Newbury (UK Parliament constituency)

Newbury is a constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, located in the English county of Berkshire. It was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 and has been in continual existence since then. It has been represented by Lee Dillon of the Liberal Democrats since 2024.

Constituency profile

The constituency consists of most of West Berkshire and includes Newbury, Thatcham and Hungerford. To the east, the rest of West Berkshire is incorporated into the Wokingham and Reading West constituencies.

Since its creation it has been a Conservative or Liberal/Liberal Democrat seat, sometimes seemingly marginal and sometimes seen as a safe seat, with a tendency towards being Conservative. West Berkshire which is similar to its neighbours has a rather thriving economy with the headquarters of the communications company Vodafone that has created a cluster of around 80 mobile phone related businesses in Newbury, while the Lambourn area is the second most important centre for the racehorse industry in Great Britain, employing over 800 people directly, and producing an annual income of £20 million.

West Berkshire is also home to Atomic Weapons Establishment, near Aldermaston, Wolseley plc and PepsiCo. There are high proportions of detached and semi-detached housing, and lower than average dependency on social housing.

Neighbouring constituencies

The constituencies bordering Newbury (clockwise from north) are Witney, Didcot and Wantage, Reading West and Mid Berkshire, North West Hampshire and East Wiltshire.

History

Originally, Newbury was part of a larger constituency of Berkshire, which returned two Members of Parliament (MPs), increased to three in the Reform Act 1832. In the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 Berkshire was divided into three county constituencies, Northern (Abingdon), Southern (Newbury), and Eastern (Wokingham), and two borough constituencies, Reading and New Windsor, each returning one member.

File:Newbury election results (smaller).png

A graph plotting the election results for Newbury.(larger version and key)

The Conservatives have held the constituency for all but seventeen years since the creation of the seat – only three spells of Liberal Party, or Liberal Democrat, majorities have intersected their control. In 2015, the party held the largest majority in the seat since 1935 at 46%, before being reduced to 40.1% in 2017.

Since the February 1974 election, the Liberal Democrats have been one of the two largest parties in the constituency. They most recently gained the seat at the 1993 by-election, holding it until 2005 where it was regained by the Conservatives.

The constituency in 2010 produced the third lowest share of the vote for Labour (4.3%), one of five lost deposits for Labour nationally, below the 5% of the vote deposit threshold. In 2017, Labour earned its highest share of the vote in Newbury since the October 1974 election with 14.1% of the vote.

It was estimated that the constituency voted 51% in favour of remaining in the European Union during the 2016 referendum on EU membership, with 49% voting to leave.

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.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1885–1918

The constituency was created as the Southern or Newbury Division of Berkshire under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, when the three-member Parliamentary County of Berkshire was divided into the three single-member constituencies of Abingdon, Newbury and Wokingham. It comprised:

• The Boroughs of Newbury and Reading;
• the Sessional Divisions of Ilsley, Lambourn, Newbury (including Hungerford), and Reading (except the parishes of East Swallowfield and West Swallowfield); and
• Part of the Sessional Division of Wokingham.

Only non-resident freeholders of the municipal borough Reading (which comprised the Parliamentary Borough of Reading) were entitled to vote.

1918–1950

• The Boroughs of Newbury and Wokingham;
• The Rural Districts of Hungerford and Newbury; and
• Parts of the Rural Districts of Bradfield and Wokingham.

Extended eastwards, with the addition of Wokingham and surrounding areas from the abolished Wokingham Division. Small area in the north transferred to Abingdon and areas which had been annexed by Reading County Borough transferred to the Parliamentary Borough thereof.

File:Newbury1954.png

The Newbury constituency in 1954

1950–1955

• The Borough of Newbury; and
• The Rural Districts of Bradfield, Hungerford and Newbury.

Wokingham and rural areas to the south and east of Reading transferred to the re-established constituency of Wokingham. Small area transferred from Abingdon.

1955–1974

• The Borough of Newbury;
• The Rural Districts of Bradfield, Hungerford and Newbury; and
• The County Borough of Reading ward of Tilehurst.

Gained the Tilehurst ward from the abolished constituency of Reading North. From the 1964 general election, the wards of Norcot and Tilehurst were included following a revision to the local authority wards in Reading.

1974–1983

• The borough of Newbury; and
• The rural districts of Bradfield, Hungerford, and Newbury.

The two Reading wards were transferred back to the re-established constituency of Reading North. The boundary with Abingdon was slightly amended to take account of changes to local government boundaries.

1983–1997

• The District of Newbury wards of Aldermaston, Basildon, Beenham, Bradfield, Bucklebury, Burghfield, Chieveley, Cold Ash, Compton, Craven, Downlands, Falkland, Greenham, Hungerford, Kintbury, Lambourn Valley, Mortimer, Northcroft, St John's, Shaw-cum-Donnington, Speen, Thatcham North, Thatcham South, Thatcham West, Turnpike, and Winchcombe.

Gained a small area of the abolished constituency of Abingdon (part of the former Rural District of Wantage) which was retained by Berkshire when the rest of the area comprising Abingdon was transferred to Oxfordshire by the Local Government Act 1972. Areas to the west of Reading included in the new constituency of Reading West.Template:Maplink

1997–2010

• The District of Newbury wards of Aldermaston, Basildon, Beenham, Bradfield, Bucklebury, Chieveley, Cold Ash, Compton, Craven, Downlands, Falkland, Greenham, Hungerford, Kintbury, Lambourn Valley, Northcroft, St John's, Shaw-cum-Donnington, Speen, Thatcham North, Thatcham South, Thatcham West, Turnpike, and Winchcombe.

Small loss to Wokingham in the east of the constituency (Burghfield and Mortimer wards).

2010–2024

• The District of West Berkshire wards of Aldermaston, Basildon, Bucklebury, Chieveley, Clay Hill, Cold Ash, Compton, Downlands, Falkland, Greenham, Hungerford, Kintbury, Lambourn Valley, Northcroft, St John's, Speen, Thatcham Central, Thatcham North, Thatcham South and Crookham, Thatcham West, and Victoria.

Further minor loss to Wokingham.

2024–present

Further to the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies which became effective for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

• The District of West Berkshire wards of: Chieveley & Cold Ash; Downlands (polling districts BG, CA, CB, EA, FA, FB, GA1, GA2, LB and PC); Hungerford & Kintbury; Lambourn; Newbury Central; Newbury Clay Hill; Newbury Greenham; Newbury Speen; Newbury Wash Common; Thatcham Central; Thatcham Colthrop & Crookham; Thatcham North East; Thatcham West.

The electorate was further reduced to bring it within the permitted range by transferring eastern, rural areas to the new constituency of Reading West and Mid Berkshire.

Members of Parliament

An incumbent MP has been defeated five times, in the elections of 1906, 1923, 1924, 2005, and 2024.

Berkshire prior to 1885

Election		Member	Party
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1885	William George Mount	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1900	William Mount	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1906	Frederick Coleridge Mackarness	Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1910	William Mount	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1922	Howard Clifton Brown	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1923	Harold Stranger	Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1924	Howard Clifton Brown	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1945	Anthony Hurd	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1964	John Astor	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	Feb 1974	Sir Michael McNair-Wilson	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1992	Judith Chaplin	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1993 by-election	David Rendel	Liberal Democrat
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2005	Richard Benyon	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2019		Independent
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |			Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2019	Laura Farris	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2024	Lee Dillon	Liberal Democrat

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Lee Dillon	Template:Replace	40.1
		Laura Farris	17,268	35.3
		Doug Terry	5,357	10.9
		Liz Bell	3,662	7.5
		Stephen Masters	2,714	5.5
		Earl Jesse	153	0.3
		Gary Johnson	131	0.3
Majority			2,377	4.8
Turnout			48,930	68.0
Registered electors			71,986
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+13.7

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result
Party		Vote	%
	Conservative	28,075	55.1
	Liberal Democrats	16,615	32.6
	Labour	3,929	7.7
	Green	2,027	4.0
	Others	325	0.6
Turnout		50,971	71.2
Electorate		71,631

General election 2019: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Laura Farris	Template:Replace	57.4
		Lee Dillon	18,384	30.6
		James Wilder	4,404	7.3
		Stephen Masters	2,454	4.1
		Ben Holden-Crowther	325	0.5
Majority			16,047	26.8
Turnout			59,998	71.9
	hold		Swing	-6.7

General election 2017: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Richard Benyon	Template:Replace	61.5
		Judith Bunting	13,019	21.4
		Alex Skirvin	8,596	14.1
		Paul Field	1,531	2.5
	Apolitical Democrats	Dave Yates	304	0.5
Majority			24,380	40.1
Turnout			60,849	73.4
	hold		Swing	-3.0

General election 2015: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Richard Benyon	Template:Replace	61.0
		Judith Bunting	8,605	15.0
		Catherine Anderson	6,195	10.8
		Jonny Roberts	4,837	8.4
		Paul Field	2,324	4.1
	Apolitical Democrats	Peter Norman	228	0.4
		Barrie Singleton	85	0.1
	Patriotic Socialist Party	Andrew Stott	53	0.1
Majority			26,368	46.0
Turnout			57,300	72.1
	hold		Swing	+12.6

General election 2010: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Richard Benyon	Template:Replace	56.4
		David Rendel	20,809	35.5
		Hannah Cooper	2,505	4.3
		David Black	1,475	2.5
		Adrian Hollister	490	0.8
		Brian Burgess	158	0.3
	Apolitical Democrat	David Yates	95	0.2
Majority			12,248	20.9
Turnout			58,589	70.2
	hold		Swing	+7.3

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Richard Benyon	Template:Replace	49.0
		David Rendel	23,311	42.6
		Oscar Van Nooijen	3,239	5.9
		David McMahon	857	1.6
	Independent	Nick Cornish	409	0.7
	Independent	Barrie Singleton	86	0.2
Majority			3,460	6.4
Turnout			54,673	72.0
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

General election 2001: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		David Rendel	Template:Replace	48.2
		Richard Benyon	22,092	43.5
		Steve Billcliffe	3,523	6.9
		Delphine Gray-Fisk	685	1.4
Majority			2,415	4.7
Turnout			50,807	67.3
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		David Rendel	Template:Replace	52.9
		Richard Benyon	21,370	37.8
		Paul Hannon	3,107	5.5
		Ted Snook	992	1.8
		Rachel Stark	644	1.1
		R Tubb	302	0.5
		Katrina Howse	174	0.3
Majority			8,517	15.1
Turnout			56,476	76.3
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

1993 Newbury by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		David Rendel	Template:Replace	65.1
		Julian Davidson	15,535	26.9
		Steve Billcliffe	1,151	2.0
		Alan Sked	601	1.0
	Conservative Candidate	Andrew Bannon	561	1.0
	Commoners' Party	Stephen Martin	435	0.8
		Screaming Lord Sutch	432	0.7
		Jim Wallis	341	0.6
	Referendum Party	Robin Marlar	338	0.6
	Conservative Rebel	John Browne	267	0.5
	Corrective Party	Lindi St Clair	170	0.3
	Maastricht Referendum for Britain	Bill Board	84	0.1
		Michael Grenville	60	0.1
	People & Pensioners Party	Johnathon Day	49	0.1
	21st Century Independent Foresters	Colin Palmer	40	0.1
	Defence of Children's Humanity Bosnia	Mladen Grbin	33	0.1
		Alan Page	33	0.1
	Communist (PCC)	Anne Murphy	32	0.1
	Give The Royal Billions To Schools	Michael Stone	21	0.1
Majority			22,055	38.2
Turnout			57,399	71.3
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+28.4

General election 1992: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Judith Chaplin	Template:Replace	55.9
		David Rendel	24,778	37.3
		Richard J E Hall	3,962	6.0
		Jim Wallis	539	0.8
Majority			12,357	18.6
Turnout			66,414	82.8
	hold		Swing	−4.9

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Michael McNair-Wilson	Template:Replace	60.1
	()	David Rendel	18,608	31.7
		Robert Stapley	4,765	8.1
Majority			16,658	28.4
Turnout			58,639	78.0
	hold		Swing

General election 1983: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Michael McNair-Wilson	Template:Replace	59.3
	()	Anthony Richards	18,798	35.0
		Richard Knight	3,027	5.6
Majority			13,038	24.3
Turnout			53,661	75.2
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Michael McNair-Wilson	Template:Replace	52.8
		Anthony Richards	23,388	36.7
		Joan Ruddock	6,676	10.5
Majority			10,289	16.1
Turnout			63,741	79.3
	hold		Swing

General election October 1974: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Michael McNair-Wilson	Template:Replace	42.4
		Dane Clouston	22,477	40.6
		Celia Fletcher	9,390	16.7
Majority			1,022	1.8
Turnout			55,366	76.3
	hold		Swing

General election February 1974: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Michael McNair-Wilson	Template:Replace	42.4
		Dane Clouston	23,419	40.3
		Celia Fletcher	10,935	17.3
Majority			1,201	2.1
Turnout			58,974	80.8
	hold		Swing

After the 1970 general election, Newbury's boundaries were altered to reduce the size of the electorate which had grown to over 85,000. After the boundary changes, the electorate numbered around 72,000 people. This came into effect for the first general election in February 1974.

General election 1970: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Astor	Template:Replace	48.8
		Timothy Sims	18,647	29.9
		Dane Clouston	13,279	21.3
Majority			11,733	18.9
Turnout			55,392	72.6
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Astor	Template:Replace	45.3
		Ronald Spiller	21,762	38.0
		Stanley Clement Davies	9,571	16.7
Majority			4,146	7.3
Turnout			57,241	79.1
	hold		Swing

General election 1964: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Astor	Template:Replace	45.3
		David Stoddart	18,943	34.4
		Denis Egginton	11,124	20.2
Majority			5,993	10.9
Turnout			55,003	79.3
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Anthony Hurd	Template:Replace	60.0
		David Stoddart	19,787	40.0
Majority			9,916	20.0
Turnout			49,490	78.7
	hold		Swing

General election 1955: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Anthony Hurd	Template:Replace	58.1
		Jon Evans	18,843	41.9
Majority			7,237	16.2
Turnout			48,546	78.3
	hold		Swing

General election 1951: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Anthony Hurd	Template:Replace	59.8
		Colin Jackson	13,507	40.2
Majority			6,595	19.6
Turnout			33,609	78.7
	hold		Swing

General election 1950: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Anthony Hurd	Template:Replace	52.8
		Colin Jackson	11,914	34.7
		Edwin Burrows	4,284	12.5
Majority			6,236	18.1
Turnout			34,348	81.1
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Anthony Hurd	Template:Replace	52.4
		Iris Brook	15,754	33.7
		Eric Digby Tempest Vane	6,052	13.0
		George Booth Suggett	424	0.9
Majority			8,709	18.7
Turnout			46,693	65.4
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Howard Clifton Brown	Template:Replace	73.0
		Richard Russell	9,125	27.0
Majority			15,517	46.0
Turnout			33,767	65.5
	hold		Swing	N/A

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link

1931 general election: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Howard Clifton Brown	Template:Replace	51.0
		Edward Harold Brooks	13,604	39.0
		Frank Jacques	3,471	10.0
Majority			4,196	12.0
Turnout			34,875	78.3
	hold		Swing	-2.2

General election 1924: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Howard Clifton Brown	Template:Replace	55.9
		Harold Stranger	10,444	39.5
		Frank Jacques	1,219	4.6
Majority			4,315	16.4
Turnout			26,422	80.9
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

General election 1923: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Harold Stranger	Template:Replace	50.1
		Howard Clifton Brown	11,185	49.9
Majority			41	0.2
Turnout			22,411	71.3
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+7.5

General election 1922: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Howard Clifton Brown	Template:Replace	57.4
		Harold Stranger	9,144	42.6
Majority			3,178	14.8
Turnout			21,466	69.7
	hold		Swing	N/A

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link coalition 1918Template:Election box end 1918

Elections in the 1910s

By-election, 1922: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	hold

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link coalition 1918Template:Election box end 1918

General election 1918: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	hold

General election December 1910: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Mount	Template:Replace	60.3
		Lisle March-Phillipps	4,278	39.7
Majority			2,207	20.4
Turnout			10,763	82.4
	hold		Swing

General election January 1910: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Mount	Template:Replace	60.0
		Thomas Hedderwick	4,723	40.0
Majority			2,358	20.0
Turnout			11,804	90.4
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Elections in the 1900s

File:Frederic Mackarness.jpg

Mackarness

General election 1906: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Frederick Mackarness	Template:Replace	52.0
		William Mount	4,936	48.0
Majority			402	4.0
Turnout			10,274	87.5
Registered electors			11,746
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	N/A

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link

General election 1900: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	hold

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1895: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Mount	Template:Replace	56.5
		John Swinburne	3,766	43.5
Majority			1,129	13.0
Turnout			8,661	81.5
Registered electors			10,621
	hold		Swing	+2.7

General election 1892: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Mount	Template:Replace	53.8
		Thomas Stevens	3,938	46.2
Majority			650	7.6
Turnout			8,526	82.5
Registered electors			10,338
	hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1880s

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link

General election 1886: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	hold

General election 1885: Newbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Mount	Template:Replace	51.1
		George Palmer	4,429	48.9
Majority			202	2.2
Turnout			9,060	86.7
Registered electors			10,453
	win (new seat)

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Berkshire
• List of parliamentary constituencies in the South East England (region)

Sources

• BBC: Newbury constituency (2001)
• McCalmont, Frederick Haynes, Stenton Michael, Vincent, John Russell. McCalmont's parliamentary poll book: British election results. (Template:ISBN)
• F. W. S. Craig. British Parliamentary Election Results 1950–1973. (Template:ISBN)
• F. W. S. Craig. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949. (Template:ISBN)

External links

• BBC News: Tories win Newbury from Lib Dems
• Independent story on the 2005 campaign
• West Berkshire Conservative Association
• David Rendel's Official Homepage
• Labour South East
• [2]
• Map of old Berkshire Constituency
• Newbury UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• Newbury UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
• Newbury UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK