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Forest of Dean (UK Parliament constituency)

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Forest of Dean
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Interactive map of boundaries from 1997
Boundary within South West England
CountyGloucestershire
Electorate71,510 (2023)[1]
Major settlementsColeford, Cinderford, Lydney
Current constituency
Created1997
Member of ParliamentMatt Bishop (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created fromWest Gloucestershire
1885–1950
SeatsOne
Replaced byWest Gloucestershire

Forest of Dean is a constituency[n 1] in Gloucestershire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 UK General Election by Matt Bishop, a Labour MP. Previously represented from 2005 by Mark Harper, a Conservative who served as Secretary of State for Transport between 2022 and 2024.[n 2]

Boundaries

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1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Coleford, Lydney, Newent, and Newnham.

1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Awre, Coleford, Newnham, and Westbury-on-Severn, the Rural Districts of East Dean and United Parishes, Lydney, Newent, and West Dean, and part of the Rural District of Gloucester.

1997–2010: The District of Forest of Dean, and the Borough of Tewkesbury wards of Haw Bridge and Highnam.

2010–present: The District of Forest of Dean, and the Borough of Tewkesbury ward of Highnam with Haw Bridge. The constituency boundaries remained unchanged.

History

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This seat was created for the 1885 general election (replacing the two-seat constituency of West Gloucestershire under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885), was redrawn for the 1918 general election, and abolished for the 1950 general election. It was re-created, with different boundaries, for the 1997 general election, and has thus far not undergone any boundary changes.

Constituency profile

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The Forest of Dean constituency covers Gloucestershire west of the river Severn, and lies in the south west of England, near the Welsh border.

The core of the constituency consists of the Royal Forest of Dean itself, which was established by William the Conqueror nearly a thousand years ago and is one of the last surviving Royal Forests in England.[2] The seat has a rich industrial and mining history, evidenced by the market towns of Coleford and Cinderford, and the old port of Lydney from where coal mined in the Forest of Dean Coalfield would start its journey to all parts of the world.[3]

The Wye Valley forms the western border of the Forest and is an area of outstanding natural beauty, whilst the Leadon Valley forms the northern portion of the constituency. The Vale consists of countryside and farmland centred on the Tudor town of Newent, and also produces English wine.

The constituency also includes parishes from Tewkesbury district, including Forthampton, Chaceley Hole, Hasfield, Ashleworth and Highnam.

Members of Parliament

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MPs 1885–1950

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Election Member[4] Party
1885 Thomas Blake Liberal
1887 Godfrey Samuelson Liberal
1892 Sir Charles Dilke Liberal
1911 Sir Henry Webb Liberal
1918 James Wignall Labour
1925 A. A. Purcell Labour
1929 David Vaughan Labour
1931 John Worthington National Labour
1935 M. Philips Price Labour
1950 constituency abolished

MPs since 1997

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Election Member[4] Party
1997 Diana Organ Labour
2005 Mark Harper Conservative
2024 Matt Bishop Labour

Elections

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Elections in the 2020s

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General election 2024: Forest of Dean[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Matt Bishop 16,373 34.0 +5.2
Conservative Mark Harper 16,095 33.5 −26.1
Reform UK Stanley Goodin 8,194 17.0 N/A
Green Chris McFarling 4,735 9.8 +0.7
Liberal Democrats James Joyce 2,604 5.4 N/A
Socialist Labour Saiham Sikder 90 0.2 N/A
Majority 278 0.5 N/A
Turnout 48,091 66.0 −6.4
Registered electors 72,052 +0.9
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Increase15.7

Elections in the 2010s

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General election 2019: Forest of Dean[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Harper 30,680 59.6 +5.3
Labour Co-op Di Martin 14,811 28.8 −7.1
Green Chris McFarling 4,681 9.1 +6.7
Independent Julian Burrett 1,303 2.5 +1.4
Majority 15,869 30.8 +12.4
Turnout 51,475 72.4 −0.6
Registered electors 71,438 +0.7
Conservative hold Swing +6.2
General election 2017: Forest of Dean[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Harper 28,096 54.3 +7.5
Labour Shaun Stammers 18,594 35.9 +11.3
Liberal Democrats Janet Ellard 2,029 3.9 −1.4
Green James Greenwood 1,241 2.4 −3.1
UKIP Ernie Warrender 1,237 2.4 −15.4
Independent Julian Burrett 570 1.1 N/A
Majority 9,502 18.4 −3.8
Turnout 51,767 73.0 +2.1
Registered electors 70,898 +3.6
Conservative hold Swing −1.9
General election 2015: Forest of Dean[7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Harper[9] 23,191 46.8 0.0
Labour Steve Parry-Hearn[9] 12,204 24.6 +0.5
UKIP Steve Stanbury 8,792 17.8 +12.6
Green James Greenwood 2,703 5.5 +3.6
Liberal Democrats Christopher Coleman 2,630 5.3 −16.6
Majority 10,987 22.2 −0.5
Turnout 49,520 70.9 −0.4
Registered electors 69,865 +2.1
Conservative hold Swing −0.3
General election 2010: Forest of Dean[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Harper 22,853 46.9 +6.0
Labour Bruce Hogan 11,789 24.2 −12.4
Liberal Democrats Christopher Coleman 10,676 21.9 +4.7
UKIP Tim Congdon 2,522 5.2 +2.8
Green James Greenwood 923 1.9 −0.2
Majority 11,064 22.7 +18.4
Turnout 48,763 71.3 +0.4
Registered electors 68,419 +1.8
Conservative hold Swing +9.2

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2005: Forest of Dean[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Harper 19,474 40.9 +2.1
Labour Isabel Owen 17,425 36.6 −6.8
Liberal Democrats Christopher Coleman 8,185 17.2 +4.3
UKIP Patricia Hill 1,140 2.4 +0.9
Green Stephen Tweedie 991 2.1 −0.7
Independent Anthony Reeve 300 0.6 –
English Democrat Gerald Morgan 125 0.3 −0.4
Majority 2,049 4.3 −0.3
Turnout 47,640 70.8 +3.5
Registered electors 67,241 +1.5
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +4.4
General election 2001: Forest of Dean[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Diana Organ 19,350 43.4 −4.8
Conservative Mark Harper 17,301 38.8 +3.2
Liberal Democrats David Gayler 5,762 12.9 +0.6
Green Simon Pickering 1,254 2.8 –
UKIP Allen Prout 661 1.5 –
Independent Gerald Morgan 279 0.6 +0.2
Majority 2,049 4.6 −8.0
Turnout 44,607 67.3 −11.7
Registered electors 66,240 +4.4
Labour hold Swing −4.0

Election in the 1990s

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General election 1997: Forest of Dean[13][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Diana Organ 24,203 48.2 +5.8
Conservative Paul Marland 17,860 35.6 −5.5
Liberal Democrats Anthony Lynch 6,165 12.3 −3.8
Referendum Dominic Hopkins 1,624 3.2 –
Independent Gerald Morgan 218 0.4 –
Independent Colin Palmer 80 0.2 –
Independent Stephen Porter 34 0.1 –
Majority 6,343 12.6 +11.2
Turnout 50,184 79.1 −4.0
Registered electors 63,465 +0.9
Labour win (new seat)

Election in the 1940s

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General election 1945: Forest of Dean
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Philips Price 19,721 65.2 +7.6
Independent John Brown 10,529 34.8 –
Majority 9,192 30.4 +15.2
Turnout 30,250 70.9 −6.4
Registered electors 42,667 13.3
Labour hold

Elections in the 1930s

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General election 1935: Forest of Dean
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour M. Philips Price 16,768 57.6 +10.3
National Labour John Worthington 12,337 42.4 −10.3
Majority 4,431 15.2 +9.8
Turnout 29,105 77.3 +0.4
Registered electors 37,643 +3.0
Labour gain from National Labour Swing +10.3
General election 1931: Forest of Dean
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Labour John Worthington 14,815 52.7 –
Labour David Vaughan 13,291 47.3 −4.8
Majority 1,524 5.4 −20.3
Turnout 28,106 76.9 +3.6
Registered electors 36,547 0.0
National Labour gain from Labour

Elections in the 1920s

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General election 1929: Forest of Dean [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Vaughan 13,976 52.1 +3.7
Unionist William Mitchell-Cotts 7,092 26.5 −9.4
Liberal Joseph W Westwood 5,738 21.4 +5.7
Majority 6,884 25.7 +13.1
Turnout 26,806 73.3 −7.5
Registered electors 36,563 +23.1
Labour hold Swing +6.5
Purcell
1925 Forest of Dean by-election[16][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour A. A. Purcell 11,629 48.4 −4.7
Unionist Michael Beaumont 8,607 35.8 −11.0
Liberal W.H. West 3,774 15.7 −
Majority 3,022 12.6 +6.3
Turnout 24,010 80.9 +10.9
Registered electors 29,696 0.0
Labour hold Swing +3.1
1924 general election: Forest of Dean[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Wignall 11,048 53.1 −7.7
Unionist Michael Beaumont 9,739 46.9 +7.7
Majority 1,309 6.2 −15.4
Turnout 20,787 70.0 +5.3
Registered electors 29,696 +1.8
Labour hold Swing −7.7
1923 general election: Forest of Dean[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Wignall 11,486 60.9 +8.5
Unionist Augustus Dinnick 7,383 39.1 +10.2
Majority 4,103 21.7 −1.8
Turnout 18,869 64.7 −7.3
Registered electors 29,174 +1.7
Labour hold Swing −0.9
Tennant
1922 general election: Forest of Dean[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Wignall 10,820 52.4 −10.4
Ind. Conservative Augustus Dinnick 5,976 28.9 –
National Liberal Winifred Coombe Tennant 3,861 18.7 –
Majority 4,854 23.5 −2.1
Turnout 20,647 72.0 +15.9
Registered electors 28,686 +3.8
Labour hold

Election results 1885–1918

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Elections in the 1910s

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General election 1918: Forest of Dean [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Wignall 9,731 62.8 N/A
C Liberal Henry Webb 5,765 37.2 N/A
Majority 3,966 25.6 N/A
Turnout 15,496 56.1 N/A
Registered electors 27,624 N/A
Labour gain from Liberal
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

General Election 1914–15

A general election was due to take place by the end of 1915. By the autumn of 1914, the following candidates had been selected to contest that election. Due to the outbreak of war, the election never took place;

1912 Forest of Dean by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry Webb Unopposed
Liberal hold
Webb
1911 Forest of Dean by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Henry Webb 6,174 66.5 +0.2
Conservative David Hope Kyd 3,106 33.5 −0.2
Majority 3,068 33.1 +0.5
Turnout 9,280 82.8 +5.9
Registered electors 11,214
Liberal hold Swing +0.2
General election December 1910: Forest of Dean [17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Dilke 5,544 66.3 +1.1
Conservative David Hope Kyd 2,820 33.7 −1.1
Majority 2,724 32.6 +2.2
Turnout 8,364 76.9 −9.7
Registered electors 10,881 0.0
Liberal hold Swing +1.1
General election January 1910: Forest of Dean [17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Dilke 6,141 65.2 N/A
Conservative John Henry Renton 3,279 34.8 N/A
Majority 2,862 30.4 N/A
Turnout 9,420 86.6 N/A
Registered electors 10,881 +8.9
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1900s

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General election 1906: Forest of Dean [17][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Dilke Unopposed
Liberal hold
General election 1900: Forest of Dean [17][19][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Dilke 4,972 66.4 n/a
Conservative H Terrell 2,520 33.6 n/a
Majority 2,452 32.7 n/a
Turnout 7,492 75.0 n/a
Registered electors 9,993 n/a
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1890s

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General election 1895: Forest of Dean [17][19][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Dilke unopposed n/a n/a
Liberal hold
Dilke
General election 1892: Forest of Dean [17][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Dilke 5,360 64.6 +3.5
Conservative Maynard Wemyss[21] 2,942 35.4 −3.5
Majority 2,418 29.2 +7.1
Turnout 8,302 77.0 +7.0
Registered electors 10,782 +7.5
Liberal hold Swing +3.5

Elections in the 1880s

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By-election, 29 Jul 1887: Forest of Dean [17][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Godfrey Samuelson 4,286 61.0 −7.0
Conservative Edward Wyndham 2,736 39.0 +7.0
Majority 1,550 22.1 −14.0
Turnout 7,022 70.0 −10.0
Registered electors 10,032
Liberal hold Swing −7.0
  • Caused by Blake's resignation.
General election 1886: Forest of Dean [17][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Blake 3,822 61.3 −6.7
Liberal Unionist Frederick Louis Lucas[23] 2,415 38.7 +6.7
Majority 1,407 22.6 −13.4
Turnout 6,237 65.9 −14.1
Registered electors 9,458
Liberal hold Swing +6.7
General election 1885: Forest of Dean [17][19][24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Blake 5,143 68.0 N/A
Conservative John Plunkett 2,421 32.0 N/A
Majority 2,722 36.0 N/A
Turnout 7,564 80.0 N/A
Registered electors 9,458
Liberal win (new seat)

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ^ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

References

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  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South West". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Forest of Dean". Gloucestershire Live. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  3. ^ A Glance Back at Lydney Docks, Neil Parkhouse ISBN 9781903599006
  4. ^ a b Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "F"
  5. ^ "General election results 2024". BBC News. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Forest of Dean parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  8. ^ "Forest of Dean District Council – Page unavailable". www.fdean.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 9 July 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  9. ^ a b "FOREST OF DEAN 2015". electionresults.blogspot.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  10. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  11. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  12. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ^ Percentage change and swing for 1997 is calculated relative to the Rallings and Thrasher 1992 notional constituency result, not actual 1992 result. See C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
  15. ^ a b c d e f FWS Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1949
  16. ^ "Forest of Dean Election". North Devon Journal. 16 July 1925. Retrieved 13 October 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, FWS Craig
  18. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  19. ^ a b c d e f The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  20. ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  21. ^ ‘COLCHESTER WEMYSS, Maynard Willoughby’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2015; online edn, Feb 2015 accessed 19 Oct 2017 Archived 21 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine
  22. ^ The Constitutional Year Book, 1904, published by Conservative Central Office, page 144 (168 in web page), Gloucestershire
  23. ^ "The Contest in Dean Forest". Western Daily Press. 3 July 1886. p. 4. Retrieved 26 November 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  24. ^ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
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