The seat covers the prosperous town of Wokingham, the southern suburbs of Reading, and a rural area to the west. Residents are significantly wealthier than the UK average, reflected in high property prices.[2]
The second version of the seat was created for the 1950 general election. From 1983, its borders have gradually been moved westwards as new constituencies were created in the east of the county.
The constituency has been represented since 1987 by the high-profile ConservativeJohn Redwood, having continuously elected Conservative MPs with comfortable majorities throughout its history. However, in 2019, the majority was drastically reduced to 11.9% from 31.5% in 2017 (and 43.2% in 2015) when Redwood was challenged by the Liberal Democrat candidate, Philip Lee, who had been the Conservative MP for the neighbouring constituency of Bracknell.
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.[3]
Boundaries and boundary changesedit
1885–1918edit
The Sessional Divisions of Maidenhead and Windsor;
Part of the Sessional Division of Wokingham; and
In the Sessional Division of Reading, the parishes of East Swallowfield and West Swallowfield.[4]
1950–1955edit
The Borough of Wokingham; and
The Rural Districts of Easthampstead and Wokingham.[5]
1955–1974edit
The Borough of Wokingham;
The Rural Districts of Easthampstead and Wokingham; and
The East ward of the County Borough of Reading.[5]
The East ward of Reading was transferred from the abolished constituency of Reading South. From the 1964 general election, the Park ward replaced the East ward following a revision to the local authority wards.[5]
1974–1983edit
The Borough of Wokingham;
The Rural District of Easthampstead; and
The Rural District of Wokingham parishes of Remenham, Ruscombe, St Nicholas Hurst, Twyford, Wargrave, and Wokingham Without.[6]
The Park ward of the County Borough of Reading was transferred to the re-established constituency of Reading South, along with western parts of the Rural District of Wokingham.
1983–1997edit
The District of Wokingham wards of Bulmershe, California, Charvil, Coronation, Emmbrook, Evendons, Hurst, Little Hungerford, Loddon, Norreys, Redhatch, Remenham and Wargrave, St Sebastian's, Sonning, South Lake, Twyford and Ruscombe, Wescott, Whitegates, and Winnersh.[7]
The seat regained north-western parts of Reading South (abolished once again). Eastern areas, comprising the District of Bracknell (formerly the Rural District of Easthampstead) formed the bulk of the new constituency of East Berkshire.
1997–2010edit
The District of Wokingham wards of Arborfield, Barkham, Emmbrook, Evendons, Little Hungerford, Norreys, Redhatch, Shinfield, Swallowfield, Wescott, and Winnersh; and
The District of Newbury wards of Burghfield and Mortimer.[8]
The boundaries moved westwards, gaining parts of Reading East (including Shinfield) and Newbury. The seat lost northern areas to Reading East and the new constituency of Maidenhead, as well as the ward of Wokingham Without in the south to the new constituency of Bracknell.
2010–presentedit
Map of current boundaries
The District of Wokingham wards of Arborfield, Barkham, Emmbrook, Evendons, Hawkedon, Hillside, Maiden Erlegh, Norreys, Shinfield North, Shinfield South, Swallowfield, Wescott, and Winnersh; and
The District of West Berkshire wards of Burghfield, Mortimer, and Sulhamstead.[9]
This change saw a further minor gain from Newbury.
The seat is currently centred on the southern part of Wokingham district, including a small part of the east of West Berkshire. It is in the South East region of England.
The Borough of Wokingham wards of: Arborfield; Barkham; Charvil; Emmbrook; Evendons; Finchampstead North; Finchampstead South; Hurst; Norreys; Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe; Swallowfield; Twyford; Wescott; Winnersh; Wokingham Without.[10]
The seat will undergo major changes, with about half the electorate being transferred out - the parts in the District of West Berkshire to the newly named constituency of Reading West and Mid Berkshire; and north-western parts of the District of Wokingham, including Earley and Shinfield, to the newly created constituency of Earley and Woodley. To compensate, the boundaries will be extended southwards to include the Wokingham Without ward and the community of Finchampstead, transferred from Bracknell; and northwards to include the parts of Wokingham Borough currently in Maidenhead, including Twyford.
^Belger, Tom (8 December 2023). "Labour selections: Full list of 211 'non-battleground' seats now open to applications". labourlist.org. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
^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 1970". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
^ abLeigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 5)
^"Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidates". Mark Pack. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
^Cllr Simon Rouse [@CllrSimonRouse] (25 February 2023). "Delighted to chair @Wokyca constituency selection meeting last night. Many congratulations to @johnredwood on being re-adopted as the Conservative candidate for Wokingham for the next general election!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^"Wokingham Constituency". Reform UK. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
^"Statement of Persons Nominated". Wokingham Borough Council. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
^"Statement of Persons Nominated". Wokingham Borough Council. 7 May 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
^"Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"Results from previous elections - Wokingham Borough Council". Archived from the original on 23 June 2015.
^"Meet the Wokingham UKIP Prospective Parliamentary Candidate - UK Independence Party". www.wokinghamukip.org.uk.
^"Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"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. 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.
^ abcdefghijCraig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
^"Notices: Parliamentary Election, 1892. Eastern or Wokingham Division of the County of Berks". Reading Mercury. 20 August 1892. Retrieved 20 November 2017.