In the twentieth century, the constituency was held by the Conservative Party for most of the time. However, Aidan Crawley, a Labour Party MP, served Buckingham from 1945 until 1951, and from 1964 until 1970, its Labour MP was the controversial publisher Robert Maxwell.
Before the periodic review effected in 1983, the new town of Milton Keynes, including its older parts such as Bletchley and Fenny Stratford,[n 3] was in the constituency. The 1983 review followed the previous national review in 1974 and recognised the large increase in voters in the constituency. The sitting Buckingham MP, William Benyon, stood for the newly created Milton Keynes constituency, where he was elected. The residual seat was won in 1983 by Conservative George Walden. Walden retired in 1997, and John Bercow won the following general elections in 2001, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2017. At the 2005 general election, this constituency had the Conservatives' highest numerical majority, although a higher share of the vote was achieved in Kensington and Chelsea in London, the constituency of Malcolm Rifkind, and Richmond in North Yorkshire, the constituency of William Hague.
In 2009, Bercow was elected as Speaker of the House of Commons following the resignation of Michael Martin. There is an inconsistently followed convention, which is mostly kept by the major parties, not to oppose a Speaker at election. Nonetheless, UKIP's leader, Nigel Farage, stood against Bercow in the 2010 election but finished third behind the Buckinghamshire Campaign for Democracy founder, who previously founded the Pro-Euro Conservative Party.[4]
In both the 2015 and 2017 general elections, Bercow was challenged by only UKIP and the Green Party, with the addition of the independent candidate Scott Raven in the latter election. In September 2019 the Conservative Party announced their intention to stand a candidate against Bercow in the next election, breaking the convention of major parties not opposing a Speaker, seemingly in response to Bercow's opposition to Prime MinisterBoris Johnson's handling of Brexit. However, Bercow announced in September 2019 that he would stand down as Speaker on either October 31 or at the next election, whichever occurred first.[5]
Boundaries and boundary changesedit
1885–1918edit
The Municipal Borough of Buckingham;
The Sessional Divisions of Ashendon, Buckingham, Newport, and Stony Stratford; and
The Urban Districts of Bletchley, Linslade, and Newport Pagnell;
The Rural Districts of Buckingham, Newport Pagnell, Stratford and Wolverton, Wing, and Winslow; and
Parts of the Rural Districts of Aylesbury and Long Crendon.[7]
Gained Linslade and the Rural District of Wing from Aylesbury.
1950–1974edit
The Municipal Borough of Buckingham;
The Urban Districts of Bletchley, Linslade, Newport Pagnell, and Wolverton; and
The Rural Districts of Buckingham, Newport Pagnell, Wing, and Winslow.[7]
The Urban District of Wolverton had succeeded the Rural District of Stratford and Wolverton. The parts of the Rural District of Aylesbury and the (former) Rural District of Long Crendon were transferred to Aylesbury.
1974–1983edit
The Municipal Borough of Buckingham;
The Urban Districts of Bletchley, Newport Pagnell, and Wolverton; and
The Rural Districts of Buckingham, Newport Pagnell, Wing, and Winslow.[7]
The District of Aylesbury Vale wards of Bierton, Brill, Buckingham North, Buckingham South, Cheddington, Eddlesborough, Great Brickhill, Great Horwood, Grendon Underwood, Haddenham, Hogshaw, Long Crendon, Luffield Abbey, Marsh Gibbon, Newton Longville, Oakley, Pitstone, Quainton, Steeple Claydon, Stewkley, Stone, Tingewick, Waddesdon, Wing, Wingrave, and Winslow; and
The Borough of Milton Keynes wards of Stony Stratford, Wolverton, and Wolverton Stacey Bushes.[8]
Rural areas to the north and west of the town of Aylesbury transferred from the constituency thereof. The area comprising the new District of Milton Keynes, except for Stony Stratford and Wolverton, formed the new constituency of Milton Keynes.
1992–1997edit
For the 1992 general election, outside the normal cycle of periodic reviews by the Boundaries Commission, the Milton Keynes constituency was split in two, with Stony Stratford and Wolverton being included in the new Borough Constituency of Milton Keynes South West.[9] No further changes.
1997–2010edit
The District of Aylesbury Vale wards of Aston Clinton, Bierton, Brill, Buckingham North, Buckingham South, Cheddington, Eddlesborough, Great Brickhill, Great Horwood, Grendon Underwood, Haddenham, Hogshaw, Long Crendon, Luffield Abbey, Marsh Gibbon, Newton Longville, Oakley, Pitstone, Quainton, Steeple Claydon, Stewkley, Stone, Tingewick, Waddesdon, Wing, Wingrave, and Winslow.[10]
The Aston Clinton ward was transferred from Aylesbury.
Map of current boundaries
2010–present
edit
The District of Aylesbury Vale wards of Buckingham North, Buckingham South, Eddlesborough, Gatehouse, Great Brickhill & Newton Longville, Great Horwood, Grendon Underwood & Brill, Haddenham & Stone, Long Crendon, Luffield Abbey, Marsh Gibbon, Oakfield & Bierton, Oakley, Pitstone & Cheddington, Quainton, Steeple Claydon, Stewkley, Tingewick, Waddesdon, Watermead, Weedon, Wing, Wingrave, and Winslow; and
The District of Wycombe wards of Icknield and The Risboroughs.[11]
The District of Wycombe wards, including Princes Risborough, were transferred from Aylesbury, offset by the return of Aston Clinton.
In April 2020, the Districts of Aylesbury Vale and Wycombe, as well as those of South Bucks and Chiltern were merged into the new unitary authority of Buckinghamshire Council. Accordingly, the current contents of the constituency are:
The Buckinghamshire Council wards of Aston Clinton and Bierton (part), Bernwood, Buckingham East, Buckingham West, Great Brickhill, Grendon Underwood, Ivinghoe, Ridgeway East (part), Stone and Waddesdon (part), The Risboroughs, Wing (part), and Winslow.
^ abcJohn Bercow stood as 'The Speaker seeking re-election'.
Referencesedit
^"Buckingham: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
^"England Parliamentary electorates 2010-2018". Boundary Commission for England. Archived from the original on 23 March 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
^ ab"The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – South East | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
^"Buckingham constituency". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 May 2010.
^"Commons Speaker John Bercow to stand down". BBC News. 9 September 2019. Archived from the original on 10 September 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
^Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. The public general acts. unknown library. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884.
^ abcS., Craig, Fred W. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0900178094. OCLC 539011.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) (Miscellaneous Changes) Order 1990". www.legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
^Stuff, Good. "Chequers, Ellesborough, Buckinghamshire". www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
^"Seat Details". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
^ abcdefghi"History of Parliament". Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
^"BROCAS, Bernard (by 1536-89), of Horton, Bucks. and Ickenham, Mdx". The History of Parliament. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
^ abcdefgh"History of Parliament". Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
^ ab"Buckingham 1660-". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015. [For members from 1796].
^ abcLeigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 6)
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyStooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 18–20. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
^ abMartin, Howard (1996). "Years of Whig Achievement and Conservative Renewal, 1833–41". Britain in the 19th Century. Cheltenham: Thomas Nelson and Sons. p. 117. ISBN 0174350627. Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
^ abEvans, Eric J. (2001). "The age of Peel? Politics and policies, 1832–1846". The Forging of the Modern State: Early industrial Britain 1783–1870 (Third ed.). Abingdon: Routledge. p. 310. ISBN 978-0-582-47267-9. Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
^ abThe Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1836. 1836. p. 176. Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
^"Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Buckingham parliamentary constituency – Election 2019 – BBC News". BBC.com. BBC. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
^"Statement of Persons Nominated - Buckingham" (PDF). Aylesbury Vale District Council. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
^"Buckingham parliamentary constituency – Election 2017 – BBC News". BBC.com. BBC. Archived from the original on 14 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
^"Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"General election 2015 - results - AVDC". www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
^"Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"BBC News - Election 2010 - Constituency - Buckingham". news.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 April 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
^"Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
^"Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886
^ abcdefghijklmnopqCraig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
^"To the Electors of the County of Buckingham". Bucks Herald. 9 April 1859. p. 4. Retrieved 20 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"To the Editor of the Morning Advertiser". Morning Advertiser. 14 April 1857. pp. 5–6. Retrieved 20 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Buckingham". Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette. 28 March 1857. p. 8. Retrieved 20 April 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
Sourcesedit
Iain Dale, ed. (2003). The Times House of Commons 1929, 1931, 1935. Politico's (reprint). ISBN 1-84275-033-X.
The Times House of Commons 1945. 1945.
The Times House of Commons 1950. 1950.
The Times House of Commons 1955. 1955.
External linksedit
nomis Constituency Profile for Buckingham — presenting data from the ONS annual population survey and other official statistics.