Salisbury is a

constituency An electoral (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provi ...

represented in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

of the

UK Parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of ...

since 2010 by John Glen of the Conservative Party.

History

From 1295 (the

Model Parliament The Model Parliament was the 1295 Parliament of England of Edward I of England, King Edward I. Its composition became the model for later parliaments. History The term ''Model Parliament'' was coined by William Stubbs (1825-1901) and later use ...

), a form of this constituency on a narrower area, the

Parliamentary borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

of Salisbury, returned two MPs to the

House of Commons of England The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England (which Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542, incorporated Wales) from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was re ...

. Elections were held using the bloc vote system, which afforded the ability for wealthy males who owned property rated at more than £2 a year for Land Tax to vote in the county and borough elections (if they met the requirements of both systems). The franchise (right to vote) in the city was generally restricted to male tradespersons and professionals within the central wards. The borough constituency co-existed with the neighbouring minuscule- electorate seat of Old Sarum (described towards its Great Reform Act abolition as a

rotten borough A rotten or pocket borough, also known as a nomination borough or proprietorial borough, was a parliamentary borough or Electoral district, constituency in Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, or the United Kin ...

) which covered the mostly abandoned older settlement to the north-east. Under the

Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. 23) was an Act of Parliament (United Kingdom), act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (sometimes called the "Reform Act of 1885"). It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that r ...

, the borough's representation was reduced to one member. The parliamentary borough of Salisbury was abolished for the 1918 general election but the name was transferred immediately to a new county division.

Boundaries

The constituency is based around the city of

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

in Wiltshire. A large portion of the former Salisbury district is included within the constituency. The small town of Downton was a borough constituency until abolished as a rotten borough, like Old Sarum, in 1832. 1918–1950: The Municipal Boroughs of Salisbury and Wilton, and the Rural Districts of Amesbury, Salisbury, Tisbury, and Wilton. 1950–1983: The Municipal Boroughs of Salisbury and Wilton, and the Rural Districts of Amesbury, and Salisbury and Wilton. 1983–2010: The District of Salisbury wards of Alderbury, Amesbury, Bemerton, Bishopdown, Bulford, Chalke Valley, Donhead, Downton, Durrington, Ebble, Fisherton and Bemerton Village, Fonthill, Fovant, Harnham, Idmiston, Laverstock, Milford, Nadder, Redlynch, St Edmund, St Mark, St Martin, St Paul, Stratford, Till Valley, Tisbury, Upper Bourne, Whiteparish, Wilton, Winterbourne, Winterslow, Woodford Valley, and Wylye. 2010–2024: The District of Salisbury wards of Alderbury and Whiteparish, Amesbury East, Amesbury West, Bemerton, Bishopdown, Chalke Valley, Downton and Redlynch, Ebble, Fisherton and Bemerton Village, Harnham East, Harnham West, Laverstock, Lower Wylye and Woodford Valley, St Edmund and Milford, St Francis and Stratford, St Martin and Milford, St Paul, Till Valley and Wylye, Upper Bourne, Idmiston and Winterbourne, Wilton, and Winterslow. 2024–present: Further to the

2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies The 2023 review of Westminster constituencies was the most recent cycle of the process to redraw the Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, constituency map for the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. The new constituency b ...

which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following (as they existed on 4 May 2021): * The Wiltshire electoral divisions of: Alderbury & Whiteparish; Downton & Ebble Valley; Fovant & Chalke Valley; Laverstock; Nadder Valley; Old Sarum & Lower Bourne Valley; Redlynch & Landford; Salisbury Bemerton Heath; Salisbury Fisherton & Bemerton Village; Salisbury Harnham East; Salisbury Harnham West; Salisbury Milford; Salisbury St Edmund’s; Salisbury St Francis & Stratford; Salisbury St Paul’s; Tisbury; Wilton; Winterslow & Upper Bourne Valley. '' Amesbury and the Till Valley were transferred to the new constituency of East Wiltshire. To partly compensate, Tisbury and the Nadder Valley were transferred from

South West Wiltshire South West Wiltshire is a List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies, constituency in Wiltshire, England. The constituency has been represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the Parliament of the Unite ...

.''

Traditions

According to a local tradition, the Member of Parliament for Salisbury sings the song '' The Vly be on the Turmut'' from the balcony of the White Hart Hotel in St John's Street after winning each Parliamentary election.

Constituency profile

The constituency consists of Census Output Areas of one local government district with a working population whose income is close to the national average and lower than average reliance upon

social housing Public housing, also known as social housing, refers to Subsidized housing, subsidized or affordable housing provided in buildings that are usually owned and managed by local government, central government, nonprofit organizations or a ...

. At the end of 2012 the unemployment rate in the constituency stood as 1.6% of the population claiming jobseekers allowance, compared to the regional average of 2.5%. The rural county as a whole has a low 14.8% of its population without a car, 18.6% of the population without qualifications and a high 29.5% with level 4 qualifications or above. In terms of tenure across the whole county 67.5% of homes are owned outright or on a mortgage as at the 2011 census.

Members of Parliament

* ''Constituency created 1295''

MPs 1295–1660

MPs 1660–1885

MPs since 1885

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1910s

Elections in the 1900s

Elections in the 1890s

* Caused by Hulse's resignation.

Elections in the 1880s

* Caused by Grenfell's appointment as a Groom in Waiting to

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

Elections in the 1870s

Elections in the 1860s

* Caused by Hamilton's resignation.

Elections in the 1850s

* Caused by Wall's death

Elections in the 1840s

* Caused by Hussey's resignation by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds * Caused by Wyndham's death. * Caused by Brodie's resignation by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds. Bouverie retired during polling.

Elections in the 1830s

* On petition, Wyndham was unseated in favour of Pleydell-Bouverie

Notes

References

Sources

* * *

External links

Salisbury UK Parliament constituency
(boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at ''MapIt UK''

(boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at ''MapIt UK''

(boundaries from June 2024) at ''MapIt UK'' {{Use British English, date=October 2024 Parliamentary constituencies in Wiltshire Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1295