Guildford is a constituency in Surrey represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Zöe Franklin, a Liberal Democrat.
Constituency profile The Guildford constituency is located in Surrey. It covers the large town of Guildford, which has a population of around 82,000, and the rural areas to its east including the villages of East Horsley and Send. Guildford is a historic town located around from central London and forms part of the city's wider urban area. The town is home to the University of Surrey, which has around 16,000 students. Guildford is generally suburban in character with a low proportion of high-density terraced housing. The town and its surroundings are highly affluent, with most parts of the constituency falling within the top 10% least-deprived areas in England. The average house price is considerably higher than the rest of South East England and almost double the national average.Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Guildford
In general, residents of the constituency are young and well-educated. They are likely to work in professional occupations and have very high levels of household income compared to the rest of the country. White people made up 84% of the population at the 2021 census, a similar proportion to the country as a whole. Asians were the largest ethnic minority group at 8%. At the local council level, the town is mostly represented by Liberal Democrats with some Labour Party representation in the more deprived Bellfields area. The villages and rural areas to the east mostly elected minor localist parties. An estimated 59% of voters in the constituency supported remaining in the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the nationwide figure of 48%.
History From the first Commons in the Model Parliament of 1295 Guildford was a parliamentary borough sending two members to Parliament until 1868Reform Act 1867: representation reduced to one seat with effect from the 1868 general election. and one until 1885. In the latter years of sending two members a bloc vote system of elections was used. Until 1885 the electorate in the town of Guildford elected the member(s) of parliament,Map Boundary Commission VisionofBritain which expanded in 1885 into a county division of Guildford under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.
Early political history The seat almost exclusively elected Conservatives between 1868 and 2001, with just two exceptions during that period. In 1868, Guildford Onslow, a Liberal, became the first MP to secure election to the single-member (as opposed to the previous two-member) borough constituency of Guildford. This was yet another example of a ‘centuries-old’ representation of Guildford by influential members of the Earl of Onslow's family, with Guildford Onslow himself, in turn, being defeated by a further member of this same family (from its minor Sussex and British Indian branch), Denzil Onslow, a Conservative, in the succeeding election of 1874. A majority of the seat's voters were again swayed toward the Liberal cause in the Liberal landslide year of the 1906 general election.
Modern political history Successive elections in 2001 and 2005 saw marginal majorities of under 2% of the vote - in favour of a Liberal Democrat and then a Conservative. The 2015 result brought the incumbent MP, Anne Milton, a huge Conservative majority of more than 41 percentage points, up from 14 percentage points in 2010. However, the seat swung substantially towards the Liberal Democrats in the 2019 general election, and the Lib Dems then won the seat back from the Conservatives in 2024 with a majority of over 8,000.
Boundaries
1885–1918: The Boroughs of Guildford and Godalming, the Sessional Division of Farnham, and part of the Sessional Division of Guildford.
1918–1950: The Boroughs of Guildford and Godalming, the Urban District of Haslemere, the Rural District of Hambledon, and the Rural District of Guildford except the civil parish of Pirbright.
1950–1983: The Borough of Guildford, in the Rural District of Guildford the parishes of Artington, Compton, Puttenham, Shackleford, Shalford, Wanborough, and Worplesdon, and in the Rural District of Hambledon the parishes of Alfold, Bramley, Busbridge, Cranleigh, Dunsfold, Ewhurst, Hambledon, Hascombe, and Wonersh.
1983–1997: The Borough of Guildford wards of Christchurch, Friary and St Nicolas, Holy Trinity, Merrow and Burpham, Onslow, Pilgrims, Shalford, Stoke, Stoughton, Tongham, Westborough, and Worplesdon, and the District of Waverley wards of Blackheath and Wonersh, Bramley, Cranleigh East, Cranleigh West, Ewhurst, and Shamley Green.
1997–2010: As above less Tongham ward.
2010–2024: The Borough of Guildford wards of Burpham, Christchurch, Friary and St Nicolas, Holy Trinity, Merrow, Onslow, Pilgrims, Shalford, Stoke, Stoughton, Westborough, and Worplesdon, and the Borough of Waverley wards of Alfold, Blackheath and Wonersh, Cranleigh East, Cranleigh Rural and Ellens Green, Cranleigh West, Ewhurst, and Shamley Green and Cranleigh North.
2024–present: The Borough of Guildford wards of Bellfields & Slyfield, Burpham, Castle, Clandon & Horsley, Effingham, Merrow, Onslow, Send & Lovelace, St Nicolas, Stoke, Stoughton North, Stoughton South, Westborough, and Worplesdon Electorate reduced to bring it within the permitted range by transferring the parts in the Borough of Waverley, including Cranleigh to the newly created constituency of Godalming and Ash (except the small Ewhurst ward, which went to Dorking and Horley). To compensate, Clandon, Horsley, Effingham, Send and Lovelace in Guildford borough were added from the former Mole Valley seat.
Members of Parliament MPs 1295–1640 ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1377 Henry Colas 1381 Robert atte Mille 1386 John Gatyn Henry Marlborough 1388 (Feb) John Bonet Robert Chesenhale 1388 (Sep) John Thorne Robert Vinter 1390 (Jan) Thomas Brocas Robert Vinter 1390 (Nov) 1391 John Gatyn Robert Vinter 1393 John Thorne Henry Colas 1394 1395 John Gatyn Thomas Brocas 1397 (Jan) John Gatyn John Bonet 1397 (Sep) Robert Chesenhale Robert Vinter 1399 John Gatyn John Bonet 1401 John Gatyn Robert Hornmede 1402 Robert atte Mille John Cross 1404 (Jan) John Gatyn Thomas Brocas 1404 (Oct) 1406 William Gregory Henry Rose 1407 Robert Hull John Wharton 1410 1411 1413 (Feb) 1413 (May) Ralph Wimbledon Richard Eton 1414 (Apr) 1414 (Nov) William Waterman Geoffrey Mudge 1415 Thomas Ingram William Weston 1416 (Mar) John Hipperon Richard Eton 1416 (Oct) 1417 William Walsh John Gregg 1419 John Stoughton William Weston 1420 Richard Woking John Wharton 1421 (May) Thomas Waller John Gregg 1421 (Dec) Thomas Waller Richard Woking 1510-1523 No names known 1529 Sir Thomas Palmer John Dale 1536 ? 1539 ?William Fitzwilliam ?John Bourne 1542 Sir John Baker William Fitzwilliam 1545 Anthony Browne Thomas Elyot 1547 Sir Anthony Browne Thomas Elyot, died and repl. by Jan 1552 by Thomas Stoughton 1553 (Mar) ? 1553 (Oct) William MoreWilliam Hammond 1554 (Apr) George Tadlow William Hammond 1554 (Nov) Henry Polsted William More 1555 Henry Polsted William More 1558 Edward Popham William Hammond 1559 Sir Thomas Palmer Thomas Stoughton 1562–3 Thomas Bromley John Austen 1571 Peter Osborne Henry Knollys 1572 William More Thomas Stoughton, died and repl. Jan 1581 by Lawrence Stoughton 1584 George More Laurence Stoughton 1586 George More Laurence Stoughton 1588 Sir William More George More 1593 George More Laurence Stoughton 1597 Sir William More I Sir Robert Southwell 1601 Robert More William Jackson 1604 Sir George More George Austen 1614 Sir Robert More George Stoughton 1621 Sir Robert More John Murray 1624 Sir Robert More Nicholas Stoughton 1625 Sir Robert More Robert Parkhurst, jnr 1626 Richard Shilton Shilton did not take his seat, and was replaced by Sir William Morley Robert Parkhurst, jnr 1628 Robert Parkhurst Poynings More 1629–1640No Parliaments summoned
MPs 1640–1868 Prior to 1868 the constituency was jointly represented by two MPs. ElectionFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party April 1640 Sir Robert Parkhurst Parliamentarian George Abbotts Parliamentarian November 1640 Sir Robert ParkhurstParliamentarian George Abbotts Parliamentarian 1645 Sir Robert ParkhurstParliamentarian Nicholas Stoughton Recruiter 1648 ? ? 1653 Guildford not represented in Barebones Parliament 1654 Richard Hiller or Hillier One seat only 1656 Colonel John Hewson One seat only 1659 Carew Raleigh Robert Parkhurst 1660 Richard OnslowArthur Onslow 1664Thomas Dalmahoy March 1679 Richard Onslow Whig October 1679 Morgan Randyll 1685 Heneage Finch Tory 1689Foot Onslow John Weston Tory 1690Morgan Randyll 1701 Denzil Onslow Whig 1705 Robert Wroth 1708 Morgan Randyll 1710 Robert Wroth 1711Morgan Randyll 1713 Sir Richard Onslow, Bt Whig 1714 Denzil Onslow Whig 1717 Robert Wroth 1720 Arthur Onslow Whig 1722 Thomas Brodrick 1727 Colonel Richard Onslow 1728 Henry Vincent 1734 Hon. Richard Onslow 1740 by-election Denzil Onslow 1747 Sir John Elwill, Bt Tory 1760 by-election George Onslow Tory 1768 Sir Fletcher Norton 1782 by-election William Norton 1784 Viscount Cranley Whig Chapple Norton 1790 George Holme Sumner Tory 1796 Chapple Norton Whig 1806 Thomas Cranley Onslow Tory George Holme Sumner Tory March 1807 Chapple Norton Whig 1812 Arthur Onslow Tory 1818 William Best Whig 1819 by-election Charles Baring Wall Tory 1826 George Chapple Norton Whig 1830 Charles Baring Wall Tory George Holme Sumner Tory 1831 Charles Francis Norton Whig James ManglesFor political affiliation see Stoke next Guildford pp57-8, 1999 edition, author Lyn Clark, publisher Phillimore. Whig 1832 Charles Baring Wall Tory 1834 Conservative 1837 James Yorke Scarlett Conservative 1841 Whig Ross Donnelly Mangles Whig 1847 Henry Currie Conservative 1852 James Bell Radical 1857 William Bovill Conservative 1858 by-election Guildford Onslow WhigFor political affiliation see Guildford p180, 1982 edition, author ER Chamberlin, publisher Phillimore. 1859 Liberal 1866 by-election Richard Garth Conservative 1868 Representation reduced to one member
MPs since 1868 ElectionMemberParty 1868 Guildford Onslow Liberal 1874 Denzil Onslow Conservative 1885 St John Brodrick Conservative 1906 Henry Cowan Liberal Jan 1910 Edgar Horne Conservative 1922 Henry Buckingham Conservative 1931 by-election Charles Rhys Conservative 1935 Sir John Jarvis, Bt Conservative 1950 Richard Nugent Conservative 1966 David Howell Conservative 1997 Nick St Aubyn Conservative 2001 Sue Doughty Liberal Democrat 2005Anne Milton Conservative2019Independent 2019Angela Richardson Conservative2024Zöe FranklinLiberal Democrat
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
Elections in the 2010s 2019 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 23,708 45.1 Liberal Democrats 20,591 39.2 Labour 4,411 8.4 Others 3,677 6.9 Green 197 0.4Turnout52,58473.7Electorate71,367
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
This constituency underwent boundary changes between the 1992 and 1997 general elections and thus change in share of vote is based on a notional calculation.
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Boundaries were redrawn in time for the 1950 general election. From 1918 to 1950 the three parts of western Surrey are set out at the 1918 results below. The next change saw an additional seat duty carved out, to be Woking. As a result, Guildford, now oversized, shrank considerably in area and population. To the south the areas of Godalming, Elstead, Thursley, Whitley, Haslemere and Chiddingford were added to the Farnham seat. To the east Send, Ripley, Wisley, Ockham, St Martha, Albury, Shere, Clandon and Horsley were added to Dorking.For 1918 to 1950 constituency see http://vision.port.ac.uk/maps/sheet/bc_reports_1917/Surrey_1917 , for 1950 to 1955 constituency see http://vision.port.ac.uk/maps/sheet/bc_reports_1900s/Great_Britain_Sheet2