Maidenhead
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Maidenhead in Berkshire
Outline map
Location of Berkshire within England
CountyBerkshire
Electorate74,951 (2018)[1]
Major settlementsMaidenhead, Bray, Wargrave, Sonning, Twyford
Current constituency
Created1997
Member of ParliamentTheresa May (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created fromWindsor & Maidenhead, and Wokingham

Maidenhead is a constituency[n 1] in Berkshire represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since its creation at the 1997 general election, the seat has been held by Conservative Member of Parliament Theresa May, who served as Home Secretary from 2010 to 2016 and as Prime Minister from 2016 to 2019.

It is considered a safe seat for the Conservative Party.[2]

Constituency profile

Housing is, in the Wokingham district part, at the northern end of a belt where more than 40% of dwellings are detached houses, and less than 10.8% are purpose-built flats or tenements (maisonettes) (2011 figures, by district)[3] Reflecting a national trend in this period, the latter band was in 2001 a band of fewer than 8% of housing stock as flats. The other borough, namely Windsor and Maidenhead, is the district with the most expensive house prices in the country outside of Greater London.[4] The seat is located in the technology-rich M4 corridor, which includes the largest company headquarters estate in Europe at Slough; and though most of the communities have slower links to London than Maidenhead town centre, they instead have close links to Reading and Bracknell. A minority commute to the City of London, which is just under one hour's commute from the two mainline stations.[5] Communities in the area will also benefit from the eventual opening of Crossrail, with trains running direct from Maidenhead and Twyford to the City of London and Stratford. The seat includes the renowned restaurants, the Fat Duck at Bray and The Waterside Inn. There are low hills in the north of the seat and the Chiltern Hills further to the north. Taking the constituent electoral ward results since the decline of the Liberal Party in the 1910s, the area has always been a safe seat for Conservative candidates. One broadsheet political column encapsulated the constituency as a "seat of Thamesside towns",[6] these house a majority of its residents other than Twyford which spans the multi-stream river in the town. The agriculture in the area consists of some pasture, fields of wheat and fruit.

History

The constituency was first drawn shortly after the 1992 general election. The electorate of Maidenhead and Windsor was becoming too large, so the Boundary Commission for England separated the seats for the next election, due in 1996 or 1997. It was formed from parts of the abolished safe seat of Windsor and Maidenhead and the constituency of Wokingham. It was first used in the 1997 election. Theresa May, Prime Minister from 2016 to 2019, has held the seat since its creation. In 1995, May, a former London councillor at the time working at the Association for Payment Clearing Services and as a Foreign affairs advisor, was selected to contest the new seat, defeating her future Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, in the selection process. (Hammond was later selected for the nearby seat of Runnymede and Weybridge). May won the seat in the 1997 election, in which over 100 Conservatives lost their seats, and the party obtained its lowest share of seats in 91 years. At the 2010 general election May achieved the 9th highest share of the vote of the 307 seats held by a Conservative.[7]

The closest election in the seat was in 2001, in which May's majority was cut from almost 12,000 votes in 1997 to just 3,284 votes ahead of the Liberal Democrat candidate.[8] The Labour candidate in that election was activist and comedy writer John O'Farrell, whose campaign was the subject of a BBC documentary entitled Losing My Maidenhead.

Due to their strong performance in 2001, the seat was one of several targeted by the Liberal Democrats in 2005 as part of a 'decapitation strategy' to deprive senior Conservatives of their seats; as with similar efforts in Haltemprice and Howden and West Dorset, however, this strategy was unsuccessful: May retained her seat with almost double her 2001 majority. Since then, she has held it with majorities of at least 30%.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1997–2010

  • The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead wards of Belmont, Bisham and Cookham, Boyn Hill, Cox Green, Furze Platt, Hurley, Oldfield, Pinkney's Green, and St Mary's; and
  • The District of Wokingham wards of Charvil, Coronation, Hurst, Remenham and Wargrave, Sonning, and Twyford and Ruscombe.[9]

The Windsor and Maidenhead wards were previously part of the abolished constituency of that name. The Wokingham wards were transferred from the reconfigured constituency thereof.

2010–present

  • The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead wards of Belmont, Bisham and Cookham, Boyn Hill, Bray, Cox Green, Furze Platt, Hurley and Walthams, Maidenhead Riverside, Oldfield, and Pinkney's Green; and
  • The District of Wokingham wards of Charvil, Coronation, Hurst, Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe, Sonning, and Twyford.[10]

Bray was transferred from Windsor.

The constituency borders the constituencies of Reading East, Henley, Wycombe, Beaconsfield, Windsor, Bracknell and Wokingham. The seat's largest settlement is the town of Maidenhead in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Proposed

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the next general election, due by January 2025, the constituency will be composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

  • The Borough of Bracknell Forest wards of: Ascot; Binfield with Warfield; Winkfield and Cranbourne.
  • The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead wards of: Belmont; Bisham & Cookham; Boyn Hill; Bray; Cox Green; Furze Platt; Hurley & Walthams; Oldfield; Pinkneys Green; Riverside; St. Mary’s.[11]

The District of Wokingham wards will be transferred out, mostly to Wokingham (including Twyford) and partly to the new constituency of Earley and Woodley (including Sonning); offset by the addition of the Bracknell Forest wards, including Binfield, from Windsor.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember[12] Party
1997 constituency created from Windsor and Maidenhead & Wokingham
Theresa May Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Maidenhead[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Theresa May 32,620 57.7 -6.9
Liberal Democrats Joshua Reynolds 13,774 24.4 +13.2
Labour Patrick McDonald 7,882 14.0 -5.3
Green Emily Tomalin 2,216 3.9 +2.3
Majority 18,846 33.3 −12.2
Turnout 56,492 73.7 −2.7
Conservative hold Swing

General election 2017: Maidenhead[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Theresa May 37,718 64.8 −1.0
Labour Patrick McDonald 11,261 19.3 +7.4
Liberal Democrats Tony Hill 6,540 11.2 +1.3
Green Derek Wall 907 1.6 −2.0
UKIP Gerard Batten 871 1.5 −6.9
Animal Welfare Andrew Knight 282 0.5 New
Gremloids Lord Buckethead 249 0.4 New
Independent Grant Smith 152 0.3 New
Monster Raving Loony Howling Laud Hope 119 0.2 New
CPA Edmonds Victor 69 0.1 New
The Just Political Party Julian Reid 52 0.1 New
Independent Yemi Hailemariam 16 0.0 New
Give Me Back My Elmo Bobby Smith 3 0.0 New
Majority 26,457 45.5 −8.6
Turnout 58,239 76.4 +3.8
Conservative hold Swing −4.2

General election 2015: Maidenhead[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Theresa May 35,453 65.8 +6.3
Labour Charlie Smith 6,394 11.9 +4.8
Liberal Democrats Tony Hill 5,337 9.9 −18.3
UKIP Herbie Crossman[17] 4,539 8.4 +6.1
Green Emily Blyth 1,915 3.6 +2.7
Independent Ian Taplin 162 0.3 New
Class War Joe Wilcox 55 0.1 New
Majority 29,059 53.9 +22.7
Turnout 53,855 72.6 −1.1
Conservative hold Swing

General election 2010: Maidenhead[18][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Theresa May 31,937 59.5 +7.6
Liberal Democrats Tony Hill 15,168 28.2 −8.0
Labour Patrick McDonald 3,795 7.1 −2.1
UKIP Kenneth Wright 1,243 2.3 +0.9
BNP Tim Rait 825 1.5 +0.1
Green Peter Forbes 482 0.9 New
Freedom and Responsibility Peter Prior 270 0.5 New
Majority 16,769 31.2 +18.6
Turnout 53,720 73.7 +3.4
Conservative hold Swing +7.8

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Maidenhead[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Theresa May 23,312 50.8 +5.8
Liberal Democrats Kathryn Newbound 17,081 37.3 −0.1
Labour Janet Pritchard 4,144 9.0 −6.2
BNP Tim Rait 704 1.5 New
UKIP Douglas Lewis 609 1.3 −0.4
Majority 6,231 13.5 +5.9
Turnout 45,850 71.7 +9.7
Conservative hold Swing +3.0

General election 2001: Maidenhead[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Theresa May 19,506 45.0 −4.8
Liberal Democrats Kathryn Newbound 16,222 37.4 +11.1
Labour John O'Farrell 6,577 15.2 −2.9
UKIP Dennis Cooper 741 1.7 +1.2
Monster Raving Loony Lloyd Clarke 272 0.6 New
Majority 3,284 7.6 -15.9
Turnout 43,318 62.0 −13.6
Conservative hold Swing -8.0

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Maidenhead[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Theresa May 25,344 49.8 −11.8
Liberal Democrats Andrew Ketteringham 13,363 26.3 −3.5
Labour Denise Robson 9,205 18.1 +9.5
Referendum Charles Taverner 1,638 3.2 New
Liberal David Munkley 896 1.8 New
UKIP Neil Spiers 277 0.5 New
Glow Bowling Party Kristian Ardley 166 0.3 New
Majority 11,981 23.5 New
Turnout 50,889 75.6
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)

References

  1. ↑ "England Parliamentary electorates 2010-2018". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  2. ↑ "Maidenhead: Voters' views in one of England's safest seats". BBC News. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  3. ↑ "2011 census interactive maps". Archived from the original on 29 January 2016.
  4. ↑ "BBC News, UK House prices, South East". BBC News. 21 October 2013.
  5. ↑ "National Rail Enquiries - Official source for UK train times and timetables". www.nationalrail.co.uk.
  6. ↑ Constituency Profile The Guardian
  7. ↑ "Electoral Commission – Previous UK general elections".
  8. ↑ "Election Data 2001". 15 October 2011. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011.
  9. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  10. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  11. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
  12. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "M" (part 1)
  13. ↑ "Maidenhead Constituency List of Candidates" (PDF).
  14. ↑ "Statement of persons nominated - Maidenhead". Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  15. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. ↑ The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (30 April 2015). "General Election Results 2015: Maidenhead Constituency". Electoral Services – Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  17. ↑ "UK Polling Report".
  18. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  19. ↑ "Election 2010 – Maidenhead". BBC. 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  20. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

51°32′N 0°43′W / 51.54°N 0.72°W / 51.54; -0.72

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