Tewkesbury is a constituency in Gloucestershire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Cameron Thomas, who currently sits as an independent MP but was initially elected as a Liberal Democrat.
Contents
History
1610 to 1918
Tewkesbury existed in this period, first in the parliamentary borough form. It returned two MPs until this was reduced to one in 1868, then saw itself become instead a larger county division under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, before it was abolished in 1918.
Prominent politicians
William Dowdeswell was Chancellor of the Exchequer for two years under Rockingham, and his short tenure of this position appears to have been a successful one, he being in Lecky's words a good financier, but nothing more. To general astonishment, he refused to abandon his friends and to take an office under The 1st Earl of Chatham ("Pitt the Elder"), who succeeded Rockingham in August 1766. Dowdeswell then led the Rockingham party in the House of Commons, taking an active part in debate until his death. In 1774 he warned MPs against passing the Boston Port Act, related to the later Boston Tea Party.
Charles Hanbury-Tracy was heir to much of the Pontypool part the growing iron industry and served as the chairman of the commission of 1835 that commissioned the new Houses of Parliament and judged designs.
After service for Tewkesbury Frederick Lygon, 6th Earl Beauchamp entered the Lords and then served in Cabinet positions under the earlier governments headed by Lord Salisbury, before the turn-of-the century third government.
1997 to date
The Fourth periodic review of Westminster constituencies in 1997 saw the seat's recreation when the number of constituencies in Gloucestershire was increased from five to six. It was primarily formed from a minority of the larger county division Cirencester and Tewkesbury, together with parts of West Gloucestershire and Cheltenham.
Boundaries
1885–1918: The Municipal Boroughs of Gloucester and Tewkesbury, the Sessional Divisions of Berkeley, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Tewkesbury, and Winchcombe, part of the Sessional Division of Whitminster, and the parish of Slimbridge.
1997–2010: The Borough of Tewkesbury wards of Ashchurch, Bishop's Cleeve East, Bishop's Cleeve North, Bishop's Cleeve South, Brockworth Glebe, Brockworth Moorfield, Brockworth Westfield, Churchdown Brookfield, Churchdown Parton, Churchdown Pirton, Cleeve Hill, Coombe Hill, Crickley, De Winton, Dumbleton, Gotherington, Horsbere, Innsworth, Shurdington, Tewkesbury Mitton, Tewkesbury Newtown, Tewkesbury Prior's Park, Tewkesbury Town, Twyning, and Winchcombe, and the Borough of Cheltenham wards of Leckhampton with Up Hatherley, Prestbury, and Swindon.
2010–2024: The Borough of Tewkesbury wards of Ashchurch with Walton Cardiff, Badgeworth, Brockworth, Churchdown Brookfield, Churchdown St John's, Cleeve Grange, Cleeve Hill, Cleeve St Michael's, Cleeve West, Coombe Hill, Hucclecote, Innsworth with Down Hatherley, Isbourne, Northway, Oxenton Hill, Shurdington, Tewkesbury Newtown, Tewkesbury Prior's Park, Tewkesbury Town with Mitton, Twyning, and Winchcombe, the Borough of Cheltenham wards of Prestbury and Swindon Village, and the City of Gloucester ward of Longlevens.
2024–present: Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
The Borough of Cheltenham wards of: Prestbury; Springbank; Swindon Village.
The City of Gloucester wards of: Elmbridge; Longlevens.
The Borough of Tewkesbury wards of: Cleeve Grange; Cleeve Hill; Cleeve St. Michael's; Cleeve West; Innsworth; Isbourne; Northway; Severn Vale North; Severn Vale South; Tewkesbury East; Tewkesbury North & Twyning; Tewkesbury South; Winchcombe.
In order to bring the electorate within the permitted range, the area between the city of Gloucester and the town of Cheltenham, including the communities of Badgeworth, Brockworth, Churchdown and Shurdington, was included in the newly created constituency of North Cotswolds. To partly compensate, the Springbank and Elmbridge wards were transferred in from the Cheltenham and Gloucester seats respectively.
Constituency profile
The town has a raised centre with the second largest parish church in the country that is the church of a former Benedictine monastery, named Tewkesbury Abbey, the town also has its own mustard and July medieval battle festival. Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 2.2% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.
Members of Parliament
MPs 1610–1629
Constituency created (1610)
The constituency was enfranchised on 23 March 1610 – the first record of its members sworn is 16 April 1610.
Elections since 1997
Election results 1868–1918
Elections in the 1910s
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 July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
Unionist: Michael Hicks Beach
Liberal: Richard Mathias
Elections in the 1860s
Seat reduced to one member.
Election results 1832–1868
Elections in the 1860s
Caused by Dowdeswell's resignation to context the 1866 West Worcestershire by-election.
Caused by Lygon's resignation to stand at the 1864 West Worcestershire by-election.
Elections in the 1850s
Caused by the appointment of Lygon as a Civil Lord of the Admiralty
Elections in the 1830s
Caused by Martin's death