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{{Short description|Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885 onwards}}{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}

factoids
name	Bristol West |parliament = uk |map1 = BristolWest2007 |map2 = EnglandAvon |map_entity = Avon |map_year = |year = 1885 |abolished = 2024 |type = Borough |previous = Bristol |next = Bristol Central Bristol East Bristol North West |electorate = 84,571 (2018)WEB ,weblink , England Parliamentary electorates 2010-2018 , Boundary Commission for England , 23 March 2019

, Bristol West is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 2015 by Thangam Debbonaire of the Labour Party. It mostly covers the central and western parts of Bristol. Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be reduced in size, with the Bishopston and Ashley Down ward being transferred to Bristol North West and Lawrence Hill and Easton wards to Bristol East. It will also be renamed Bristol Central, to be first contested at the next general election.WEB, 2023-06-30, New 'Bristol Central' election contest confirmed - and the Greens already say they can win it,weblink 2023-07-21, BristolLive, WEB, 2022-11-08, How Bristol constituency boundaries could change,weblink 2023-07-21, BBC News, WEB, The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – South West {{!, Boundary Commission for England |url=https://boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/2023-review/2023-review-volume-one-report/the-2023-review-of-parliamentary-constituency-boundaries-in-england-volume-one-report-south-west/ |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk}}

Constituency profile

More urban since boundary changes in 2010, the seat retains a high proportion of the city's most garden-rich, grandest houses and landscaped civic parks in affluent suburbs such as Clifton and Redland. Many of the townhouses in Bristol were subdivided in the latter half of the 20th century, during which time the size of the University of Bristol increased (the city's largest single independent employer which is chiefly in the seat). The seat also includes poorer areas such as Lawrence Hill and Easton.

Boundaries

{{maplink|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Bristol West (UK Parliament constituency)}}|frame=yes|frame-width=250|text=Map of current boundaries}}1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Bristol wards: Clifton, St Augustine's, St Michael's, and Westbury, and the local government district of Horfield.1918–1950: The County Borough of Bristol wards: Clifton North, Clifton South, Horfield, Redland, St Michael, and Westbury-on-Trym.1950–1955: The County Borough of Bristol wards: Bishopston, Clifton, Redland, St Augustine, St James, and St Michael.1955–1974: The County Borough of Bristol wards: Bishopston, Cabot, Clifton, Durdham, and Redland.1974–1983: as above plus District1983–1997: The City of Bristol wards of Ashley, Bishopston, Cabot, Clifton, Cotham, Henleaze, Redland, and Stoke Bishop.1997–2010: as above plus Westbury-on-Trym.2010–present: as above less Westbury-on-Trym, Stoke Bishop and Henleaze, plus Clifton East, Easton, and Lawrence HillThe above shows that the changes implemented for the 2010 general election boundaries were relatively great, recommended by a periodic impartial Boundary Commission review.WEB,weblink Fifth Periodical Report, Boundary Commission for England, 1, 26 February 2007, 23 October 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110726095050weblink">weblink 26 July 2011, Easton and Lawrence Hill wards were transferred from Bristol East, while Henleaze, Stoke Bishop and Westbury-on-Trym wards were lost to Bristol North West. During the 2007 review, a proposal to rename the constituency as "Bristol Central" was rejected.

History

Held by Conservatives continuously for 112 years, it was at various points represented by Conservative cabinet ministers Michael Hicks-Beach, Oliver Stanley, Walter Monckton and William Waldegrave. As part of a national Labour Party landslide, exceeding that of 1945, the 1997 gain by Valerie Davey was from a third-placed starting point for the party's candidate in 1992. At the 2005 election the seat was Liberal Democrat target number 18, and Conservative target number 50; it had been frequently described in the media as a "three-way marginal", and all parties fought hard for the constituency. The seat was taken by Liberal Democrat Stephen Williams with a large majority, thought to have been aided by the large student electorate, hostile to Labour's top-up fees policy. This Liberal Democrat success was similar to those in other seats with a large student population, such as Cambridge, Manchester Withington, Leeds North West and Cardiff Central. In the 2010 election, Stephen Williams held the seat with an increased majority.NEWS , In the 2015 general election, the Lib Dem vote fell by 29.2%; Williams came a distant third behind the winning Labour candidate Thangam Debbonaire and more than 5,000 votes behind the Green Party candidate, who achieved the greatest increase in the Green vote (+23%) in any seat that election.WEB,weblink UK ELECTION RESULTS, electionresults.blogspot.co.uk, In 2017 Bristol West had the biggest swing to Labour in the country.NEWS, Bristol West,weblink 10 June 2017, BBC News, 9 June 2017, The 52.1% majority was also the largest in the seat since 1931.In the 2016 referendum to leave the European Union, the constituency voted remain by 79.3%. This was the second highest support for remain for a constituency.WEB,weblink Revised estimates of leave vote in Westminster constituencies, 26 October 2016, As a result of the formation of a Brexit 'Unite to Remain' pact between the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Plaid Cymru prior to the 2019 snap election, the Liberal Democrats agreed to withdraw from the Bristol West election in favour of the Green Party.WEB, Unite to Remain Agreement,weblink Liberal Democrats, 7 November 2019, The result was a doubling of the Green vote and a reduction in the Labour majority by almost 10,000, but with a majority of over 28,000 for the Labour Party, the seat remains very safe.As of February 2023, 17 of the 20 city councillors in the Bristol West Constituency were from the Green Party.Bristol World. By-election victory "paves the way" for Bristol’s first Green Party MP. Retrieved 9 May 2023">

Members of Parliament{| class"wikitable"

!colspan="2"|Election!!MemberWEB, Bristol West 1885-,weblinkHansard, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 12 December 2015, WEB, Members 1979-2010,weblink House of Commons Library, 12 December 2015, !Party

	1885 United Kingdom general election>1885	Michael Hicks Beach, 1st Earl St Aldwyn>Michael Hicks-Beach	Conservative Party (UK)>Conservative

	1906 United Kingdom general election>1906	George Gibbs, 1st Baron Wraxall>George Gibbs	Conservative Party (UK)>Conservative

	1928 Bristol West by-election>1928 by-election| Cyril Culverwell	Conservative Party (UK)>Conservative

	1945 United Kingdom general election>1945| Oliver Stanley	Conservative Party (UK)>Conservative

	1951 Bristol West by-election>1951 by-election	Walter Monckton, 1st Viscount Monckton of Brenchley>Sir Walter Monckton	Conservative Party (UK)>Conservative

	1957 Bristol West by-election>1957 by-election	Robert Cooke (Conservative politician)>Robert Cooke	Conservative Party (UK)>Conservative

	1979 United Kingdom general election>1979	William Waldegrave, Baron Waldegrave of North Hill>William Waldegrave	Conservative Party (UK)>Conservative

	1997 United Kingdom general election>1997| Valerie Davey	Labour Party (UK)>Labour

	2005 United Kingdom general election>2005	Stephen Williams (British politician)>Stephen Williams	Liberal Democrats (UK)>Liberal Democrats

	2015 United Kingdom general election>2015| Thangam Debbonaire	Labour Party (UK)>Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

{{Election box begin|2019 United Kingdom general election>General election 2019: Bristol WestHTTPS://WWW.BRISTOL.GOV.UK/DOCUMENTS/20182/3863466/NOTICE+OF+POLL+AND+STATEMENT+OF+PERSON+NOMINATED+-+BRISTOL+WEST.PDF/F37C4A19-764E-DD34-961C-DF15F0B2B79B>TITLE=STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED, }}{{Election box winning candidate with party link }}{{Election box candidate with party link }}{{Election box candidate with party link }}{{Election box candidate with party link }}{{Election box majority }}{{Election box turnout }}{hide}Election box hold with party link| {edih}{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin | {{Election box winning candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate| }}{{Election box majority }}{{Election box turnout }}{{Election box hold with party link| }}{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin | title=General election 2015: Bristol WestWEB, Election Data 2015,weblink Electoral Calculus, 17 October 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151017112223weblink">weblink 17 October 2015, }}{{Election box winning candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box majority }}{{Election box turnout }}{hide}Election box gain with party link| {edih}{{Election box end}}{{See also|Opinion polling in United Kingdom constituencies, 2010–15#Bristol West}}(Note that the vote-share changes for 2010 are from the notional results on the new boundaries, not the actual 2005 results){{Election box begin | title=General election 2010: Bristol West}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box majority| }}{{Election box turnout| }}{{Election box hold with party link| }}{{Election box end}}

Elections in the 2000s

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Elections in the 1990s

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Elections in the 1980s

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Elections in the 1970s

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Elections in the 1960s

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Elections in the 1950s

{hide}Election box begin | {{Election box winning candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box majority| }}{{Election box turnout| }}{hide}Election box hold with party link| {edih}{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin |title= Bristol West by-election 7 March 1957}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box majority| }}{{Election box turnout| }}{hide}Election box hold with party link| {edih}{{Election box end}}{hide}Election box begin | {{Election box winning candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box majority| }}{{Election box turnout| }}{hide}Election box hold with party link| {edih}{{Election box end}}{hide}Election box begin | {{Election box winning candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box majority| }}{{Election box turnout| }}{hide}Election box hold with party link| {edih}{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin | title= Bristol West by-election 15 February 1951}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box majority| }}{{Election box turnout| }}{hide}Election box hold with party link| {edih}{{Election box end}}{hide}Election box begin | {{Election box winning candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box majority| }}{{Election box turnout| }}{hide}Election box hold with party link| {edih}{{Election box end}}

Elections in the 1940s

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Elections in the 1930s

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Elections in the 1920s

{hide}Election box begin | {{Election box winning candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box majority| }}{{Election box turnout| }}{{Election box registered electors||reg. electors = 60,844}}{{Election box hold with party link| }}{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin |title= 1928 Bristol West by-election}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box majority| }}{{Election box turnout||votes = 29,688|percentage = 67.6|change = −7.5}}{{Election box registered electors||reg. electors = 43,900}}{{Election box hold with party link| }}{{Election box end}}{hide}Election box begin | {{Election box winning candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box majority| }}{{Election box turnout||votes = 29,850|percentage = 75.1|change = N/A}}{{Election box registered electors||reg. electors = 39,752}}{hide}Election box hold with party link| {edih}{{Election box end}}{hide}Election box begin | {edih}{hide}Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link| {edih}{hide}Election box hold with party link no swing| {edih}{{Election box end}}{hide}Election box begin | {{Election box winning candidate with party link| }}{{Election box candidate with party link| }}{{Election box majority| }}{{Election box turnout||votes = 29,224|percentage = 76.9|change = N/A}}{{Election box registered electors||reg. electors = 38,013}}{hide}Election box hold with party link| {edih}{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin | {hide}Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link coalition 1918| {edih}{hide}Election box hold with party link no swing| {edih}{{Election box end 1918}}

Elections in the 1910s

{hide}Election box begin | {edih}{hide}Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link coalition 1918| {edih}{hide}Election box hold with party link no swing| {edih}{{Election box end 1918}}

Election results 1885–1918

Elections in the 1880s

(File:Michael Hicks Beach, Lock & Whitfield woodburytype, 1876-84.jpg|thumb|120px|Hicks Beach){{Election box begin| title=General election 1885: Bristol WestBritish Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS CraigThe Liberal Year Book, 1907Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link||party =Conservative Party (UK)Michael Edward Hicks Beach, 1st Earl St Aldwyn>Michael Hicks Beach|votes =3,876|percentage =61.1|change =}}{{Election box candidate with party link||party =Liberal Party (UK)|candidate =Brinsley de Courcy Nixon|votes =2,463|percentage =38.9|change =}}{{Election box majority||votes =1,413|percentage =22.2|change =}}{{Election box turnout||votes =6,339|percentage =82.8|change =}}{{Election box registered electors| }}{{Election box new seat win||winner = Conservative Party (UK)|swing =}}{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin| title=General election 1886: Bristol West}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link||party =Conservative Party (UK)Michael Edward Hicks Beach, 1st Earl St Aldwyn>Michael Hicks Beach|votes =3,819|percentage =68.0|change = {{increase}} 6.9}}{{Election box candidate with party link||party =Liberal Party (UK)|candidate =James Judd|votes =1,801|percentage =32.0|change = {{decrease}} 6.9}}{{Election box majority||votes =2,018|percentage =36.0|change = {{increase}} 13.8}}{{Election box turnout||votes =5,620|percentage =73.4|change ={{decrease}} 9.4}}{{Election box registered electors| }}{{Election box hold with party link||winner = Conservative Party (UK)|swing = {{increase}} 6.9}}{{Election box end}}Hicks Beach was appointed Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, requiring a by-election.{{Election box begin| title=By-election, 11 Aug 1886: Bristol West}}{{Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link||party = Conservative Party (UK)Michael Edward Hicks Beach, 1st Earl St Aldwyn>Michael Hicks Beach}}{{Election box hold with party link no swing||winner = Conservative Party (UK)}}{{Election box end}}Hicks Beach was appointed President of the Board of Trade, requiring a by-election.{{Election box begin| title=By-election, 20 Feb 1888: Bristol West}}{{Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link||party = Conservative Party (UK)Michael Edward Hicks Beach, 1st Earl St Aldwyn>Michael Hicks Beach}}{{Election box hold with party link no swing||winner =Conservative Party (UK)}}{{Election box end}}

Elections in the 1890s

{{Election box begin| title=General election 1892: Bristol West}}{{Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link||party =Conservative Party (UK)Michael Edward Hicks Beach, 1st Earl St Aldwyn>Michael Hicks Beach}}{{Election box hold with party link no swing||winner =Conservative Party (UK)}}{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin| title=By-election, 1895: Bristol West}}{{Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link||party =Conservative Party (UK)Michael Edward Hicks Beach, 1st Earl St Aldwyn>Michael Hicks Beach}}{{Election box hold with party link no swing||winner =Conservative Party (UK)}}{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin| title=General election 1895: Bristol WestDebrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link||party =Conservative Party (UK)Michael Edward Hicks Beach, 1st Earl St Aldwyn>Michael Hicks Beach|votes =3,815|percentage =67.4|change =N/A}}{{Election box candidate with party link||party =Liberal Party (UK)|candidate =Henry Hamilton Lawless|votes =1,842|percentage =32.6|change =New}}{{Election box majority||votes =1,973|percentage =34.8|change =N/A}}{{Election box turnout||votes = 5,657|percentage =69.5|change =N/A}}{{Election box registered electors| }}{{Election box hold with party link||winner =Conservative Party (UK)|swing =N/A}}{{Election box end}}

Elections in the 1900s

{{Election box begin| title=General election 1900: Bristol WestDebrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901}}{{Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link||party =Conservative Party (UK)Michael Edward Hicks Beach, 1st Earl St Aldwyn>Michael Hicks Beach}}{{Election box hold with party link no swing||winner = Conservative Party (UK)}}{{Election box end}}(File:1906 George Gibbs.jpg|thumb|120px|George Gibbs){{Election box begin| title=General election 1906: Bristol West}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link||party =Conservative Party (UK)George Gibbs, 1st Baron Wraxall>George Gibbs|votes =4,267|percentage =52.2|change =N/A}}{{Election box candidate with party link||party =Liberal Party (UK)|candidate =Thomas Lennard|votes =3,902|percentage =47.8|change =New}}{{Election box majority||votes =365|percentage =4.4|change =N/A}}{{Election box turnout||votes =8,169|percentage =86.7|change =N/A}}{{Election box registered electors| }}{{Election box hold with party link||winner =Conservative Party (UK)|swing =N/A}}{{Election box end}}

Elections in the 1910s

{{Election box begin|January 1910 United Kingdom general election>General election January 1910: Bristol WestDebrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link||party =Conservative Party (UK)George Gibbs, 1st Baron Wraxall>George Gibbs|votes =5,159|percentage =57.1|change = {{increase}} 4.9}}{{Election box candidate with party link||party =Liberal Party (UK)|candidate =Walter Saise|votes =3,881|percentage =42.9|change = {{decrease}} 4.9}}{{Election box majority||votes =1,278|percentage =14.2|change = {{increase}} 9.8}}{{Election box turnout||votes = 9,040|percentage =89.3|change = {{increase}} 2.6}}{{Election box registered electors| }}{{Election box hold with party link||winner =Conservative Party (UK)|swing = {{increase}} 4.9}}{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin|December 1910 United Kingdom general election>General election December 1910: Bristol WestDebrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link||party =Conservative Party (UK)George Gibbs, 1st Baron Wraxall>George Gibbs|votes =4,871|percentage = 57.5|change = {{increase}} 0.4}}{{Election box candidate with party link||party =Liberal Party (UK)|candidate =Joseph Weston Stevens|votes =3,595|percentage = 42.5|change = {{decrease}} 0.4}}{{Election box majority||votes =1,276|percentage = 15.0|change = {{increase}} 0.8}}{{Election box turnout||votes = 8,466|percentage = 83.6|change = {{decrease}} 5.7}}{{Election box registered electors| }}{{Election box hold with party link||winner =Conservative Party (UK)|swing = {{increase}} 0.4}}{{Election box end}}General Election 1914–15:Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

• Unionist: George Gibbs
• Liberal:

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Avon

References

{{Reflist}}{{Constituencies in South West England}}{{Authority control}}{{Coord|51.46301|-2.60827|display=title}}