Southampton Test
Encyclopedia
Southampton, Test is a borough constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
. It elects one Member of Parliament
(MP) by the first past the post system of election.
, when the previous two-member Southampton constituency
was abolished.
, in southern England and is named after the River Test
, one of the city's two rivers. It covers the leafy northern suburbs and the western port areas as well as the council housing estates of the western fringes. It is seen as the marginally more affluent of the two constituencies in the city, and has had more Tory traditions than its neighbour Southampton Itchen — named after the other major river
.
Labour performed better here than in Southampton Itchen in the 2010 general election and did well to hold on to the seat which is now a Labour marginal and one of only a very few Labour seats left in Southern England.
The constituency is bounded to the east by Southampton Itchen (Labour
), to the north by Romsey and Southampton North (Conservative
) and to the west by New Forest East (Conservative
).
of the Labour Party
.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. It elects one Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) by the first past the post system of election.
History
The constituency was created for the 1950 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
, when the previous two-member Southampton constituency
Southampton (UK Parliament constituency)
Southampton was a parliamentary constituency which was represented in the British House of Commons. Centred on the town of Southampton, it returned two Members of Parliament from 1295 until it was abolished for the 1950 general election....
was abolished.
Constituency Profile
The seat covers the western part of the City of SouthamptonSouthampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, in southern England and is named after the River Test
River Test
The River Test is a river in Hampshire, England. The river has a total length of 40 miles and it flows through downland from its source near Ashe, 10 km to the west of Basingstoke , to the sea at the head of Southampton Water...
, one of the city's two rivers. It covers the leafy northern suburbs and the western port areas as well as the council housing estates of the western fringes. It is seen as the marginally more affluent of the two constituencies in the city, and has had more Tory traditions than its neighbour Southampton Itchen — named after the other major river
River Itchen, Hampshire
The River Itchen is a river in Hampshire, England. It flows from mid-Hampshire to join with Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge in the city of Southampton. The river has a total length of , and is noted as one of England's - if not one of the World's - premier chalk streams for fly fishing,...
.
Labour performed better here than in Southampton Itchen in the 2010 general election and did well to hold on to the seat which is now a Labour marginal and one of only a very few Labour seats left in Southern England.
Boundaries
Southampton Test covers the city wards of (with their associated neighbourhoods):- Bevois (Bevois ValleyBevois ValleyBevois Valley is an inner city area of Southampton, England within Bevois Electoral Ward, and includes areas called Bevois Town & Bevois Mount. The area lies south of and adjoins Portswood and is within easy walking distance of the city centre...
, NorthamNortham, SouthamptonNortham is a suburb of Southampton in Hampshire. On the West bank of the River Itchen, it shares borders with St Mary's, Hampshire, Bitterne and Bevois Valley. Beside the border with St Mary's, Hampshire is the Chapel area, which has been home to some recent apartment building developments in Northam...
, Mount Pleasant, part of St. Mary's) - Coxford (LordshillLordshillLordshill is a district in Southampton, England. It is situated in the northern part of the city..- History of Lordshill :According to the Anglo-Saxon Charter of 956 Aldermoor, Lordswood, Lordshill and Coxford are all within the ancient boundary of the Manor of Millbrook and were farmland within...
, Lordswood, Aldermoor) - FreemantleFreemantleFreemantle is a suburb and electoral ward in Southampton, UK.Origins of the name are uncertain, but there are similarly named places in Hampshire, notably a suburb of Hannington and Freemantle Common in Bitterne...
(FreemantleFreemantleFreemantle is a suburb and electoral ward in Southampton, UK.Origins of the name are uncertain, but there are similarly named places in Hampshire, notably a suburb of Hannington and Freemantle Common in Bitterne...
and part of ShirleyShirley, SouthamptonShirley is a district on the Western side of Southampton, England. Shirley's main roles are retailing and residential. It is the most important suburban shopping area in the west of the city. Housing is a mixture of council houses in the centre of the district surrounded by private housing, with...
) - Millbrook (Millbrook, Regents Park)
- PortswoodPortswoodPortswood is a suburb and Electoral Ward of Southampton, England. The suburb lies to the north-east of the city centre and is bounded by Freemantle, Highfield, Swaythling, St. Denys and Bevois Valley....
(PortswoodPortswoodPortswood is a suburb and Electoral Ward of Southampton, England. The suburb lies to the north-east of the city centre and is bounded by Freemantle, Highfield, Swaythling, St. Denys and Bevois Valley....
, Highfield (including the UniversityUniversity of SouthamptonThe University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
), St Denys) - RedbridgeRedbridge, SouthamptonRedbridge is a ward with a population of 14,432, to the west of the city centre of Southampton, England. The settlement is positioned at the mouth of the River Test and is the southern terminus of the former Andover Canal and Sprat and Winkle railway line, and the modern M271 motorway.Because of...
(RedbridgeRedbridge, SouthamptonRedbridge is a ward with a population of 14,432, to the west of the city centre of Southampton, England. The settlement is positioned at the mouth of the River Test and is the southern terminus of the former Andover Canal and Sprat and Winkle railway line, and the modern M271 motorway.Because of...
, MaybushMaybushMaybush is a district in Southampton, England. Located in the western side of the city, Maybush is probably most famous as the former location of the Ordnance Survey head office.-Around Southampton:...
) - Shirley (part of ShirleyShirley, SouthamptonShirley is a district on the Western side of Southampton, England. Shirley's main roles are retailing and residential. It is the most important suburban shopping area in the west of the city. Housing is a mixture of council houses in the centre of the district surrounded by private housing, with...
, Upper Shirley, Southampton CommonSouthampton CommonSouthampton Common is a large open space to the north of the city centre of Southampton, England. It is bounded by the districts of Shirley, Bassett, Highfield and Portswood. The area supports a large variety of wildlife, including the largest recorded population of the internationally rare great...
)
The constituency is bounded to the east by Southampton Itchen (Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
), to the north by Romsey and Southampton North (Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
) and to the west by New Forest East (Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
).
Members of Parliament
The seat has been represented since 1997 by Alan WhiteheadAlan Whitehead
Alan Patrick Vincent Whitehead is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Southampton Test since 1997.-Early life:...
of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
.
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 United Kingdom general election, 1950 The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five... |
Horace King | Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
|
| 1955 United Kingdom general election, 1955 The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year... |
John Howard John Howard (UK politician) John Melbourne Howard was a British Conservative Party politician.Howard was educated at Whitgift School, South Croydon. He served in the Royal Navy, 1941–46, in minesweepers during World War II, holding the rank of sub-lieutenant. He worked as a chartered accountant.In the 1945 general election,... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1964 United Kingdom general election, 1964 The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power... |
John Fletcher-Cooke John Fletcher-Cooke Sir John Fletcher-Cooke was a British Conservative Party politician.A former colonial administrator, he was the Conservative candidate at the Luton by-election in November 1963, following the resignation of the former "radio doctor" and Conservative Minister Charles Hill... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1966 United Kingdom general election, 1966 The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs... |
Bob Mitchell | Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
|
| 1970 United Kingdom general election, 1970 The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their... |
James Hill | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| Oct 1974 United Kingdom general election, October 1974 The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of... |
Bryan Gould Bryan Gould Bryan Charles Gould, CNZM is a former United Kingdom politician. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1974–79, and again from 1983–94... |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
|
| 1979 United Kingdom general election, 1979 The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats... |
James Hill | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1997 United Kingdom general election, 1997 The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general... |
Alan Whitehead Alan Whitehead Alan Patrick Vincent Whitehead is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Southampton Test since 1997.-Early life:... |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
|