# The Cotswolds (UK Parliament constituency)

The Cotswolds was a constituency in Gloucestershire in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was represented by Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, a Conservative, since its 1997 creation.
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished. It was split into two smaller constituencies: North Cotswolds and South Cotswolds, to even up voter numbers relative to other constituencies.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party | |
| | 1997 | Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | Conservative | 1992–1997: represented Cirencester and Tewkesbury. |

## Constituency profile

The Cotswolds was a safe Conservative seat.
The largest town in the constituency was Cirencester, a compact traditional town. Other settlements included Andoversford, Bourton-on-the-Water, Chipping Campden, Fairford, Lechlade, Moreton-in-Marsh, Northleach, Stow-on-the-Wold, Tetbury (and the neighbouring village of Doughton, location of Highgrove, the Prince of Wales's estate), and Wotton-under-Edge.
The seat had the highest number of listed buildings of any constituency in Britain. It also contained eight of the 20 most popular attractions in Gloucestershire, including Westonbirt Arboretum, Hidcote Manor, and Chedworth Roman Villa.
Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 1.6% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.
This was also the constituency that, when declared during the 2015 UK general election, saw the Conservatives win a surprise majority, in which David Cameron was re-elected as prime minister; a hung parliament had been widely expected.

## Boundaries

The constituency was created in 1997 as Cotswold, mostly from the former seat of Cirencester and Tewkesbury. In 2010 the name was changed to The Cotswolds to reflect the commonly used name of the area.
1997–2010: The District of Cotswold, and the District of Stroud ward of Wotton and Kingswood.
2010–2024: The District of Cotswold, and the District of Stroud wards of Kingswood, Minchinhampton, and Wotton-under-Edge.

## Abolition

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished prior to the 2024 general election, with its contents distributed to two new constituencies:
* The towns of Chipping Campden, Moreton-in-Marsh, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water and Minchinhampton to North Cotswolds
* The towns of Cirencester and Tetbury to South Cotswolds
Wotton-under-Edge will be transferred to Stroud.

## Elections
### Elections in the 2010s

2019 general election: The Cotswolds :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | 35,484 | 58.0 | −2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Liz Webster | 15,270 | 25.0 | +8.7 |
| | Labour | Alan MacKenzie | 7,110 | 11.6 | −6.3 |
| | Green | Sabrina Poole | 3,312 | 5.4 | +2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20,214 | 33.0 | −9.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 61,176 | 74.7 | +0.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 81,939 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −5.4 | |
2017 general election: The Cotswolds :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | 36,201 | 60.1 | +4.1 |
| | Labour | Mark Huband | 10,702 | 17.9 | +8.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Gant | 9,748 | 16.3 | −2.3 |
| | Green | Sabrina Poole | 1,747 | 2.9 | −1.7 |
| | UKIP | Chris Harlow | 1,197 | 2.0 | −8.9 |
| | Independent | Sandy Steel | 107 | 0.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25,499 | 42.3 | +4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,702 | 74.2 | +1.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 80,449 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −2.3 | |
2015 general election: The Cotswolds :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | 32,045 | 56.5 | +3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Hodgkinson | 10,568 | 18.6 | −10.9 |
| | UKIP | Chris Harlow | 6,188 | 10.9 | +6.7 |
| | Labour | Manjinder Kang | 5,240 | 9.2 | −1.5 |
| | Green | Penny Burgess | 2,626 | 4.6 | +2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21,477 | 37.9 | +14.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,667 | 72.4 | +0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 78,292 | | +2.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +7.2 | |
2010 general election: The Cotswolds :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | 29,075 | 53.0 | +3.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mike Collins | 16,211 | 29.6 | +1.5 |
| | Labour | Mark Dempsey | 5,886 | 10.7 | −7.9 |
| | UKIP | Adrian Blake | 2,292 | 4.2 | +1.0 |
| | Green | Kevin Lister | 940 | 1.7 | N/A |
| | Independent | Alex Steel | 428 | 0.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,864 | 23.5 | +2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,832 | 71.5 | +4.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 76,728 | | +2.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.1 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

2005 general election: Cotswold :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | 23,326 | 49.3 | −1.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Philip Beckerlegge | 13,638 | 28.8 | +4.6 |
| | Labour | Mark Dempsey | 8,457 | 17.9 | −4.7 |
| | UKIP | Richard Buckley | 1,538 | 3.2 | +0.3 |
| | Independent | James Derieg | 392 | 0.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,688 | 20.5 | −5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,351 | 66.7 | −0.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 71,039 | | +4.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −2.8 | |
2001 general election: Cotswold :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | 23,133 | 50.3 | +4.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Angela Lawrence | 11,150 | 24.2 | +1.3 |
| | Labour | Richard Wilkins | 10,383 | 22.6 | −0.1 |
| | UKIP | Jill Stopps | 1,315 | 2.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,983 | 26.1 | +2.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,981 | 67.5 | −8.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 68,157 | | +1.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.3 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

1997 general election: Cotswold :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Clifton-Brown | 23,698 | 46.4 | −8.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Gayler | 11,733 | 22.9 | −10.4 |
| | Labour | David Elwell | 11,608 | 22.7 | +11.8 |
| | Referendum | Rupert Lowe | 3,393 | 6.6 | − |
| | Green | Valerie Michael | 560 | 1.1 | − |
| | Natural Law | Henry Brighouse | 129 | 0.3 | − |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,965 | 23.4 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,121 | 75.9 | −6.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 67,333 | | +5.9 |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |