Henley is a
constituency
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...
in
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primaril ...
represented in the
House of Commons of the
UK Parliament
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprem ...
since
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
by
John Howell, a Member of Parliament from the
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
. He was elected in a
by-election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election ( Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to ...
following the resignation of future
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as ...
, who had taken office as
Mayor of London. The constituency was established for the
1885 general election.
Constituency profile
The seat has throughout its history consisted of the town of Henley and a well-connected part of the
Chiltern Hills
The Chiltern Hills is a chalk escarpment in England.
The area, northwest of London, covers stretching from Goring-on-Thames in the southwest to Hitchin in the northeast - across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshi ...
AONB
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of rural area, countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for protected area, conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are desig ...
interspersed by the larger settlements of
Thame and
Chinnor
Chinnor is a large village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire about southeast of Thame, close to the border with Buckinghamshire. The village is a spring line settlement on the Icknield Way below the Chiltern escarpment. Since 1932 the civ ...
and a narrow more developed area adjoining the
Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
on one bank. The local economy, interconnected with
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
,
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
and in the far south
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spell ...
, ensures a high rate of employment and its natural environment attracts retirees and high income owners. The seat has good rail connections to Central London. As of 2021, the largest town in the constituency is Thame.
History
Two prominent Cabinet ministers have been elected for Henley —
Michael Heseltine who served as the MP for Henley from 1974–2001. Heseltine was succeeded by the future
Mayor of London and
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as ...
, rapidly made a shadow minister during the period of the
Labour government. In May 2008, Johnson was elected as
Mayor of London, and he subsequently
resigned from the Commons on 4 June 2008, resulting in a
by-election in the constituency.
; Political history
An unbroken succession of
Conservative candidates have won the seat since 1910. The 2008 by-election was closer than general elections since 2001 and won by the Conservative candidate,
John Howell. Howell was re-elected at the
2010 general election and again in 2015. Labour finished second for the first time since
1970 in Henley. The 2015 GE result made the seat the twelfth safest of the Conservative Party's 331 seats by percentage of majority.
; Other parties
All five parties' candidates achieved more than
deposit-retaining threshold of 5% of the vote in 2015, reflecting frequent such results for the Green Party and UKIP in that election.
Liberal Democrat or predecessor-party
Liberal candidates were second-placed between February 1974 and 2010 (inclusive). The closest contest for Henley was in 1966, when Labour's
George Cunningham took 44.6% of the vote in a two-candidate contest.
; Turnout
At general elections, turnout in the constituency has ranged between 52.9% in the "khaki election" of
1918
This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide.
Events
Below, the events ...
to 81.7% in
1950.
Boundaries and boundary changes
1885–1918: The constituency was formed under the
Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 as the Southern or Henley Division of Oxfordshire when the three-member Parliamentary County of
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primaril ...
was divided into the three single-member constituencies of
Banbury,
Woodstock
Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aq ...
and Henley. It comprised the Municipal Borough of
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames ( ) is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England, northeast of Reading, west of Maidenhead, southeast of Oxford and west of London (by road), near the tripoint of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckin ...
, the Sessional Divisions of Henley and Wallington, part of the Sessional Division of Bullingdon and the part of the Municipal Borough of Abingdon in the county of Oxfordshire.
1918–1950: The Municipal Borough of Henley-on-Thames, the Urban Districts of Bicester, Thame, Wheatley, as well as the Rural Districts of Bicester, Crowmarsh, Culham, Goring, Headington, Henley, Thame.
Expanded to include eastern half of the abolished Woodstock Division, including
Bicester.
Caversham, which had been absorbed by the County Borough of Reading, transferred to the Parliamentary Borough of
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spell ...
in Berkshire.
1950–1974: The Municipal Borough of Henley-on-Thames, the Urban Districts of Bicester and Thame, the Rural Districts of Bullingdon and Henley and part of the Rural District of Ploughley.
Change to contents due to reorganisation of urban and rural districts. Minor losses to the
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
constituency, including
Cowley and
Headington
Headington is an eastern suburb of Oxford, England. It is at the top of Headington Hill overlooking the city in the Thames valley below, and bordering Marston to the north-west, Cowley to the south, and Barton and Risinghurst to the east. ...
, as a result of the expansion of the County Borough of Oxford.
1974–1983: The Municipal Borough of Henley-on-Thames, the Urban District of Thame, the Rural District of Henley and part of the Rural District of Bullingdon.
Bicester and northern parts of
Rural District of Ploughley transferred to Banbury. Southern parts of the Rural District of Ploughley and northernmost parts of the
Rural District of Bullingdon included in the new County Constituency of
Mid-Oxon.
1983–1997: The District of South Oxfordshire wards of Aston Rowant, Benson, Berinsfield, Chalgrove, Chinnor, Clifton Hampden, Crowmarsh, Dorchester, Forest Hill, Garsington, Goring, Goring Heath, Great Milton, Henley, Kidmore End, Nettlebed, Rotherfield Peppard, Shiplake, Sonning Common, Thame North, Thame South, Watlington, Wheatley, and Woodcote.
Gained the rural area to the east of Oxford from the abolished County Constituency of Mid-Oxon. The Littlemore ward to the south of Oxford was included in the new Borough Constituency of
Oxford East.
1997–2010: As above plus Horspath.
Minor gain from Oxford East.
2010–present: The District of South Oxfordshire wards of Aston Rowant, Benson, Berinsfield, Chalgrove, Chilton Woods, Chinnor, Clifton Hampden, Crowmarsh, Forest Hill, Garsington, Goring, Great Milton, Henley North, Henley South, Kidmore End, Nettlebed, Rotherfield Peppard, Shiplake, Sonning Common, Thame North, Thame South, Watlington, Wheatley, and Woodcote, and two District of Cherwell wards of Fringford & Heyfords and Launton & Otmoor.
The two wards of
ringford & Heyfordsand
aunton & Otmoorin the
District of Cherwell, to the south of
Bicester, were transferred from Banbury.
The constituency covers most of the local government district of
South Oxfordshire, excluding
Wallingford,
Didcot and surroundings in the west. Main settlements include
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames ( ) is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England, northeast of Reading, west of Maidenhead, southeast of Oxford and west of London (by road), near the tripoint of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckin ...
itself,
Thame,
Chinnor
Chinnor is a large village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire about southeast of Thame, close to the border with Buckinghamshire. The village is a spring line settlement on the Icknield Way below the Chiltern escarpment. Since 1932 the civ ...
and
Sonning Common
Sonning Common is a village and civil parish in a relatively flat, former common land part of the Chiltern Hills in South Oxfordshire, centred west south-west of Henley-on-Thames and north of Reading.
History
During the English Civil War ...
. The two wards of Cherwell are to the north, close to Oxford; they are predominantly rural.
Members of Parliament
Elections
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
Elections in the 1880s
Neighbouring constituencies
See also
*
List of parliamentary constituencies in Oxfordshire
The county of Oxfordshire
is divided into 6 parliamentary constituencies
— 1 borough constituency
and 5 county constituencies.
Constituencies
2010 boundary changes
Under the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the Boun ...
*
Boundary Commission for England
**
Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies
**
First-past-the-post voting
In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast the ...
**
History of local government in England
**
Rural district
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the a ...
s
**
Urban district
Urban district may refer to:
* District
* Urban area
* Quarter (urban subdivision)
* Neighbourhood
Specific subdivisions in some countries:
* Urban districts of Denmark
* Urban districts of Germany
* Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (his ...
s
**
Homogeneity
Homogeneity and heterogeneity are concepts often used in the sciences and statistics relating to the uniformity of a substance or organism. A material or image that is homogeneous is uniform in composition or character (i.e. color, shape, size, ...
Notes
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henley (Uk Parliament Constituency)
Parliamentary constituencies in Oxfordshire
Henley-on-Thames
Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1885
Boris Johnson