Wycombe () is a constituency in Buckinghamshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Labour's Emma Reynolds.

Constituency profile

The constituency shares similar borders with Wycombe local government district, although it covers a slightly smaller area. The main town within the constituency, High Wycombe, contains many working and middle class voters and a sizeable ethnic minority population that totals around one quarter of the town's population, with some census output areas of town home to over 50% ethnic minorities, and a number of wards harbouring a considerable Labour vote. The surrounding villages, which account for just under half of the electorate, are some of the most wealthy areas in the country, with extremely low unemployment, high incomes and favour the Conservatives. Workless claimants totalled 3.0% of the population in November 2012, lower than the national average of 3.8%.

History

The Parliamentary Borough of Chipping Wycombe had continuously returned two MPs to the House of Commons of England since the Model Parliament of 1295 until 1707, then to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and finally to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801. This was reduced to one MP by the Representation of the People Act 1867 and the Borough was abolished altogether by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. It was transformed into a large county division, formally named the Southern or Wycombe Division of Buckinghamshire. It was one of three divisions formed from the undivided three-member Parliamentary County of Buckinghamshire, the other two being the Mid or Aylesbury Division and the Northern or Buckingham Division. As well as the abolished Borough, it absorbed the abolished Parliamentary Borough of Great Marlow and included the towns of Beaconsfield and Slough.

Since 1885, the seat has generally been held by the Conservative Party except for brief intervals for the Liberals (1906–1910 and 1923–1924) and Labour (1945–1951) and since 2024.

The seat bucked the trend in 2019 with a swing of 2.3% to the Labour Party in spite of their heavy general election defeat, and was looked on as a key blue wall marginal constituency in the 2024 general election, with Labour winning for the first time since 1951.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1885–1918

  • The Municipal Borough of Chepping Wycombe;
  • The Sessional Divisions of Burnham and Stoke; and
  • Parts of the first and second Sessional Divisions of Desborough.

1918–1945

  • The Municipal Borough of Chepping Wycombe;
  • The Urban Districts of Eton, Marlow, and Slough;
  • The Rural Districts of Eton and Hambleden; and
  • Part of the Rural District of Wycombe.

Beaconsfield was transferred to Aylesbury. Gained Eton which had been part of the abolished Parliamentary Borough of New Windsor in Berkshire.

1945–1950

The House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1944 set up Boundaries Commissions to carry out periodic reviews of the distribution of parliamentary constituencies. It also authorised an initial review to subdivide abnormally large constituencies in time for the 1945 election. This was implemented by the Redistribution of Seats Order 1945 under which Buckinghamshire was allocated an additional seat. As a consequence, the new constituency of Eton and Slough was formed from the Wycombe constituency, comprising the Municipal Borough of Slough and the Urban and Rural Districts of Eton. In compensation, the parts of the (revised) Rural District of Wycombe in the Aylesbury Division, including Hughenden and Princes Risborough, were transferred to Wycombe.

The revised composition of the constituency, after taking account of changes to local authorities, was:

  • The Municipal Borough of Chepping Wycombe;
  • The Urban District of Marlow; and
  • The Rural District of Wycombe.

Northern parts of the Rural District of Wycombe, including Princes Risborough, but excluding Hughenden, were transferred back to Aylesbury.  Wooburn was included in the new constituency of Beaconsfield.

1983–1997

  • The District of Wycombe wards of Booker and Castlefield, Bowerdean and Daws Hill, Cressex and Frogmoor, Downley, Great Marlow, Green Hill and Totteridge, Hambleden Valley, Hughenden Valley, Keep Hill and Hicks Farm, Kingshill, Lane End and Piddington, Little Marlow, Marlow Bottom, Marlow North, Marlow South, Marsh and Micklefield, Oakridge and Tinkers Wood, and West Wycombe and Sands.

Areas to the east of High Wycombe (former parish of Chepping Wycombe) transferred to Beaconsfield. Hazlemere transferred to Chesham and Amersham.

1997–2010

  • The District of Wycombe wards of Booker and Castlefield, Bowerdean and Daws Hill, Cressex and Frogmoor, Downley, Great Marlow, Green Hill and Totteridge, Hambleden Valley, Hughenden Valley, Keep Hill and Hicks Farm, Kingshill, Lane End and Piddington, Marlow Bottom, Marlow North, Marlow South, Marsh and Micklefield, Oakridge and Tinkers Wood, and West Wycombe and Sands.

Minor changes.2010–2024

  • The District of Wycombe wards of Abbey, Booker and Cressex, Bowerdean, Chiltern Rise, Disraeli, Downley and Plomer Hill, Greater Marlow, Hambleden Valley, Hazlemere North, Hazlemere South, Micklefield, Oakridge and Castlefield, Ryemead, Sands, Terriers and Amersham Hill, Totteridge, and Tylers Green and Loudwater.

Hazlemere transferred back from Chesham and Amersham.  Marlow transferred to Beaconsfield and Hughenden to Aylesbury.

In April 2020, the District of Wycombe, together with those of Aylesbury, Chiltern and South Bucks were merged into the new unitary authority of Buckinghamshire Council. Accordingly, the contents of the constituency at that time were:

  • The Buckinghamshire Council wards of Abbey, Booker, Cressex & Castlefield, Chiltern Villages, Downley, Hazlemere, Ryemead & Micklefield, Terriers & Amersham Hill, Totteridge & Bowerdean, Tylers Green & Loudwater, and West Wycombe (part).

2024–present

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 United Kingdom general election, the constituency is composed of the following:

  • The District of Buckinghamshire wards of: Abbey; Booker & Cressex; Castlefield & Oakridge; Chiltern Villages (part); Disraeli; Downley; Hazlemere; Penn, Tylers Green & Loudwater (part); Marlow (part); Marsh & Micklefield; Ridgeway West (part); Sands; Terriers and Amersham Hill; Totteridge and Bowerdean; West Wycombe & Lane End.

The electorate was reduced to bring it within the permitted range by transferring Hazlemere back to Chesham and Amersham once again.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1295–1640

  • Constituency created (1295)

{| class="wikitable"

|-

!Year!!First member!!Second member

|-

|1295||Stephen Ayott||Thomas le Tayleur

|-

|1298||Adam de Guldeford||rowspan="2"|Roger Allitarius

|-

|1300||John le Pistor

|-

|1306||rowspan="4"|Peter le Cotiler||John le Bake

|-

|1307||Andrew Batyn

|-

|1307||Roger de Sandwell

|-

|1308||Edmond de Haveringdoun

|-

|1312||Thomas Gerveys||Matthew le Fuller

|-

|1312||Robert Paer||William le Cassiere

|-

|1318||Robert Smith||William le Fote

|-

|1322||Richard le Haslere||Bennet le Cassiere

|-

|1325||John le Tayleur||John de Sandwell

|-

|1326||Roger Sandwell||Matthew le Fuller

|-

|1327||Richard atte Walle||John atte Donne

|-

|1328||John atte Donne||Henry de Mussenden

|-

|1330||John le Harriere||Richard Perre

|-

|1332||Matthew le Fuller||Richard Tottering

|-

|1333||Jordan de Wycombe||Richard Bennet

|-

|1335||John Ayot||Richard Perkyn

|-

|1336||John le Harriere||Thomas Gerveys

|-

|1336||John Ayot||Richard Abyndon

|-

|1337||John le Clerk||John Pool

|-

|1338||Stephen Ayot||John le Taverner

|-

|1338||Thomas Gerveys||Jordan de Preston

|-

|1341||Robert Stenstoole||rowspan="2"|Robert Harleyford

|-

|1346||Ralph Barber

|-

|1347||John Martyn||Robert Cattingham

|-

|1348||Walter atte Leech||William Cassiere

|-

|1355||rowspan="6"|Thomas Gerveys||Ralph Harleyford

|-

|1357||Robert Harleyford

|-

|1357||John Mepertshale

|-

|1360||Robert le Weeler

|-

|1360||Richard Spigurnell

|-

|1362||William Frere

|-

|1365||rowspan="2"|Thomas Cornwaile||Richard Barbour

|-

|1368||rowspan="8"|William atte Dene

|-

|1369||Thomas Gerveys

|-

|1371||No other?

|-

|1372||John Bledlowe

|-

|1373||Thomas Ballard

|-

|1377||Richard Sandwell

|-

|1378||Richard Jordaine

|-

|1379||Richard Sandwell

|-

|1381||Thomas Ravell||Walter Frere

|-

|1382||William Kele||William atte Dene

|-

|1383||Stephen Watford||John Petymin

|-

|1384||William atte Dene||rowspan="2"|Richard Kele

|-

|1385||Stephen Watford

|-

|1386||Walter Frere||Richard Holiman

|-

|1388||Stephen Watford||rowspan="2"|William atte Dene

|-

|1391||rowspan="2"|William Depham

|-

|1392||Walter Waltham

|-

|1394||Walter atte Dene||William Depham

|-

|1396||Richard Sandwell||Walter Waltham

|-

|1399||John Cotyngham||William Clerk

|-

|1401||Nicholas Sperling||John Sandwell

|-

|1406||John Cotyngham||William Marchaunt

|-

|1413||Henry Sperling||Roger More

|-

|1414||William Hall||John Coventre II

|-

|1415||William Clerk||rowspan="2"|Andrew Sperling

|-

|1417||Roger More

|-

|1419||William Merchant||John Cotyngham

|-

|1420||Roger More||Thomas Merston

|-

|1421||John Horewode||Thomas Pusey

|-

|1421||Roger More||Richard Merston

|-

|1422||Nicholas Stepton||rowspan="2"|John Coventry

|-

|1423||Roger More

|-

|1424||William Whaplode||John Cotyngham

|-

|1425||Thomas Muston||William Stocton

|-

|1427||John Coventry||John Justice

|-

|1429||John Wellesbourn||John Bishop

|-

|1430||Roger More||William Fowler

|-

|1432||John Martyn||John Blackpoll

|-

|1434||John Durein||John Cotyngham

|-

|1436||John Hill||Bartholomew Halling

|-

|1441||John Radeshill||rowspan="2"|John Martyn

|-

|1446||rowspan="2"|John Wellesbourn

|-

|1448||John Haynes

|-

|1449||rowspan="2"|William Stocton||Nicholas Fayrewell

|-

|1450||Thomas More

|-

|1452||William Collard||David Thomasyn

|-

|1461||Thomas Mansell||Thomas Catsbury

|-

|1469||Thomas Fowler||Thomas Fayrewell

|-

|1478||Thomas Gate||Thomas Wellesbourn

|-

|1529||William Windsor||

|-

|1542||John Gates||William Dormer

|-

|1547||Thomas Fisher||Armigyll Wade

|-

|Mar 1553||rowspan="3"|Henry Peckham||John Cheyne

|-

|Oct 1553||Robert Drury

|-

|Apr 1554||Thomas Pymme alias Fryer

|-

|Nov 1554||John Cheyne||William Drury

|-

|1555||Henry Peckham||Robert Drury

|-

|1558||Thomas Pymme||Robert Woodleafe

|-

|1558||Paul Wentworth||Roland Bracebridge

|-

|1562||Thomas Fermore alias Draper||Thomas Keele

|-

|1570||John Russell||Robert Christmas

|-

|1571||Thomas Nale||Rowland Goules

|-

|1584|| John Morley ||George Cawfield

|-

|1585||Thomas Ridley|| George Fleetwood

|-

|1589||Owen Oglethorp||Francis Goodwin

|-

|1592|| Thomas Tasburgh||Thomas Fortescue

|-

|1596|| William Fortescue || John Tasburgh

|-

|1601|| Richard Blount ||rowspan="2"| Henry Fleetwood

|-

|1604|| Sir John Townsend

|-

|1614|| William Borlase || Sir Henry Neville

|-

|1621|| Richard Lovelace ||rowspan="2"| Arthur Goodwin

|-

|1624||rowspan="3"| Henry Coke

|-

|1625|| Thomas Lane

|-

|1626|| Edmund Waller

|-

|1628|| Sir William Borlase || Thomas Lane

|-

|1629–1640|| colspan="2"|No Parliament summoned

|}

MPs 1640–1868

{| class="wikitable"

|-

!colspan="3"|Year!!First member!!First party!!Second member ||

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |

|1699

|Thomas Archdale ||

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |

|1701

|Fleetwood Dormer ||

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" rowspan="3"|

|1710

|rowspan="3"|Sir Thomas Lee || rowspan="3"|

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |

|1713

|Sir John Wittewrong ||

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |

|February 1722

|John Neale ||

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" | ||style="color:inherit;background-color: white" rowspan="3"|

|March 1722

|Charles Egerton ||

|rowspan="3"|The Earl of Shelburne ||rowspan="3"|

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |

|February 1726

|Charles Colyear||

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" rowspan="6"|

|March 1726

|rowspan="6"|Harry Waller || rowspan="6"|

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |

|1727

|William Lee ||

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |

|1730

|Sir Charles Vernon ||

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white"|

|1734

|Edmund Waller||

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white"|

|1734

|Sir Charles Vernon ||

|-

|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: white"|

|1741

|rowspan="2"|Edmund Waller|| rowspan="2"|

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |

|1747

|Edmund Waller Junior ||

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" rowspan="2"| || style="color:inherit;background-color: "|

|1754

|rowspan="2"|The Earl of Shelburne || rowspan="2"|

|John Waller ||Opposition Whig

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" rowspan="2"|

|1757

|rowspan="2"|Edmund Waller Junior || rowspan="2"|

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: " rowspan="2"|

|1760

|rowspan="2"|Viscount FitzMaurice || rowspan="2"|Whig

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" rowspan="5"|

|March 1761

|rowspan="5"|Robert Waller || rowspan="5"|

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |

|December 1761

|Isaac Barré ||Whig

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |

|1774

|Hon. Thomas FitzMaurice ||

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |

|1780

|Viscount Mahon || Whig

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" rowspan="4"|

|1786

|rowspan="4"|Earl Wycombe || rowspan="4"|

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |

|1790

|Rear-Admiral Sir John Jervis|| Whig

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |

|1794

|Sir Francis Baring ||

|-

|rowspan="3" style="color:inherit;background-color: "|

|1796

|rowspan="3"|Sir John Dashwood-King

| rowspan="3" | Non Partisan

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: white" |

|1802

|Sir Francis Baring ||

|-

|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: " |

|1806

|rowspan="2"|Sir Thomas Baring

|rowspan="2" | Whig

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |

|1832

|Hon. Charles Grey ||Whig

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: "|

|1847

|rowspan="3"|Martin Tucker Smith ||Whig

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: "|

|rowspan="2" style="color:inherit;background-color: "|

|1859

|Liberal

|rowspan="2"|Liberal

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: " rowspan="2"|

|1862

|rowspan="2"|John Remington Mills || rowspan="2"|Liberal

|-

|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |

|1865

|Hon. Charles Carrington||Liberal

|}

MPs 1868–present

  • Reduced to one member (1868)

{| class="wikitable"

|-

!colspan="2"|Year!!Member

Elections in the 2010s

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! colspan="4" | 2019 notional result

|-

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="130px" colspan="2" | Party

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="50px" | Vote

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="30px" | %

|-

|

| Conservative ||align=right| 20,213 ||align=right| 43.1

|-

|

| Labour ||align=right| 18,719 ||align=right| 39.9

|-

|

| Liberal Democrats ||align=right| 5,310 ||align=right| 11.3

|-

|

| Others ||align=right| 1,441 ||align=right| 3.1

|-

|

| Green ||align=right| 1,209 ||align=right| 2.6

|-

|colspan="4" bgcolor="#EAECF0"|

|-

|colspan="2"|Turnout

|align=right|46,892

|align=right|65.3

|-

|colspan="2"|Electorate

|align=right|71,769

|}

Elections in the 2000s

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! colspan="4" | 2005 notional result

|-

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="130px" colspan="2" | Party

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="50px" | Vote

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="30px" | %

|-

|

| Conservative ||align=right| 21,374 ||align=right| 48.2

|-

|

| Labour ||align=right| 13,625 ||align=right| 30.7

|-

|

| Liberal Democrats ||align=right| 7,463 ||align=right| 16.8

|-

|

| Others ||align=right| 1,885 ||align=right| 4.3

|-

|colspan="4" bgcolor="#EAECF0"|

|-

|colspan="2"|Turnout

|align=right|44,347

|align=right|62.9

|-

|colspan="2"|Electorate

|align=right|70,461

|}

Elections in the 1990s

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! colspan="4" | 1992 notional result

|-

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="130px" colspan="2" | Party

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="50px" | Vote

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="30px" | %

|-

|

| Conservative ||align=right| 30,040 ||align=right| 53.3

|-

|

| Liberal Democrats ||align=right| 12,982 ||align=right| 23.0

|-

|

| Labour ||align=right| 12,096 ||align=right| 21.4

|-

|

| Others ||align=right| 1,295 ||align=right| 2.3

|-

|colspan="4" bgcolor="#EAECF0"|

|-

|colspan="2"|Turnout

|align=right|56,413

|align=right|77.5

|-

|colspan="2"|Electorate

|align=right|72,794

|}

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! colspan="4" | 1979 notional result

|-

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="130px" colspan="2" | Party

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="50px" | Vote

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="30px" | %

|-

|

| Conservative ||align=right| 29,787 ||align=right| 57.3

|-

|

| Labour ||align=right| 14,045 ||align=right| 27.0

|-

|

| Liberal ||align=right| 7,504 ||align=right| 14.4

|-

|

| Others ||align=right| 650 ||align=right| 1.3

|-

|colspan="4" bgcolor="#EAECF0"|

|-

|colspan="2"|Turnout

|align=right|51,986

|align=right|

|-

|colspan="2"|Electorate

|align=right|

|}

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! colspan="4" | 1970 notional result

|-

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="130px" colspan="2" | Party

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="50px" | Vote

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="30px" | %

|-

|

| Conservative ||align=right| 32,622 ||align=right| 55.9

|-

|

| Labour ||align=right| 18,967 ||align=right| 32.5

|-

|

| Liberal ||align=right| 6,741 ||align=right| 11.6

|-

|colspan="4" bgcolor="#EAECF0"|

|-

|colspan="2"|Turnout

|align=right|58,330

|align=right|76.2

|-

|colspan="2"|Electorate

|align=right|76,564

|}

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Election in the 1940s

A general election was expected 1939–40 and by 1939 the following had been adopted as candidates;

  • Conservative: Alfred Knox
  • Labour: Ernest Whitfield
  • Liberal: Vaughan Watkins

In 1938, the local Labour and Liberal parties had set up a formal organisation, 'The South Bucks Unity Committee' in support of a Popular Front and may well have agreed to support a joint candidate against the sitting Conservative.

Election in the 1930s

Election in the 1920s

Elections in the 1890s

Elections in the 1870s

Elections in the 1860s

  • Caused by Dashwood's death.

Elections in the 1850s

Elections in the 1840s

See also

  • List of parliamentary constituencies in Buckinghamshire
  • List of parliamentary constituencies in the South East England (region)

Notes

References

Further reading

  • GENUKI
  • Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) <!-- quote=Return of Members of Parliament. --> A Chronological Register of Both Houses of the British Parliament, from the Union in 1708, to the Third Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in 1807
  • D. Brunton & D. H. Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
  • Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808) titles A-Z
  • The Constitutional Year Book for 1913 (London: National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, 1913)
  • F. W. S. Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
  • Wycombe UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
  • Wycombe UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
  • Wycombe UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK