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Kingston and Surbiton (UK Parliament constituency)
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Kingston and Surbiton is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
Boundaries
The constituency covers most of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, covering the south of Kingston itself and the town of Surbiton, as well as Chessington, Norbiton, New Malden and Tolworth. The remainder of the borough lies in the Richmond Park constituency.
Boundary review
Following their review of parliamentary representation in South London, the Boundary Commission for England has made subtle changes to the Kingston and Surbiton constituency, realigning its northern boundary to match the recent changes made to ward boundaries. The Commission received only eleven representations following the publication of the original proposals, of which ten were in support.
The electoral wards forming the constituency are:
- Alexandra, Berrylands, Beverley, Chessington North & Hook, Chessington South, Grove, Norbiton, Old Malden, St James, St Mark’s, Surbiton Hill, and Tolworth & Hook Rise.
History
The constituency was created in 1997, when the number of seats covering the boroughs of Kingston upon Thames and Richmond upon Thames was reduced from four to three. It replaced the former Surbiton constituency completely and also covers the south of the former Kingston constituency. Being largely middle-class, suburban areas, both Kingston and Surbiton were traditionally strongholds for the Conservatives, with Norbiton being the sole Labour voting ward.
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont represented Kingston from a by-election in 1972 until the 1997 general election, when he was not selected as the Conservative candidate for either of its replacements. Instead, the incumbent Surbiton MP Richard Tracey was selected, while Lamont ended up contesting Harrogate and Knaresborough in North Yorkshire. In the event, Tracey was defeated by the Liberal Democrat candidate Edward Davey, by a narrow margin of just 56 votes, due to the intervention of the Referendum Party.
Davey has held on to the seat since then, with a massively increased majority of over 15,000 at the 2001 election, and a smaller majority (just under 9,000) at the 2005 election.
Members of Parliament
Election results
Selected candidates for a future election
See also
References
Sources
Related (external) Links
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