Oxford West and Abingdon
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Oxford West and Abingdon in Oxfordshire
Outline map
Location of Oxfordshire within England
CountyOxfordshire
Electorate76,953 (December 2019)[1]
Major settlementsAbingdon, Kidlington, Oxford (5 wards), Radley
Current constituency
Created1983
Member of ParliamentLayla Moran (Liberal Democrats)
SeatsOne
Created fromOxford, Abingdon

Oxford West and Abingdon is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Layla Moran, a Liberal Democrat.[n 2]

Constituency profile

The constituency includes the town of Abingdon, the village of Kidlington, and the western and northern parts of the city of Oxford, and some of the colleges of the University of Oxford. At the end of 2010, unemployment was the fifth lowest of the 84 South East constituencies, at 1.2% compared to a mean of 2.45%.[2] The area has rapid transit connections to London, Reading and the commercial heart of Oxford, has large business and research parks and a choice of two major railway stations, Oxford and Didcot Parkway.

History

Creation

The seat was created in 1983 as part of the reconfiguration of those in the county to avoid malapportionment, abolishing Oxford as a seat. It merged about half the city with the eastern portion of the former Abingdon seat.

MPs

Conservative John Patten (MP for Oxford in the 1979–1983 Parliament), held the seat from its creation until he retired in 1997. The seat was gained by Liberal Democrat, Evan Harris, who held the seat for thirteen years until the 2010 general election, when the Conservative Nicola Blackwood retook the seat in one of the most marginal results of that election. Blackwood held the seat until the 2017 general election, when she was defeated by Liberal Democrat Layla Moran in another marginal result. Moran retained the seat at the 2019 general election with a much increased majority of 15.2%.

Contests

The seat has been contested nine times, each of them general elections. At each contest, the Labour party candidate has polled third, with the peak share of votes to date being 20.2% in 1997. The strongest victory, in share of the vote, was that of Harris of the Liberal Democrats in 2001, a 17.8% majority (in a seven-way contest).

The Green Party and its predecessor, the Ecology Party, stood in the first eight contests, in each losing the deposit paid.

In December 2023, the Labour Party included the seat in its published list of 211 non-battleground seats, suggesting they did not see it as winnable.[3]

Boundaries and boundary changes

1983–1997

  • The District of Vale of White Horse wards of Abbey, Caldecott, Cumnor, Fitzharris, Hinksey, Kennington, Northcourt, Ock, Radley, St Helen Without, and Sunningwell and Wootton; and
  • The City of Oxford wards of Central, Cherwell, North, South, West, and Wolvercote.[4]

The majority of the new constituency, comprising the town of Abingdon-on-Thames and areas to the west of Oxford, was previously part of the abolished constituency of Abingdon in Berkshire. The City of Oxford wards had previously been in the abolished constituency of Oxford.

1997–2010

  • The District of Vale of White Horse wards of Abbey, Caldecott, Cumnor, Fitzharris, Hinksey, Kennington, Northcourt, Ock, Radley, St Helen Without, and Sunningwell and Wootton;
  • The City of Oxford wards of Central, Cherwell, North, West, and Wolvercote; and
  • The District of Cherwell wards of Gosford, North West Kidlington, and South East Kidlington.[5]

Kidlington was transferred from Witney. The South ward of the City of Oxford was transferred to Oxford East.

2010-present

  • The District of Vale of White Horse wards of Abingdon Abbey and Barton, Abingdon Caldecott, Abingdon Dunmore, Abingdon Fitzharris, Abingdon Northcourt, Abingdon Ock Meadow, Abingdon Peachcroft, Appleton and Cumnor, Kennington and South Hinksey, North Hinksey and Wytham, Radley, and Sunningwell and Wootton;
  • The City of Oxford wards of Jericho and Osney, North, St Margaret's, Summertown, and Wolvercote; and
  • The District of Cherwell wards of Kidlington North, Kidlington South, and Yarnton, Gosford and Water Eaton.[6]

Further loss to Oxford East, including the city centre, following revision of City of Oxford wards; marginal realignment of boundary with Wantage; Yarnton transferred from Witney.

Members of Parliament

Election Member[7][8] Party
1983 John Patten Conservative
1997 Evan Harris Liberal Democrats
2010 Nicola Blackwood Conservative
2017 Layla Moran Liberal Democrats

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Oxford West and Abingdon[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Layla Moran 31,340 53.3 Increase 9.6
Conservative James Fredrickson 22,397 38.1 Decrease 4.3
Labour Rosie Sourbut 4,258 7.2 Decrease 5.4
Brexit Party Allison Wild 829 1.4 New
Majority 8,943 15.2 Increase 13.9
Turnout 58,824 76.4 Decrease 3.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Increase 6.9
General election 2017: Oxford West and Abingdon[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Layla Moran 26,256 43.7 Increase 14.8
Conservative Nicola Blackwood 25,440 42.4 Decrease3.3
Labour Marie Tidball 7,573 12.6 Decrease0.1
UKIP Alan Harris 751 1.3 Decrease5.6
Majority 816 1.3 N/A
Turnout 60,020 79.6 Increase 4.4
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing Increase 9.1
General election 2015: Oxford West and Abingdon[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicola Blackwood 26,153 45.7 Increase 3.4
Liberal Democrats Layla Moran 16,571 28.9 Decrease 13.1
Labour Sally Copley 7,274 12.7 Increase 2.1
UKIP Alan Harris 3,963 6.9 Increase 4.2
Green Larry Sanders 2,497 4.4 Increase 2.3
NHA Helen Salisbury 723 1.3 New
Socialist (GB) Mike Foster 66 0.1 New
Majority 9,582 16.7 Increase 16.4
Turnout 57,247 75.2 Increase 5.0
Conservative hold Swing Increase 8.2
A pre-election husting at the Oxford West and Abingdon constituency during the 2010 campaign. From left to right: Richard Stevens, Evan Harris (standing, incumbent), Tim Gardam (chair, Principal of St Anne's College), Chris Goodall, Nicola Blackwood.
General election 2010: Oxford West and Abingdon[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicola Blackwood 23,906 42.3 Increase 9.6
Liberal Democrats Evan Harris 23,730 42.0 Decrease 4.1
Labour Richard Stevens 5,999 10.6 Decrease 5.2
UKIP Paul Williams 1,518 2.7 Increase 1.2
Green Chris Goodall 1,184 2.1 Decrease 1.7
Animal Protection Keith Mann 143 0.3 New
Majority 176 0.3 N/A
Turnout 56,480 70.2 Increase 3.0
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing Increase 6.9

Elections in the 2000s

A pre-election husting at the Oxford West and Abingdon constituency during the 2005 campaign.
General election 2005: Oxford West and Abingdon[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Evan Harris 24,336 46.3 −1.5
Conservative Amanda McLean 16,653 31.7 +1.7
Labour Antonia Bance 8,725 16.6 −1.1
Green Tom Lines 2,091 4.0 +1.2
UKIP Marcus Watney 795 1.5 +0.6
Majority 7,683 14.6 -3.2
Turnout 52,600 65.6 +1.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing −1.6
General election 2001: Oxford West and Abingdon[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Evan Harris 24,670 47.8 +4.9
Conservative Ed Matts 15,485 30.0 −2.7
Labour Gillian Kirk 9,114 17.7 −2.5
Green Mike Woodin 1,423 2.8 +1.7
UKIP Marcus Watney 451 0.9 +0.5
Independent Sigrid Shreeve 332 0.6 New
Extinction Club Robert Twigger 93 0.2 New
Majority 9,185 17.8 +7.6
Turnout 51,568 64.5 −13.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +3.8

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Oxford West and Abingdon[16][17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Evan Harris 26,268 42.9 +7.1
Conservative Laurence Harris 19,983 32.7 −13.6
Labour Susan Brown 12,361 20.2 +4.1
Referendum Gillian Eustace 1,258 2.1 New
Green Mike Woodin 691 1.1 −0.1
UKIP Rodney Buckton 258 0.4 New
ProLife Alliance Linda Hodge 238 0.4 New
Natural Law Anne Wilson 91 0.1 0.0
Local Government John Rose 48 0.1 New
Majority 6,285 10.2 +3.8
Turnout 61,196 78.0 +1.3
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing +10.4
General election 1992: Oxford West and Abingdon[19][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Patten 25,163 45.4 −1.0
Liberal Democrats William Goodhart 21,624 39.0 +1.6
Labour Bruce Kent 7,652 13.8 −1.1
Green Mike Woodin 660 1.2 −0.1
Liberal Roger Jenking 194 0.3 New
Anti-Federalist League Susan Nelson 98 0.2 New
Natural Law Geoffrey Wells 75 0.1 New
Majority 3,539 6.4 -2.6
Turnout 55,466 76.7 −1.7
Conservative hold Swing −1.3

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Oxford West and Abingdon[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Patten 25,171 46.4 −1.3
SDP Chris Huhne 20,293 37.4 +4.1
Labour John Power 8,108 14.9 −2.0
Green Donald Smith 695 1.3 +0.2
Majority 4,878 9.0 -5.4
Turnout 54,267 78.4 +4.4
Conservative hold Swing −2.7
General election 1983: Oxford West and Abingdon[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Patten 23,778 47.7
SDP Evan Luard 16,627 33.3
Labour Julian Jacottet 8,440 16.9
Ecology Suzette Starmer 544 1.1
Monster Raving Loony Robert Jones 267 0.5
Independent Christopher Smith 95 0.2
Independent Peter Doubleday 86 0.2
Independent Ruth Pinder 26 0.1
Majority 7,151 14.4
Turnout 49,863 74.0
Conservative win (new seat)

Neighbouring constituencies

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer).
  2. ↑ As with all UK Parliament constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

References

  1. ↑ "Oxford West & Abingdon - Election 2019". BBC News. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  2. ↑ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  3. ↑ Belger, Tom (8 December 2023). "Labour selections: Full list of 211 'non-battleground' seats now open to applications". labourlist.org. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  5. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  6. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  7. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "O"
  8. ↑ "Oxford West & Abingdon parliamentary constituency - Election 2017". BBC News. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  9. ↑ "Oxford West & Abingdon Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  10. ↑ "GENERAL ELECTION: List of Oxfordshire parliamentary candidates published". The Oxford Times.
  11. ↑ "South Live: Thursday 11 May". BBC News.
  12. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  14. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. ↑ C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.451 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
  18. ↑ The 1997 election result is calculated relative to the notional, not the actual, 1992 result.
  19. ↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  21. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources

51°45′N 1°18′W / 51.75°N 1.30°W / 51.75; -1.30

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