Bristol South is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Karin Smyth of the Labour Party.[n 2]
Constituency profile
Bristol South is a traditional white working class seat. Residents' wealth is around average for the UK.[3]
Boundaries
Map of boundaries 1997-2024
The constituency covers the south-west of Bristol, bounded by the Avon New Cut to the north, the A37 Wells Road to the east, and the city boundaries to the south and west.
1885–1918: The Borough of Bristol wards of Bedminster East, Bedminster West, Bristol, and Redcliffe, and part of the civil parish of Bedminster.
1918–1950: The County Borough of Bristol wards of Bedminster East, Bedminster West, and Southville, and part of Somerset ward.
1950–1955: The County Borough of Bristol wards of Bedminster, Somerset, Southville, and Windmill Hill.
1955–1983: The County Borough of Bristol wards of Bedminster, Bishopsworth, Hengrove, Somerset, and Southville.
1983–1997: The City of Bristol wards of Bedminster, Bishopsworth, Filwood, Hartcliffe, Knowle, Southville, Whitchurch Park, and Windmill Hill.
1997–2024: The City of Bristol wards of Bedminster, Bishopsworth, Filwood, Hartcliffe, Hengrove, Knowle, Southville, Whitchurch Park, and Windmill Hill.
2024–present: The City of Bristol wards of Bedminster; Bishopsworth; Filwood; Hartcliffe & Withywood; Hengrove & Whitchurch Park; Southville; and Windmill Hill.[4]
To bring the electorate within the permitted range, the Knowle ward was moved to Bristol East.[5][6]
History
The seat has elected Labour MPs at every election since 1935, the only seat in the south of England outside Greater London with such a record. The closest result, giving a marginal majority, was the 1987 election where Dawn Primarolo won a majority of 2.7% of the vote — in that election the Social Democratic Party, a 'moderate' breakaway party from the Labour Party,[n 3] won 19.6% of the vote.
^A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
^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.
^"Bristol South: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
^"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.
^Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Bristol+South Archived 2022-02-07 at the Wayback Machine
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 7 South West region.
^"South West | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
^"Bristol South 1885-". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
^"Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll". Bristol City Council. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
^"Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
^"Statement of Persons Nominated". Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
^"UK Parliamentary (General Election) results Thursday 12 December 2019". 13 December 2019. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
^"Bristol South". BBC. Archived from the original on 24 November 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
^Ashcroft, Esme (18 April 2017). "Bristol's four MPs will all be defending their seats in the general election". bristolpost. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
^Ben Nutland [@BenNutland] (6 May 2017). "Delighted to announce that I have been selected as the @LibDems Parliamentary Candidate for Bristol South at the upcoming General Election" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^"Green MEP to stand for Bristol West in general election". ITV News. Archived from the original on 4 December 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
^"Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^ abcd"UK ELECTION RESULTS: BRISTOL SOUTH 2015". Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
^"Bristol South". UK Vote. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
^"TUSC parliamentary candidates in May 2015" (PDF). Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition. 4 February 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 February 2015.
^"Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
^Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1969). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949. Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. p. 419. ISBN 0-900178-01-9.
^ abCraig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.