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Esher and Walton (UK Parliament constituency)

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Esher and Walton (/ˌiːʃər  ...  ˈwɔːltənˌ ˈwɒltən/) is a constituency in Surrey represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.[n 1] Since 2024, it has been represented by Monica Harding of the Liberal Democrats. Prior to this, Dominic Raab of the Conservative Party, who served as deputy prime minister before resigning from that role in April 2023 due to bullying allegations, had served as the MP since 2010.[2]

Esher and Walton
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
Map of constituency
Boundary of Esher and Walton in South East England
CountySurrey
Electorate73,280 (2023)[1]
Major settlements
Current constituency
Created1997
Member of ParliamentMonica Harding (Liberal Democrats)
SeatsOne
Created from

Constituency profile

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The constituency is in the north of Surrey, in the London commuter belt. The area includes heathland and reservoirs, and the built-up areas of Esher, Walton-on-Thames, Claygate, Molesey, Thames Ditton, and Hinchley Wood, all located within the Borough of Elmbridge. A majority of its housing is on private planned estates.[3] The South West Main Line passes through the middle of the seat, with fast trains to central London. The constituency has low unemployment[4] and has until recently been regarded as one of the Conservative Party's safest seats in the UK. The area of the seat includes the last non-tidal section of the River Thames, wooded Esher Commons, the River Mole and Sandown Park racecourse.[5]

Boundaries

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Historic

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From the constituency's creation in 1997, until 2024, it consisted of the Borough of Elmbridge wards of Claygate, Cobham and Downside, Cobham Fairmile, Esher, Hersham North, Hersham South, Hinchley Wood, Long Ditton, Molesey East, Molesey North, Molesey South, Oxshott and Stoke D'Abernon, Thames Ditton, Walton Ambleside, Walton Central, Walton North, Walton South, Weston Green.

Current

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Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency is now composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

  • The Borough of Elmbridge wards of Claygate, Esher, Hersham Village, Hinchley Wood & Weston Green, Long Ditton, Molesey East, Molesey West, Oatlands & Burwood Park, Thames Ditton, Walton Central, Walton North, and Walton South.[6]

The electorate was reduced to bring it within the permitted range by transferring southern areas, including Cobham, to Runnymede and Weybridge, partly offset by moving the village of Oatlands in the opposite direction.

History

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Map of 1997–2024 boundaries

The last time a component of this area voted for an MP who was not Conservative before the 2024 general election was in 1906, when a Liberal MP served the four-year term to 1910 for Chertsey, representing the Walton-on-Thames part of the current seat.[7][8]

Ian Taylor held the seat from 1997 to 2010, having held the previous Esher seat from 1987. Taylor stood down at the 2010 election, and Dominic Raab was elected as the new Conservative MP for this seat.

In the 2019 general election, 60 seats, including this seat, were written into the Remain Alliance, an agreement between the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Plaid Cymru not to vie against one another in those seats.[9] These were parties opposed to Britain's departure from the European Union. In consequence, Laura Harmour,[10] who had been lined up to fight the seat for the Green Party, did not stand. Axel Thill,[11] the candidate selected for the Brexit Party, was one of those withdrawn by party leader Nigel Farage before nominations closed,[12] when Farage decided not to field candidates in Conservative-held seats. This was done to avoid the potential for pro-Remain parties winning seats and holding a People's Vote on Brexit.

The seat, long considered safe for the Conservatives, was heavily targeted by the Liberal Democrats, particularly because the incumbent Conservative, Dominic Raab, had campaigned for a Leave vote in the EU referendum. The constituency itself voted in favour of remaining in the EU and is socially similar to the two Greater London seats it borders, namely Twickenham and Kingston & Surbiton, which are both strongholds for the Lib Dems. This resulted in a large swing to the Liberal Democrats of 18.5%, reducing the seat's majority to make it a marginal for the first time since its creation.

Raab, who had served as deputy prime minister before resigning from that role in April 2023 due to bullying allegations,[2] did not contest the 2024 election and a further swing of 13.8% resulted in the Liberal Democrat candidate Monica Harding winning the seat, becoming the first MP from a party other than the Conservatives to represent any part of the modern constituency since 1906.

Members of Parliament

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Election Member[13] Party
1997 Ian Taylor Conservative
2010 Dominic Raab Conservative
2024 Monica Harding Liberal Democrats

Elections

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Esher and Walton election results

Elections in the 2020s

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General election 2024: Esher and Walton[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Monica Harding 28,315 52.6 +8.4
Conservative John Cope 16,312 30.3 –19.2
Reform UK Alastair Gray 4,777 8.9 N/A
Labour Yoel Gordon 2,846 5.3 +0.5
Green Maciej Pawlik 1,396 2.6 +2.4
SDP Richard Bateson 234 0.4 N/A
Majority 12,003 22.3 N/A
Turnout 53,880 72.8 –3.9
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing +13.8

Elections in the 2010s

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2019 notional result[15]
Party Vote %
Conservative 27,819 49.5
Liberal Democrats 24,804 44.2
Labour 2,698 4.8
Others 725 1.3
Green 132 0.2
Turnout 56,178 76.7
Electorate 73,280

In 2019, Esher and Walton was one[16] of five English seats (the others being Cheltenham, East Devon, Westmorland and Lonsdale, and Winchester) where the Labour candidate failed to get over 5% votes cast so lost the deposit.

General election 2019: Esher and Walton[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Dominic Raab 31,132 49.4 –9.2
Liberal Democrats Monica Harding 28,389 45.0 +27.7
Labour Peter Ashurst 2,838 4.5 –15.2
Independent Kylie Keens 347 0.6 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Baron Badger 326 0.5   0.0
Advance Kyle Taylor 52 0.1 N/A
Majority 2,743 4.4 –34.5
Turnout 63,084 77.7 +3.8
Conservative hold Swing –18.5
General election 2017: Esher and Walton[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Dominic Raab 35,071 58.6 –4.3
Labour Lana Hylands 11,773 19.7 +7.0
Liberal Democrats Andrew Davis 10,374 17.3 +7.9
Green Olivia Palmer 1,074 1.8 –2.3
UKIP David Ions 1,034 1.7 –8.0
Monster Raving Loony Baron Badger 318 0.5 N/A
Independent Della Reynolds 198 0.3 –0.1
Majority 23,298 38.9 –11.3
Turnout 59,842 73.9 +2.6
Conservative hold Swing –5.6
General election 2015: Esher and Walton[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Dominic Raab 35,845 62.9 +4.0
Labour Francis Eldergill 7,229 12.7 +2.0
UKIP Nicholas Wood 5,551 9.7 +6.4
Liberal Democrats Andrew Davis 5,372 9.4 −15.4
Green Olivia Palmer 2,355 4.1 N/A
CISTA Matthew Heenan 396 0.7 N/A
Independent Della Reynolds 228 0.4 N/A
Majority 28,616 50.2 +16.1
Turnout 56,976 71.3 −0.7
Conservative hold Swing
General election 2010: Esher and Walton[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Dominic Raab 32,134 58.9 +13.2
Liberal Democrats Lionel Blackman 13,541 24.8 −4.8
Labour Francis Eldergill 5,829 10.7 −8.7
UKIP Bernard Collignon 1,783 3.3 0.0
Independent Tony Popham 378 0.7 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Chinners Chinnery 341 0.6 −0.7
English Democrat Mike Kearsley 307 0.6 N/A
Best of a Bad Bunch Andy Lear 230 0.4 N/A
Majority 18,593 34.1 +18.0
Turnout 54,543 72.0 +9.8
Conservative hold Swing +9.0

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2005: Esher and Walton[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Taylor 21,882 45.7 −3.3
Liberal Democrats Mark Marsh 14,155 29.6 +7.1
Labour Richard C.H. Taylor 9,309 19.4 −4.2
UKIP Bernard Collignon 1,582 3.3 −1.6
Monster Raving Loony Chinners Chinnery 608 1.3 N/A
Socialist Labour Richard G. Cutler 342 0.7 N/A
Majority 7,727 16.1 −9.3
Turnout 47,878 62.2 +0.3
Conservative hold Swing −5.2
General election 2001: Esher and Walton[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Taylor 22,296 49.0 −0.8
Labour Joe McGowan 10,758 23.6 +0.8
Liberal Democrats Mark Marsh 10,241 22.5 +2.1
UKIP Bernard Collignon 2,236 4.9 +3.9
Majority 11,538 25.4 −1.6
Turnout 45,531 61.9 −12.4
Conservative hold Swing −0.9

Elections in the 1990s

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General election 1997: Esher and Walton[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Taylor 26,747 49.8 −10.9
Labour Julie A. Reay 12,219 22.8 +5.4
Liberal Democrats Gary M. Miles 10,937 20.4 −1.6
Referendum Andrew A.C. Cruickshank 2,904 5.4 N/A
UKIP Bernard Collignon 558 1.0 N/A
Rainbow Dream Ticket Simone Kay 302 0.6 N/A
Majority 14,528 27.0
Turnout 53,667 74.3
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ As with all constituencies, Esher and Walton elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at most every five years.

References

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  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South East". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Dominic Raab resigns as UK deputy prime minister over bullying claims". Financial Times. 21 April 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  3. ^ Latest published Physical Environment: Land Use Statistics by constituency Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
  4. ^ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  5. ^ "2010 post-revision map non-metropolitan areas and unitary authorities of England" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  6. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
  7. ^ Youngs, Frederic A Jr. (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol.I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. ISBN 0-901050-67-9.(1979) pp. 764–766
  8. ^ British parliamentary election results, 1885–1918 (Craig)
  9. ^ "FULL LIST: All the seats being targeted by the cross-party anti-Brexit Unite to Remain group". PoliticsHome.com. 7 November 2019.
  10. ^ "General Election Candidates 2019 | Green Party". Green Party Members' Website.
  11. ^ "Home". Axel Thill PPC.
  12. ^ Ferguson, Emily (11 November 2019). "Election 2019 LIVE: Corbyn INVISIBLE on Labour leaflets -Leader's unpopularity hurts party". Express.co.uk.
  13. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 2)
  14. ^ "Esher and Walton results". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Election results 2019: Greens lose the most deposits". BBC News. 13 December 2019.
  17. ^ "Esher & Walton Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  18. ^ "Esher and Walton Candidates". Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  19. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  20. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  21. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  23. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources

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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Constituency represented by the foreign secretary
2019–2021 		Succeeded by

51°23′N 0°23′W / 51.38°N 0.38°W / 51.38; -0.38

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