# Romsey and Southampton North (UK Parliament constituency)

Romsey and Southampton North is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since its 2010 creation by Caroline Nokes for the Conservative Party. For the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer it is a county constituency.

## History

Parliament accepted the Boundary Commission's Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which created this constituency for the 2010 general election primarily as an extended Romsey constituency.

## Boundaries

2010–2024: Romsey and Southampton North was formed from electoral wards:
* Bassett, and Swaythling in the City of Southampton; and
* Abbey, Ampfield and Braishfield, Blackwater, Broughton and Stockbridge, Chilworth, Nursling and Rownhams, Cupernham, Dun Valley, Harewood, Kings Somborne and Michelmersh, North Baddesley, Over Wallop, Romsey Extra, Tadburn, and Valley Park in the Borough of Test Valley
2024–present: Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which became effective for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
* The City of Southampton wards of: Bassett; Swaythling.
* The Borough of Test Valley wards of: Ampfield & Braishfield; Anna; Bellinger; Blackwater; Charlton & the Pentons; Chilworth, Nursling & Rownhams; Harewood; Mid Test; North Baddesley; Romsey Abbey; Romsey Cupernham; Romsey Tadburn.
The boundaries were extended northwards to included rural areas to the south and west of Andover, transferred from North West Hampshire. The Valley Park ward was to be transferred to Eastleigh.
The area includes Stockbridge, which was a rotten borough until its abolition under the Reform Act 1832.

## Constituency profile

The constituency takes in the bulk of a more affluent and older-population local government district with a fraction of a contrasting district: the net result is a working population whose income is close to the national average and lower than average reliance upon social housing. At the end of 2012, the unemployment rate in the constituency stood as 1.5% of the population claiming Jobseeker's Allowance, compared to the regional average of 2.4%. The borough contributing to the bulk of the seat has a low 13.5% of its population without a car, 18.4% of the population without qualifications and a high 30.5% with Level 4 qualifications or above. In terms of tenure 70.4% of homes are owned outright or on a mortgage as at the 2011 census in Test Valley district.

## Members of Parliament

Romsey prior to 2010
| Election | Member | Party |
| 2010 | Caroline Nokes | Conservative |
| Sep 2019 | Caroline Nokes | Independent |
| Oct 2019 | Caroline Nokes | Conservative |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Romsey and Southampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Caroline Nokes | 19,893 | 39.8 | −18.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoff Cooper | 17,702 | 35.4 | +7.3 |
| | Reform UK | Paul Barrett | 5,716 | 11.4 | New |
| | Labour | Christie Lambert | 4,640 | 9.3 | −2.8 |
| | Green | Connor Shaw | 1,893 | 3.8 | +3.1 |
| | Independent | Fennie Yap | 183 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,191 | 4.4 | −25.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,027 | 69.6 | −4.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 71,871 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −12.7 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Conservative | 31,647 | 57.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 15,396 | 28.1 |
| | Labour | 6,630 | 12.1 |
| | Others | 640 | 1.2 |
| | Green | 391 | 0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 54,704 | 74.1 |
| Electorate | Electorate | 73,831 |
General election 2019: Romsey and Southampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Caroline Nokes | 27,862 | 54.2 | −2.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Craig Fletcher | 16,990 | 33.1 | +11.8 |
| | Labour | Claire Ransom | 5,898 | 11.5 | −7.7 |
| | UKIP | Geoff Bentley | 640 | 1.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,872 | 21.1 | −14.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,390 | 75.3 | +0.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −7.35 | |
General election 2017: Romsey and Southampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Caroline Nokes | 28,668 | 57.1 | +2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Catherine Royce | 10,662 | 21.3 | +3.6 |
| | Labour | Darren Paffey | 9,614 | 19.2 | +7.3 |
| | Green | Ian Callaghan | 953 | 1.9 | −2.7 |
| | JAC | Don Jerrard | 271 | 0.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,006 | 35.8 | −0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,168 | 74.7 | +1.94 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −0.35 | |
General election 2015: Romsey and Southampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Caroline Nokes | 26,285 | 54.4 | +4.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ben Nicholls | 8,573 | 17.7 | −23.6 |
| | Labour | Darren Paffey | 5,749 | 11.9 | +5.5 |
| | UKIP | Sandra James | 5,511 | 11.4 | +8.8 |
| | Green | Ian Callaghan | 2,218 | 4.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,712 | 36.7 | +28.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,336 | 72.76 | +0.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +14.1 | |
This constituency was contested for the first time at the 2010 general election. Liberal Democrat MP Sandra Gidley had been the MP for the predecessor seat of Romsey since 2000.
General election 2010: Romsey and Southampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Caroline Nokes | 24,345 | 49.7 | +6.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sandra Gidley | 20,189 | 41.3 | −2.4 |
| | Labour | Aktar Beg | 3,116 | 6.4 | −4.6 |
| | UKIP | John Meropoulos | 1,289 | 2.6 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,156 | 8.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,939 | 72.6 | +6.2 |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |