Cheltenham ( ) is a constituency in Gloucestershire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1832. As with all constituencies, it elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years. Since 2024, its MP has been Max Wilkinson of the Liberal Democrats.

Boundaries and boundary changes The constituency is based on the town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, covering a different, slightly smaller area than the borough of the same name. It is bordered by the Tewkesbury and North Cotswolds seats.

1885–1918: The existing parliamentary borough, and so much of the parish of Charlton Kings as lay to the north of the railway from Cheltenham to Banbury.

1918–1950: The Municipal Borough of Cheltenham and the Urban District of Charlton Kings.

1950–1983: As 1918 but with redrawn boundaries.

1983–1997: The Borough of Cheltenham, and the Borough of Tewkesbury wards of Leckhampton with Up Hatherley, Prestbury St Mary's, and Prestbury St Nicolas. Leckhampton, Up Hatherley and Prestbury were added to the seat from the Cirencester and Tewkesbury constituency; they had previously been in the abolished Cheltenham Rural District.

1997–2010: The Borough of Cheltenham wards of All Saints, Charlton Kings, College, Hatherley and The Reddings, Hesters Way, Lansdown, Park, Pittville, St Mark's, St Paul's, and St Peter's. Leckhampton, Up Hatherley and Prestbury were transferred to the new Tewkesbury constituency; they had been incorporated into the redrawn Borough of Cheltenham in 1991.

2010–2024: The Borough of Cheltenham wards of All Saints, Battledown, Benhall and The Reddings1, Charlton Kings, Charlton Park, College, Hesters Way, Lansdown, Leckhampton, Oakley, Park, Pittville, St Mark's, St Paul's, St Peter's, Springbank, Up Hatherley, and Warden Hill. Leckhampton and Up Hatherley were transferred back from the Tewkesbury constituency.

2024–present: As above minus Springbank ward.

1 Renamed Benhall, The Reddings & Fiddler's Green by a local government boundary review which became effective in May 2024. Reduced to bring the electorate within the permitted range by transferring the Springbank ward to the Tewkesbury constituency.

History Cheltenham borough constituency was created in the Great Reform Act 1832 and has returned ten Liberals (or Liberal Democrats) and ten Conservatives to Parliament since that time, along with one independent.

A Conservative served the constituency from 1950 until 1992. The Conservatives' campaign in the 1992 general election following the Poll Tax riots saw a local party member make racist remarks about their own candidate, John Taylor, who was of Afro-Caribbean descent. Taylor lost the election to Nigel Jones of the Liberal Democrats.

In 2000, Jones was nearly murdered in a horrific incident at one of his MP's surgeries; a man attacked him and an assistant with a samurai sword. His colleague Andrew Pennington was killed in the attack. Jones was made a life peer in 2005.

The Liberal Democrats held Cheltenham in the 2005 election when Martin Horwood won the election, and again in 2010, but lost when Conservative Alex Chalk retook the seat in 2015. Chalk held on to the seat in 2017 and 2019, albeit with small majorities, but lost to Max Wilkinson when the Liberal Democrats regained the seat at the 2024 general election.

Constituency profile The constituency is located in Gloucestershire and covers most of the large town of Cheltenham. Cheltenham is a historic spa town and popular tourist location; it is known for its Regency architecture, its location at the edge of the Cotswolds and its regular cultural events including the literature, jazz and horse racing festivals. GCHQ, the United Kingdom's intelligence agency, is headquartered in the town, and GE Aerospace is also a large employer, meaning the town has a high proportion of skilled professionals. The town contains some deprivation and council housing in Whaddon and Hesters Way, however large parts of the town fall within the 10% least-deprived areas in England.

Compared to national averages, residents are wealthy and well-educated. White people make up 91% of the population. At the local council level (district and county), almost all of the town's seats are represented by Liberal Democrats. Voters in Cheltenham showed strong support for remaining in the European Union in the 2016 referendum, an estimated 58% voted to remain compared to 48% nationally.

Members of Parliament ElectionMemberPartyNotes 1832 Hon. Craven Berkeley Whig Son of the 5th Earl of Berkeley 1847 Sir Willoughby Jones Conservative Unseated on petition 1848, June by-election Hon. Craven Berkeley Whig Unseated on petition 1848, September by-election Grenville Berkeley Whig 1852 Hon. Craven Berkeley Whig Died 1855 1855 by-election Grenville Berkeley Whig 1856 by-election Francis Berkeley Whig Later 2nd Baron FitzHardinge 1859 Liberal 1865 Charles Schreiber Conservative 1868 Henry Samuelson Liberal 1874 James Agg-Gardner Conservative 1880 Charles de Ferrieres Liberal 1885 James Agg-Gardner Conservative 1895 Francis Shirley Russell Conservative 1900 James Agg-Gardner Conservative 1906 John Sears Liberal 1910, January Vere Ponsonby Conservative Later 9th Earl of Bessborough 1910, December Richard Mathias Liberal Unseated on petition 1911 by-election Sir James Agg-Gardner Conservative Knighted in 1916 1928 by-election Sir Walter Preston Conservative 1937 by-election Daniel Lipson Independent Conservative 1945 Independent 1950 W. W. Hicks Beach Conservative 1964 Sir Douglas Dodds-Parker Conservative Oct 1974 Charles Irving Conservative 1992 Nigel Jones Liberal Democrats Later a life peer as Baron Jones of Cheltenham 2005 Martin Horwood Liberal Democrats 2015 Alex Chalk Conservative 2024 Max Wilkinson Liberal Democrats

Elections Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 27,563 48.5 Liberal Democrats 26,142 46.0 Labour 2,733 4.8 Others 445 0.8Turnout56,88375.5Electorate75,292

In 2019, Cheltenham was one of five English constituencies, the others being Esher and Walton, Westmorland and Lonsdale, Winchester and East Devon, where Labour failed to obtain over 5% of the vote and lost their deposit.

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Election in the 1940s

General Election 1939–40:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected; Independent Conservative: Daniel Lipson Conservative: C L HargreavesCheltenham Chronicle, 25 February 1939 Labour: John BairdCheltenham Chronicle, 20 January 1939

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1914–15:

A general election was due to take place by the end of 1915. By the autumn of 1914, the following candidates had been adopted to contest that election. Unionist Party: James Agg-Gardner Liberal Party: Rhys Williams Due to the outbreak of war, the election never took place.

Elections in the 1900s

Elections in the 1890s

Elections in the 1880s

Election in the 1870s

Elections in the 1860s

Elections in the 1850s

Caused by Berkeley's appointment as a Commissioner of Customs.

Caused by Berkeley's death.

Elections in the 1840s

Election declared void on petition due to "acts of corruption"

Election declared void on petition due to bribery

Elections in the 1830s

See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Gloucestershire

Notes

Elections

References

External links nomis Constituency Profile for Cheltenham – presenting data from the ONS annual population survey and other official statistics. Cheltenham UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK Cheltenham UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK Cheltenham UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK