# Cirencester and Tewkesbury (UK Parliament constituency)

Cirencester and Tewkesbury was a parliamentary constituency in Gloucestershire which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created for the 1918 general election and abolished for the 1997 general election when it was partly replaced by the new constituencies of Cotswold and Tewkesbury.

## History

The only party to have returned an MP for this constituency was the Conservatives, who represented it for most of the seat's existence. The exception was the period from 1951 to 1959, when William Morrison, first elected as a Conservative, became the Speaker of the House of Commons, a role in which the incumbent is traditionally unaffiliated to a party. The seat centred on the towns of Cirencester and Tewkesbury, covering much of the Cotswolds, a picturesque rolling landscape designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1966. The seat was divided between the Cotswold (later renamed The Cotswolds) and Tewkesbury constituencies. Its last MP, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, went on to represent the Cotswold constituency upon its 1997 creation. At elections contested by the major parties, Cirencester and Tewkesbury generally elected Conservatives with large majorities, and thus could usually have been classed as a safe seat for the party.

## Boundaries

1918–1950: The Borough of Tewkesbury, the Urban Districts of Cirencester, Stow-on-the-Wold, and Tetbury, the Rural Districts of Campden, Cirencester, Marston Sicca, Northleach, and Pebworth, and parts of the Rural Districts of Cheltenham, Faringdon, Stow-on-the-Wold, Tetbury, Tewkesbury, and Winchcombe.
1950–1955: The Borough of Tewkesbury, the Urban District of Cirencester, and the Rural Districts of Cheltenham, Cirencester, North Cotswold, Northleach, and Tetbury.
1955–1974: The Borough of Tewkesbury, the Urban District of Cirencester, and the Rural Districts of Cheltenham, Cirencester, North Cotswold, and Northleach.
1974–1983: As prior but with redrawn boundaries.
1983–1997: The District of Cotswold wards of Ampneys, Beacon, Blockley, Bourton-on-the-Water, Campden, Churn Valley, Cirencester Abbey, Cirencester Beeches, Cirencester Chesterton, Cirencester Stratton, Cirencester Watermoor, Coln, Ermin, Evenlode Vale, Fairford, Fossehill, Fosseridge, Hampton, Kempsford, Lechlade, Mickleton, Moreton-in-Marsh, Northleach, Sandywell, Sherborne Brook, Stow-on-the-Wold, Thames Head, Three Rivers, Vale, and Water Park, and the Borough of Tewkesbury wards of Ashchurch, Bishop's Cleeve East, Bishop's Cleeve North, Bishop's Cleeve South, Cleeve Hill, Coombe Hill, Crickley, Dumbleton, Gotherington, Shurdington, Swindon, Tewkesbury Mitton, Tewkesbury Newtown, Tewkesbury Prior's Park, Tewkesbury Town, Twyning, and Winchcombe.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1918 | Sir Thomas Davies | Conservative |
| 1929 | William Morrison | Conservative |
| 1951 | William Morrison | Speaker |
| 1959 | Nicholas Ridley | Conservative |
| 1992 | Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | Conservative |
| 1997 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | 40,258 | 55.6 | +0.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Edward J. Weston | 24,200 | 33.4 | −2.6 |
| | Labour | Trevor A. Page | 7,262 | 10.0 | +1.8 |
| | Natural Law | R Clayton | 449 | 0.6 | New |
| | Independent | PA Trice-Rolph | 287 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,058 | 22.2 | +2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 72,456 | 82.1 | +4.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 88,299 | | +5.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.4 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Ridley | 36,272 | 55.4 | −1.8 |
| | Liberal | Philip Beckerlegge | 23,610 | 36.0 | +1.9 |
| | Labour | Doug Naysmith | 5,342 | 8.2 | −0.5 |
| | Male OAP | MacDonald Curtis | 283 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,662 | 19.4 | −3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 65,507 | 77.9 | +3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 84,071 | | +5.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.9 | |
General election 1983: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Ridley | 34,282 | 57.2 | +1.2 |
| | Liberal | Philip T Beckerlegge | 20,455 | 34.1 | +7.3 |
| | Labour | Terence JR Penny | 5,243 | 8.7 | −8.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,827 | 23.1 | −6.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,980 | 74.9 | −5.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 80,067 | | +8.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −3.0 | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Ridley | 37,651 | 56.0 | +9.1 |
| | Liberal | Philip T Beckerlegge | 18,057 | 26.8 | −3.6 |
| | Labour | RS Trafford | 11,575 | 17.2 | −5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,594 | 29.2 | +12.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 67,283 | 78.7 | +2.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 85,444 | | +6.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +6.3 | |
General election October 1974: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Ridley | 28,930 | 46.9 | −0.4 |
| | Liberal | RG Otter | 18,770 | 30.4 | −1.4 |
| | Labour | JR Booth | 13,973 | 22.7 | +1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,160 | 16.5 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 61,673 | 76.7 | −5.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 80,388 | | +0.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.5 | |
General election February 1974: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Ridley | 31,163 | 47.3 | −8.7 |
| | Liberal | RG Otter | 20,962 | 31.8 | +17.7 |
| | Labour | RG Fox | 13,775 | 20.9 | −9.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,201 | 15.5 | −10.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 65,900 | 82.6 | +8.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 79,739 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1970: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Ridley | 30,217 | 56.0 | −2.2 |
| | Labour | Howard G Lovell | 16,131 | 29.9 | −11.9 |
| | Liberal | Denys Robinson | 7,593 | 14.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,086 | 26.1 | +9.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,941 | 73.9 | −1.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 72,980 | | +14.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.9 | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Ridley | 27,690 | 58.2 | +6.7 |
| | Labour | Michael George Dalling | 19,919 | 41.8 | +9.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,771 | 16.4 | −2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,609 | 74.9 | −3.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 63,568 | | +3.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.5 | |
General election 1964: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Ridley | 24,786 | 51.5 | −11.8 |
| | Labour | John M Bowyer | 15,518 | 32.3 | −4.4 |
| | Liberal | Arnold Geoffroy de Montmorency | 7,790 | 16.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,268 | 19.2 | −7.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,094 | 78.0 | +1.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 61,626 | | +6.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −3.7 | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Ridley | 28,169 | 63.3 | N/A |
| | Labour | John M Bowyer | 16,314 | 36.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,855 | 26.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,483 | 76.6 | +8.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 58,099 | | +5.1 |
| | Conservative gain from Speaker | Conservative gain from Speaker | Conservative gain from Speaker | Conservative gain from Speaker | Conservative gain from Speaker |
General election 1955: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Speaker | William Morrison | 25,372 | 67.2 | +7.7 |
| | Independent Labour | Douglas C Cox | 12,394 | 32.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,978 | 34.4 | +15.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,766 | 68.3 | −9.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 55,305 | | −4.8 |
| | Speaker gain from Conservative | Speaker gain from Conservative | Speaker gain from Conservative | Speaker gain from Conservative | Speaker gain from Conservative |
General election 1951: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Morrison | 26,978 | 59.5 | +7.6 |
| | Labour | Albert E Sumbler | 18,353 | 40.5 | +6.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,625 | 19.0 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,331 | 78.0 | −3.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 58,103 | | +2.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.5 | |
General election 1950: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Morrison | 23,942 | 51.9 | |
| | Labour | R.M Bennett | 15,660 | 33.9 | |
| | Liberal | Norman Wilburn Gillett | 6,102 | 13.2 | |
| | Communist | Wogan Philipps | 423 | 0.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,282 | 18.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,127 | 81.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 56,763 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Election in the 1940s

General election 1945: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Morrison | 19,490 | 48.1 | N/A |
| | Labour | Alan Ernest Gwynn Hawkins | 12,380 | 30.5 | New |
| | Liberal | Christopher Money Harris | 8,681 | 21.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,110 | 17.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,551 | 67.7 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 59,890 | | N/A |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1939–40: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;
* Conservative: William Morrison
* Popular Front: William Robert Robins
General election 1935: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Morrison | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1931: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Morrison | 28,170 | 82.8 | +27.2 |
| | Labour | John Griffin | 5,868 | 17.2 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 22,302 | 65.6 | +34.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,038 | 71.7 | −4.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 47,467 | | +2.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +17.6 | |

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | William Morrison | 19,584 | 55.6 | −16.4 |
| | Liberal | Christopher a'Beckett Williams | 8,629 | 24.5 | New |
| | Labour | E.W. Fredman | 6,987 | 19.8 | −8.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,955 | 31.1 | −12.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,200 | 76.3 | +7.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 46,109 | | +24.8 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |
General election 1924: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Thomas Davies | 18,201 | 72.0 | +5.8 |
| | Labour | Joseph Alpass | 7,078 | 28.0 | −5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,123 | 44.0 | +11.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,279 | 68.4 | +4.8 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +5.8 | |
General election 1923: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Thomas Davies | 15,406 | 66.2 | +2.0 |
| | Labour | William Robert Robins | 7,849 | 33.8 | −2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,557 | 32.4 | +4.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,255 | 63.6 | −7.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 36,573 | | +1.6 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +2.1 | |
General election 1922: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Thomas Davies | 16,463 | 64.2 | +7.5 |
| | Labour | William Robert Robins | 9,195 | 35.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,268 | 28.4 | +15.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 25,658 | 71.3 | +15.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 36,008 | | +2.7 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Unionist hold |

### Election in the 1910s

General election 1918: Cirencester and Tewkesbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Thomas Davies | 11,171 | 56.7 | |
| | Independent Labour | Joseph Alpass | 8,546 | 43.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,625 | 13.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,717 | 56.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,049 | | |
| | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) | Unionist win (new seat) |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||