# West Gloucestershire (UK Parliament constituency)

West Gloucestershire was a parliamentary constituency in Gloucestershire, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
It was first created by the Great Reform Act for the 1832 general election as a 2-seat constituency (i.e. electing two Members of Parliament). It was abolished for the 1885 general election.
Its namesake, a seat of about half the physical size of the above, took up a north-west side of the Severn estuary similar to the Forest of Dean, and came into being for the 1950 general election. It was abolished for the 1997 general election.

## History

The 1950 to 1997 single-member constituency was held by the Labour Party from its creation in 1950 until 1979 and then held by the Conservative Party until its abolition.

## Boundaries
### 1832 to 1885

1832–1885: The Hundreds of Berkeley, Thornbury, Langley and Swineshead, Grumbald's Ash, Pucklechurch, Lancaster Duchy, Botloe, St Briavel's, Westbury, and Bledisloe, and the parts of the Hundreds of Henbury and Barton Regis that are not included in the limits of the City of Bristol.
The place of election was the small town of Dursley. This was where the hustings were put up and electors voted (by spoken declaration in public, before the secret ballot was introduced in 1872).
The qualification to vote in county elections, in the period, was to be a forty-shilling freeholder.
The county's five parliamentary boroughs were all in East Gloucestershire. Qualified freeholders from those boroughs could vote in the eastern county division. Bristol was a "county of itself", so its freeholders qualified to vote in the borough, not in a county division.
There were no electors qualified to vote in the western division, because they were freehold owners of land in a parliamentary borough.

### 1950 to 1997

1950–1983: The Rural Districts of East Dean, Lydney, Newent, and West Dean, and part of the Rural District of Gloucester.
1983–1997: The District of Forest of Dean, and the Borough of Tewkesbury wards of Brockworth Glebe, Brockworth Moorfield, Brockworth Westfield, Churchdown Brookfield, Churchdown Parton, Churchdown Pirton, De Winton, Haw Bridge, Highnam, Horsbere, and Innsworth.
The constituency in this period was a smaller part of the county of Gloucestershire than its nineteenth century namesake. It was centred on the Forest of Dean, and indeed the majority of the constituency at abolition formed the new Forest of Dean constituency. About a fifth of the constituency moved to Tewkesbury, with 735 constituents moving to Gloucester.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1832–1885

| Election | First member | First member | First party | Second member | Second member | Second party |
| 1832 | | Hon. Grantley Berkeley | Whig | | Hon. Augustus Moreton | Whig |
| 1835 | | Hon. Grantley Berkeley | Whig | | Marquess of Worcester | Conservative |
| 1836 by-election | | Hon. Grantley Berkeley | Whig | | Robert Blagden Hale | Conservative |
| 1852 | | Nigel Kingscote | Whig | | Robert Blagden Hale | Conservative |
| 1857 | | Nigel Kingscote | Whig | | Sir John Rolt | Conservative |
| 1859 | | Nigel Kingscote | Liberal | | Sir John Rolt | Conservative |
| 1867 by-election | | Nigel Kingscote | Liberal | | Edward Arthur Somerset | Conservative |
| 1868 | | Nigel Kingscote | Liberal | | Samuel Marling | Liberal |
| 1874 | | Nigel Kingscote | Liberal | | Hon. Randal Plunkett | Conservative |
| 1880 | | Nigel Kingscote | Liberal | | Lord Moreton | Liberal |
| 1885 by-election | | Benjamin St John Ackers | Conservative | | Lord Moreton | Liberal |
| 1885 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

### MPs 1950–1997

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1950 | M. Philips Price | Labour |
| 1959 | Charles Loughlin | Labour |
| Oct 1974 | John Watkinson | Labour |
| 1979 | Paul Marland | Conservative |
| 1997 | constituency abolished: see Forest of Dean and Tewkesbury | constituency abolished: see Forest of Dean and Tewkesbury |

## Election results
### Election in the 1990s

General election 1992: Gloucestershire West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Paul Marland | 29,232 | 43.6 | −2.5 |
| | Labour | Diana Organ | 24,274 | 36.2 | +8.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | J. E. Boait | 13,366 | 19.9 | −6.0 |
| | British Independent | A. Reeve | 172 | 0.3 | New |
| | Twenty First Century | C. R. Palmer | 75 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,958 | 7.4 | −10.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 67,119 | 83.9 | +2.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 80,007 | | +2.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −5.4 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: West Gloucestershire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Paul Marland | 29,257 | 46.1 | +0.3 |
| | Labour | Peter Sandland-Nielsen | 17,758 | 28.0 | +3.3 |
| | SDP | John Watkinson | 16,440 | 25.9 | −3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,499 | 18.1 | +1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 63,455 | 81.4 | +1.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 77,994 | | +5.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.9 | |
General election 1983: West Gloucestershire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Paul Marland | 27,092 | 45.8 | −2.1 |
| | SDP | John Watkinson | 17,440 | 29.5 | +18.7 |
| | Labour | Michael J. Hodkinson | 14,572 | 24.7 | −16.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,652 | 16.3 | +9.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,104 | 79.6 | −4.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 74,266 | | +5.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +7.0 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: West Gloucestershire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Paul Marland | 28,183 | 47.9 | +7.0 |
| | Labour | John Watkinson | 24,009 | 40.8 | −0.9 |
| | Liberal | Margaret Joachim | 6,370 | 10.8 | −6.6 |
| | National Front | G. Storkey | 270 | 0.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,174 | 7.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,832 | 83.9 | +3.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 70,104 | | +4.3 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +3.9 | |
General election October 1974: West Gloucestershire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Watkinson | 22,481 | 41.7 | +1.0 |
| | Conservative | Paul Marland | 22,072 | 40.9 | +3.1 |
| | Liberal | A. L. MacGregor | 9,353 | 17.4 | −3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 409 | 0.8 | −2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,906 | 80.2 | −3.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 67,239 | | +0.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −1.1 | |
General election February 1974: Gloucestershire West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Loughlin | 22,765 | 40.7 | −5.4 |
| | Conservative | Paul Marland | 21,141 | 37.8 | −6.1 |
| | Liberal | A. L. MacGregor | 11,856 | 21.2 | +11.2 |
| | Independent | S. S. Hart | 171 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,624 | 2.9 | +0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,933 | 83.9 | +6.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 66,706 | | +3.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.4 | |
General election 1970: Gloucestershire West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Loughlin | 22,637 | 46.1 | −5.7 |
| | Conservative | Stanley H. A. F. Hopkins | 21,530 | 43.9 | +9.4 |
| | Liberal | J. Alan Svendsen | 4,932 | 10.0 | −3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,107 | 2.2 | −15.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,099 | 77.2 | −0.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 63,599 | | +10.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −7.5 | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Gloucestershire West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Loughlin | 23,181 | 51.8 | +1.9 |
| | Conservative | Stanley H. A. F. Hopkins | 15,476 | 34.5 | +0.4 |
| | Liberal | Kenneth G. Harvey | 6,137 | 13.7 | −2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,705 | 17.3 | +1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,794 | 78.0 | −1.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 57,443 | | +1.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.7 | |
General election 1964: Gloucestershire West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Loughlin | 22,420 | 49.9 | +0.5 |
| | Conservative | Douglas St P. Barnard | 15,300 | 34.1 | −3.0 |
| | Liberal | Richard A. Cook | 7,191 | 16.0 | +2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,120 | 15.8 | +3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,911 | 79.6 | −1.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 56,407 | | +4.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.7 | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Gloucestershire West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Loughlin | 21,634 | 49.4 | −5.5 |
| | Conservative | Olive K. L. Lloyd-Baker | 16,223 | 37.1 | −8.0 |
| | Liberal | Eric John Radley | 5,921 | 13.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,411 | 12.3 | +2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,778 | 80.8 | +2.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 54,202 | | +4.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.2 | |
General election 1955: Gloucestershire West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M. Philips Price | 22,366 | 54.9 | −3.0 |
| | Conservative | Bryan J. Y. Williams | 18,346 | 45.1 | +3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,020 | 9.8 | −6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,712 | 78.6 | −3.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 51,772 | | +1.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −3.0 | |
General election 1951: Gloucestershire West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M. Philips Price | 24,334 | 57.9 | +3.1 |
| | Conservative | Arthur Russell | 17,665 | 42.1 | +9.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,669 | 15.8 | −6.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,999 | 82.3 | 0.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 51,020 | | +1.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −3.0 | |
General election 1950: Gloucestershire West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | M. Philips Price | 22,765 | 54.8 | |
| | Conservative | Granger Boston | 13,664 | 32.9 | |
| | Liberal | Basil Houldsworth | 5,125 | 12.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,101 | 21.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,554 | 82.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 50,513 | | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |

### Elections in the 1880s

By-election, 12 Mar 1885: West Gloucestershire (1 seat vacant) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Benjamin St John Ackers | 4,837 | 52.2 | +21.5 |
| | Liberal | William Marling | 4,426 | 47.8 | −21.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 411 | 4.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,263 | 72.4 | −9.5 (est) |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,802 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +21.6 | |
* Caused by Kingscote's appointment as Commissioner of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues.
General election 1880: West Gloucestershire (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Nigel Kingscote | 5,316 | 35.2 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal | Lord Moreton | 5,164 | 34.2 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative | Randal Plunkett | 4,640 | 30.7 | −3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 524 | 3.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,956 (est) | 81.9 (est) | +5.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,162 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +2.1 | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.7 | |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: West Gloucestershire (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Randal Plunkett | 4,553 | 34.5 | +3.6 |
| | Liberal | Nigel Kingscote | 4,344 | 32.9 | −2.1 |
| | Liberal | Charles Berkeley | 4,317 | 32.7 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 236 | 1.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,884 (est) | 76.4 (est) | −4.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,632 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +1.6 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −2.0 | |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1868: West Gloucestershire (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Nigel Kingscote | 4,985 | 35.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Samuel Marling | 4,862 | 34.1 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Edward Arthur Somerset | 4,394 | 30.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 468 | 3.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,318 (est) | 81.3 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,463 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative |
By-election, 25 July 1867: West Gloucestershire (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Edward Arthur Somerset | 3,649 | 50.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Charles Berkeley | 3,553 | 49.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 96 | 1.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,202 | 76.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,368 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
* Caused by Rolt's appointment as a judge of the Court of Appeal in Chancery
By-election, 15 November 1866: West Gloucestershire (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Rolt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
* Caused by Rolt's appointment as Attorney General for England and Wales.
General election 1865: West Gloucestershire (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Rolt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | Nigel Kingscote | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,368 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

By-election, 7 July 1859: West Gloucestershire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Nigel Kingscote | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
* Appointment of Kingscote as a Groom in Waiting to Her Majesty Queen Victoria
General election 1859: West Gloucestershire (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Nigel Kingscote | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | John Rolt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,167 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1857: West Gloucestershire (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Nigel Kingscote | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | John Rolt | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,250 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1852: West Gloucestershire (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Nigel Kingscote | 3,528 | 40.8 | +17.5 |
| | Conservative | Robert Blagden Hale | 2,946 | 34.1 | −12.5 |
| | Whig | Grantley Berkeley | 2,166 | 25.1 | −5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,474 (est) | 75.0 (est) | −12.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,635 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 582 | 6.7 | N/A |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +11.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 780 | 9.0 | −7.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −12.5 | |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1847: West Gloucestershire (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Blagden Hale | 4,240 | 46.6 | N/A |
| | Whig | Grantley Berkeley | 2,744 | 30.1 | N/A |
| | Whig | Grenville Berkeley | 2,123 | 23.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,496 | 16.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,674 (est) | 87.8 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,601 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1841: West Gloucestershire (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Grantley Berkeley | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Robert Blagden Hale | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,875 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1837: West Gloucestershire (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Grantley Berkeley | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Robert Blagden Hale | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,936 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
By-election, 2 January 1836: West Gloucestershire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Blagden Hale | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
* Succession of Worcester to the peerage as 7th Duke of Beaufort
General election 1835: West Gloucestershire (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Grantley Berkeley | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | Marquess of Worcester | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,473 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig |
General election 1832: West Gloucestershire (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Grantley Berkeley | 3,153 | 34.6 | |
| | Whig | Augustus Moreton | 2,996 | 32.9 | |
| | Tory | Lord Robert Somerset | 2,962 | 32.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 34 | 0.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,943 | 91.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,521 | | |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |