Members of Parliament Constituency created (1295)
1295–1660 ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1386 Richard Frye Mark Le Faire1386-1421 - Winchester History of Parliament; Accessed 2 November 2011 1388 (February) Mark Le Faire Gilbert Forster 1388 (September) William Wygge John Blake 1390 (January) Mark Le Faire John West 1390 (November) 1391 Mark Le Faire Gilbert Forster 1393 Mark Le Faire Edmund Picard 1394 John Peverel Richard Gould 1395 Mark Le Faire John Blake 1397 (January) Henry Clerk Nicholas Tanner 1397 (September) William Bolt Richard Pachford 1399 Mark Le Faire Edmund Picard 1401 1402 John Snell John Steor 1404 (January) 1404 (October) 1406 Thomas Smale Edmund Picard 1407 John Steor Robert Archer 1410 1411 Mark Le Faire Robert Archer 1413 (February) Mark Le Faire William Wood 1413 (May) Mark Le Faire William Wood 1414 (April) 1414 (November) Mark Le Faire William Wood 1415 Richard Gould Richard Bolt 1416 (March) Mark Le Faire William Wood 1416 (October) Richard Turnaunt William Reson 1417 Mark Le Faire Richard Turnaunt 1419 Richard Bolt Richard Turnaunt 1420 William Reson William Wood 1421 (May) John French William Wood 1421 (December) John French Thomas Cutler 1510-1523No names known 1529 William Hawles Thomas Coke, died and replaced after 1532 by ?Walter Chandler 1536 ?William Hawles ?Walter Chandler 1539 Thomas Lee ? 1542 Walter Chandler ? 1545 ? 1547 William Honing John Foster 1553 (March) Richard Bethell William Lawrence I 1553 (October) Richard Bethell William Lawrence I 1554 (April) William Lawrence I Robert Hodson 1554 (November) William Lawrence I Robert Hodson 1555 William Lawrence I Robert Hodson 1558 Giles White William Lawrence I 1559 (January) William Lawrence Robert Bethell 1562 (December) William Lawrence Thomas Michelborne 1571Thomas Michelborne Richard Birde? 1572 (May) Thomas Michelborne, died and replaced in January 1583 by William Bethell John Caplyn 1584 (November) John Wolley Thomas Fleming I 1586 (October) John Wolley Thomas Fleming I 1588 (October) Thomas Fleming I Francis Mylles 1593Sir Edward Stafford Thomas Fleming I 1597 (October) William Badger John Moore 1601 (October) Edward Cole Sir Thomas Fleming II 1604 John Moore Edward Cole 1614 Sir William SandysSir Thomas Bilson 1621 Richard Tichborne William Savage 1624 Richard Tichborne James Lord Wriothesley 1625 Richard Tichborne Sir Thomas Phelipps 1626 Richard Tichborne Henry Whitehead 1628 Richard Tichborne Robert Mason 1629–1640No Parliaments summoned 1640 (April) John Lisle Sir William Ogle 1640 (November) John Lisle Sir William Ogle, disabled June 1643 replaced in 1645 by Nicholas Love 1654 John Hildesley 1656 John Hildesley 1659 John Hildesley Nicholas Love 1659 John Lisle Nicholas Love
MPs 1660–1885 YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party1660John Hooke Thomas Cole 1660 Charles Paulet 1661 Richard Goddard Lawrence Hyde 1666 Sir Robert Mason 1669 Sir Robert Holmes 1679 James Annesley Sir John Cloberry 1685 Roger L'Estrange Charles Hanses 1689 Francis Morley Lord William Powlett 1690 Frederick Tylney 1701George Rodney Brydges 1710 Thomas Lewis 1714George Brydges John Popham 1715 Lord William Powlett 1730 Norton Powlett 1734 Paulet St John 1741 William Powlett 1747 Henry Penton 1751 Paulet St John 1754 James Brydges 1761Henry Penton Lord Harry Powlett 1765 George Paulet 1774 Lovell Stanhope 1783 Henry Flood 1784 Richard Grace Gamon 1796 Henry Temple, 2nd Viscount Palmerston 1802 Sir Henry St John-Mildmay 1807 Sir Henry St John-Mildmay 1812 Richard Meyler 1818 James Henry Leigh 1818 Paulet St John-Mildmay 1823 Sir Edward East 1831 James Buller East 1832 Bingham Baring 1835 Sir James Buller East 1837 Paulet St John-Mildmay 1841 Bickham Escott 1847 John Bonham-Carter 1859 1864 by-election Thomas Willis Fleming 1865 William Barrow Simonds 1874 Arthur Robert Naghten 1880 Francis Baring Richard Moss 1885 Representation reduced to one member
MPs since 1885