Bristol South is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Karin Smyth of the Labour Party. The constituency has been held by Labour since 1935.
Constituency profile The Bristol South constituency is located in the city of Bristol in South West England. It covers the areas to the south of the city centre, including the inner-city districts of Southville and Bedminster and the suburban neighbourhoods of Bishopsworth, Hartcliffe, Knowle West and Hengrove. Bristol is a major port city and has a long history of trade, including the slave trade. The areas of Bishopsworth, Hartcliffe and Knowle West contain a large proportion of social housing and are amongst the 10% most deprived parts of the country, while the areas closer to the city centre are wealthier.
Compared to national averages, residents of Bristol South are young, irreligious and have average levels of wealth, education and professional employment. White people make up 90% of the population.Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Bristol+South At the city council, areas close to the city centre are represented by Green Party councillors like much of the rest of Bristol. Suburban areas of the constituency elected a mixture of Labour Party, Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors. Voters in Bristol South were estimated to have been marginally in favour of remaining in the European Union in the 2016 referendum, with the option receiving 51% of the vote compared to 48% nationally.
Boundaries
The constituency covers the south-west of Bristol, bounded by the Avon New Cut to the north, the A37 Wells Road to the east, and the city boundaries to the south and west.
1885–1918: The Borough of Bristol wards of Bedminster East, Bedminster West, Bristol, and Redcliffe, and part of the civil parish of Bedminster.
1918–1950: The County Borough of Bristol wards of Bedminster East, Bedminster West, and Southville, and part of Somerset ward.
1950–1955: The County Borough of Bristol wards of Bedminster, Somerset, Southville, and Windmill Hill.
1955–1983: The County Borough of Bristol wards of Bedminster, Bishopsworth, Hengrove, Somerset, and Southville.
1983–1997: The City of Bristol wards of Bedminster, Bishopsworth, Filwood, Hartcliffe, Knowle, Southville, Whitchurch Park, and Windmill Hill.
1997–2024: The City of Bristol wards of Bedminster, Bishopsworth, Filwood, Hartcliffe, Hengrove, Knowle, Southville, Whitchurch Park, and Windmill Hill.
2024–present: The City of Bristol wards of Bedminster; Bishopsworth; Filwood; Hartcliffe & Withywood; Hengrove & Whitchurch Park; Southville; and Windmill Hill. To bring the electorate within the permitted range, the Knowle ward was moved to Bristol East.
History The seat has elected Labour MPs at every election since 1935, the only seat in the south of England outside Greater London with such a record. The current MP, first elected in 2015, is Karin Smyth. The incumbent prior to Smyth was Dawn Primarolo, who held the seat for 28 years. She was a Minister of the Crown in the Blair ministry, and throughout the Cameron–Clegg coalition was a Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons.
The closest result, giving a marginal majority, was at the 1987 election, in which Dawn Primarolo (in her first contest) won by 2.7% of the vote. At that election the Social Democratic Party, a 'moderate' breakaway party from the Labour Party, won 19.6% of the vote.
Members of Parliament ElectionMemberParty 1885 Sir Joseph Dodge Weston Liberal 1886 Sir Edward Stock Hill Conservative 1900 Walter Long Conservative 1906 Sir Howell Davies Liberal 1916 Coalition Liberal Jan 1922 National Liberal 1922Sir Beddoe Rees National Liberal 1923 Liberal 1929 Alexander Walkden Labour 1931 Noel Ker Lindsay Conservative 1935 Alexander Walkden Labour 1945 William Wilkins Labour 1970 Michael Cocks Labour 1987 Dawn Primarolo Labour 2015 Karin Smyth Labour
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
Elections in the 2010s 2019 notional result Party Vote %Labour 24,917 51.6Conservative 15,840 32.8Liberal Democrats 3,012 6.2Green 2,445 5.1Brexit Party 2,054 4.3Turnout48,26864.6Electorate74,696
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1940s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1880s
See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Avon
Notes
References
External links nomis Constituency Profile for Bristol South — presenting data from the ONS annual population survey and other official statistics. Bristol South UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK Bristol South UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK Bristol South UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK