Kingswood was a borough constituency for the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) at least once every five years by the first-past-the-post electoral system.
The seat was abolished for the 2024 general election.
History The constituency existed from the February 1974 general election. It had been held by the Conservative and Labour parties. Before the 2010 election, when the seat was held by Labour, it was 135th on the Conservative Party target seats list and in the 2015 election it was 41st on the Labour Party's target seats.
On 26 November 2022, the previous MP, Conservative Chris Skidmore, announced that he would not seek re-election at the next election. On 5 January 2024, Skidmore announced he would resign from parliament "as soon as possible" in protest at the introduction of the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill. On 8 January 2024, he formally resigned as an MP which triggered a by-election. Labour's Damien Egan won the by-election, and would sit for it for the last four months of the constituency's existence before its abolition at the 2024 general election.
Boundaries
1974–1983: The Urban Districts of Kingswood and Mangotsfield, alongside the Rural District of Warmley.
1983–1997: The District of Kingswood wards of Chase, Chiphouse, Downend, Forest, Hanham, Mangotsfield, New Cheltenham, Soundwell, Staple Hill, Woodstock, alongside the City of Bristol wards of Frome Vale, Hillfields, St George East, St George West.
1997–2010: The Borough of Kingswood wards of Badminton, Blackhorse, Bromley Heath, Chase, Chiphouse, Downend, Forest, Hanham, Mangotsfield, New Cheltenham, Oldland Barrs Court, Oldland Cadbury Heath, Oldland Longwell Green, Siston, Soundwell, Springfield, Staple Hill, Woodstock, alongside the City of Bristol wards of Frome Vale and Hillfields.
2010–2019: The District of South Gloucestershire wards of Bitton, Hanham, Kings Chase, Longwell Green, Oldland Common, Parkwall, Rodway, Siston, Woodstock.
2019 to 2024: The District of South Gloucestershire wards of Bitton and Oldland Common, Hanham, Kingswood, New Cheltenham, Woodstock, Longwell Green, Parkwall and Warmley.
The constituency covered part of the South Gloucestershire unitary authority, consisting of the eastern suburbs of Bristol and commuter villages outside of the city boundary, including the town of Kingswood. It largely corresponded to the former Borough of Kingswood.
The Boundary Commission's fifth periodic review of Westminster constituencies prompted the boundary changes with effect from the 2010 general election. In particular, all wards in the constituency were now from the South Gloucestershire authority. Prior to 2010, the Frome Vale and Hillfields wards of the City of Bristol were part of the Kingswood constituency, but were transferred to Bristol East. Within South Gloucestershire, the Kingswood seat gained Hanham, Bitton and Oldland Common from the former Wansdyke constituency, but lost Downend and Staple Hill to the new Filton and Bradley Stoke seat.
Abolition Further to the completion of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished for the 2024 general election, with its contents distributed three ways:
Southern areas, comprising the District of South Gloucestershire wards of Bitton and Oldland Common, Hanham, Longwell Green, and Parkwall and Warmley, included with the majority of North East Somerset to form the new constituency of North East Somerset and Hanham The town of Kingswood, comprising the Kingswood, New Cheltenham and Woodstock wards of South Gloucestershire, included in the re-established seat of Bristol North East Emersons Green transferred to Filton and Bradley Stoke
Members of Parliament ElectionMemberParty Feb 1974 Terry Walker Labour 1979 Jack Aspinwall Conservative 1983 Robert Hayward Conservative 1992 Roger Berry Labour 2010Chris Skidmore Conservative 2024 Independent 2024 by-election Damien Egan Labour2024 constituency abolished
Elections Elections in the 2020s
Elections in the 2010s
2005 notional result Party Vote % Labour 20,442 46.5 Conservative 15,109 34.3 Liberal Democrats 8,078 18.4 Others 362 0.8Turnout43,99167.8Electorate64,921
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
1992 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 29,562 45.8 Labour 26,222 40.6 Liberal Democrats 8,771 13.6Turnout64,55584.6Electorate76,320
Elections in the 1980s
1979 notional result Party Vote % Labour 27,592 47.9 Conservative 23,694 41.1 Liberal 5,728 9.9 Others 587 1.0Turnout57,601Electorate
Elections in the 1970s
1970 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 21,400 52.8 Labour 19,100 47.2Turnout40,50073.9Electorate54,797
See also Parliamentary constituencies in Avon
Notes
References
External links Kingswood UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK Kingswood UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK