Romsey is a
constituencyIn the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly....
represented in the House of Commons of the
Parliament of the United KingdomThe Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. It alone has parliamentary sovereignty, conferring upon it ultimate power over all other political bodies in the UK and its territories...
. It elects one
Member of Parliament (MP)A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators. Members of...
by the first past the post system of election. It is a Liberal Democrat/ Conservative marginal.
The constituency is located in the
Test ValleyTest Valley is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England, named after the valley of the River Test. Its council is based in Andover....
district of
HampshireHampshire , sometimes historically Southamptonshire, Hamptonshire, , or the County of Southampton, is a county on the south coast of England. The county borders , Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
, although it covers a smaller area with parts of the Test Valley to the north being part of the
North West HampshireNorth West Hampshire is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
constituency. The main town within the constituency is
RomseyRomsey is a small market town in the county of Hampshire, England.It is 8 miles northwest of Southampton and 11 miles south-west of Winchester. Just under 15,000 people live in Romsey, which has an area of about 4.93 square kilometres.Romsey lies on the River Test, which is famous for...
.
Following their review of parliamentary representation in
HampshireHampshire , sometimes historically Southamptonshire, Hamptonshire, , or the County of Southampton, is a county on the south coast of England. The county borders , Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
, the Boundary Commission for England has created a modified Romsey constituency to be called Romsey and Southampton North, to reflect the fact that
SouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
forms part of the constituency.
The constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the seats of Eastleigh and
New ForestNew Forest is a former UK Parliamentary constituency. It existed from 1885 until 1997 when it was divided into New Forest East and New Forest West...
.
Romsey is a
constituencyIn the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly....
represented in the House of Commons of the
Parliament of the United KingdomThe Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. It alone has parliamentary sovereignty, conferring upon it ultimate power over all other political bodies in the UK and its territories...
. It elects one
Member of Parliament (MP)A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators. Members of...
by the first past the post system of election. It is a Liberal Democrat/ Conservative marginal.
Boundaries
The constituency is located in the
Test ValleyTest Valley is a local government district and borough in Hampshire, England, named after the valley of the River Test. Its council is based in Andover....
district of
HampshireHampshire , sometimes historically Southamptonshire, Hamptonshire, , or the County of Southampton, is a county on the south coast of England. The county borders , Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
, although it covers a smaller area with parts of the Test Valley to the north being part of the
North West HampshireNorth West Hampshire is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
constituency. The main town within the constituency is
RomseyRomsey is a small market town in the county of Hampshire, England.It is 8 miles northwest of Southampton and 11 miles south-west of Winchester. Just under 15,000 people live in Romsey, which has an area of about 4.93 square kilometres.Romsey lies on the River Test, which is famous for...
.
Boundary review
Following their review of parliamentary representation in
HampshireHampshire , sometimes historically Southamptonshire, Hamptonshire, , or the County of Southampton, is a county on the south coast of England. The county borders , Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
, the Boundary Commission for England has created a modified Romsey constituency to be called Romsey and Southampton North, to reflect the fact that
SouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
forms part of the constituency.
History
The constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the seats of Eastleigh and
New ForestNew Forest is a former UK Parliamentary constituency. It existed from 1885 until 1997 when it was divided into New Forest East and New Forest West...
. It was originally named Romsey and Waterside, but in 1997 it was renamed to just Romsey. The first
MPA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators. Members of...
,
Michael ColvinMichael Keith Beale Colvin was a politician in the United Kingdom. He was first elected as a Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Bristol North West in 1979...
, held the constituency from its creation until his death in 2000. This led to a
by-electionConservative Member of Parliament Michael Colvin and his wife died in a fire at their home on 24 February 2000. This created a by-election in his constituency of Romsey in Hampshire, England....
, which was won by the present Liberal Democrat incumbent
Sandra GidleySandra Julia Gidley is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. She is the Member of Parliament for Romsey in Hampshire.-Biography:...
.
Members of Parliament
| Election | Member | Party |
|---|
1983The 1983 UK general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945.The opposition vote split almost evenly between the SDP/Liberal Alliance and Labour...
|
constituency created as Romsey and Waterside |
|
1983The 1983 UK general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945.The opposition vote split almost evenly between the SDP/Liberal Alliance and Labour...
|
Michael Colvin Michael Keith Beale Colvin was a politician in the United Kingdom. He was first elected as a Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Bristol North West in 1979...
|
ConservativeThe Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservatives, the Conservative Party, or Tory Party is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom...
|
1997The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992. The Labour Party won the general election in a landslide victory with 418 seats, the most seats the party has ever held...
|
constituency renamed as Romsey |
|
1997The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992. The Labour Party won the general election in a landslide victory with 418 seats, the most seats the party has ever held...
|
Michael Colvin Michael Keith Beale Colvin was a politician in the United Kingdom. He was first elected as a Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Bristol North West in 1979...
|
ConservativeThe Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservatives, the Conservative Party, or Tory Party is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom...
|
|
2000 by-election Conservative Member of Parliament Michael Colvin and his wife died in a fire at their home on 24 February 2000. This created a by-election in his constituency of Romsey in Hampshire, England....
|
Sandra GidleySandra Julia Gidley is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. She is the Member of Parliament for Romsey in Hampshire.-Biography:...
|
Liberal DemocratThe Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems or just Liberals, are a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by a merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party; the two parties had been in alliance for seven years, from shortly after the formation of...
|
Election results
This majority of only 125 makes this the most marginal Lib Dem seat in the country.
See also