UK Parliamentary Constituencies (since 1885)

I am pleased to announce that the website has been updated with all the remaining constituency groups. So, the current phase of the parlconst project is now complete, subject to any corrections (which I expect) until the next boundary reviews are complete (due by 2033). www.parlconst.org

Since 1885, the area covered by RAW16 has been in just three constituencies (highlighted in purple on the Constituency Chart): 1885-1950: Aylesbury 1950-1974: South Buckinghamshire 1974-now: Chesham & Amersham

RAW16 (52a & 52b on the Map) comprises 6.1% of the current Chesham & Amersham constituency. It has been part of Chesham & Amersham since the constituency was first created in 1974. The part of Amersham directly been the two disjoint parts of RAW16 differed by being in Wycombe prior to 1918.

This week's Random Area (RAW16) is in Buckinghamshire. The two separate parts are Chenies and part of Little Chalfont (to the east) and Chesham Bois (to the west). These are sub-Areas 52a and 52b, respectively, in Area Map 20 Buckinghamshire.

Here is the next Random Area of the Week (RAW16) superimposed on a satellite image. Note this sub-Area is in two disjoint parts that share a common constituency history. Perhaps you can identify where this is? If not, all will be revealed on Monday, along with snippets about its electoral past.

Here is the next Random Area of the Week (RAW16) superimposed on a satellite image. Note this sub-Area is in two disjoint parts that share a common constituency history. Perhaps you can identify where this is? If not, all will be revealed on Monday, along with snippets about its electoral past.

A new random area will be coming soon. This week's RAW15 can be found on the Grampian page of the parlconst website.

Blairmore House, within the current area on the road from Huntly to Glass, was the birthplace of Ian Cameron, father of David, the former PM. It is now owned and run by a fundamentalist Christian group that has attracted criticism through its focus on spiritual healing by the casting out of demons.

Alex Salmond was SNP MP for Gordon from 2015 to 2017, when he returned to the UK Parliament after ceasing to be leader of the SNP. He lost the seat in the 2017 General Election. He had previously been MP for Banff & Buchan in 1987-2010, and leader of the SNP in two stints, 1990-2000 and 2004-2014.

Colin Mitchell, known as 'Mad Mitch' for his exploits suppressing an uprising in Aden in 1967 while commanding the 1st Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, was Conservative MP for West Aberdeenshire from 1970 to February 1974. He did not stand for re-election, a decision he later regretted.

When RAW15 was in East Aberdeenshire from 1950 to 1955, its Conservative MP was Bob Boothby, who represented the constituency from 1924 to 1958. He had a 'colourful' private life, including a long standing affair with the wife of Harold MacMillan and attending gay orgies arranged by the Kray twins.

Voters in Huntly have never elected a Labour MP: 1885-1918: Liberal 1918-19: Coalition Conservative 1919-24: Liberal 1924-66: Conservative 1966-70: Liberal 1970-83: Conservative 1983-2015: Liberal (Democrat) 2015-17: SNP 2017-19: Conservative 2019-24: SNP 2024-now: Conservative

Since 1885, the area covered by RAW15 has been in five differently named constituencies (highlighted in purple on the Constituency Chart): 1885-1918: West Aberdeenshire 1918-50: Central Aberdeenshire 1950-55: East Aberdeenshire 1955-83: West Aberdeenshire 1983-2024: Gordon 2024-now: Gordon & Buchan

RAW15 (sub-Area 37 on the Area Map & Table) makes up 8.6% of the current Gordon & Buchan constituency, which came into existence in 2024. In 1955 there was a small transfer between the Aberdeenshire East and Aberdeenshire West constituencies. RAW15 made up the vast majority of this transfer.

We have come to Scotland for the first time for the latest Random Area of the Week. RAW15 consists of Huntly, in Aberdeenshire, and a large swathe of surrounding area. It is sub-Area 37 in Area Map & Table 99c: Grampian North and Nairn.

If you need some help with identifying this week's Random Area:

Here is the next Random Area of the Week (RAW15) superimposed on a satellite image. Perhaps you can identify where this is? If not, it will be revealed on Monday, with other snippets about its electoral past to follow during the week.

A new random area will be coming soon. This week's RAW14 can be found on the Northumberland, North Tyneside and Newcastle-upon-Tyne page of the parlconst website.

RAW14 is bisected by the start of the A69 from its junction with the A1. From here it runs for 54 miles to Carlisle. It is a grade-separated dual carriageway through RAW14 and for the first 20 miles of its route to Hexham.

Alf Robens represented the constituents of RAW14 from 1945 to 1950, as Labour MP for Wansbeck. He continued as an MP until 1960, after which he was appointed Chairman of the National Coal Board. He was still in post at the time of the Aberfan Disaster, when 116 children and 28 adults died.

Jack Pease was Liberal MP for Tyneside from 1892 to 1900, before losing to a Liberal Unionist. He was subsequently MP for two other seats and Postmaster General in Asquith's WWI Government. In 1917 he became Baron Gainford and in 1922 was the 1st Chairman of the British Broadcasting Company.

Albert Grey was elected Liberal MP for Tyneside in 1885. When the Liberal party split in 1886, he became a Liberal Unionist, but lost his seat in the 1886 General election to a Liberal. He succeeded his uncle in 1894 to become the 4th Earl Grey and was Governor General of Canada from 1904 to 1911.

The constituents of RAW14 have, since 1885, elected MPs of each of the three main parties: 1885-1900: Liberal 1900-06: Liberal Unionist 1906-22: Liberal 1922-31: Labour 1931-45: Conservative 1945-now: Labour

Since 1885 the area covered by RAW14 has been in 5 different constituencies (highlighted in purple on the Constituency Chart): 1885-1918: Tyneside 1918-50: Wansbeck 1950-83: Newcastle-upon-Tyne West 1983-2024: Newcastle-upon-Tyne North 2024-now: Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central & West

RAW14 makes up 30.3% of the current Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central & West constituency. RAW 14 (sub-Area 2) has been in a Newcastle-upon-Tyne constituency since 1950.

A couple of photographs of a World Heritage Site in area RAW14.

This week's Random Area (RAW14) is on the western edge of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, consisting of the Chapel, Denton & Westerhope and Lemington wards of the city. It is sub-Area 2 in Area Map & Table 79a: Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Here is the next Random Area of the Week (RAW14) superimposed on a satellite image. Perhaps you can identify where this is? If not, it will be revealed on Monday, with other snippets about its electoral past to follow during the week.

Here is the next Random Area of the Week (RAW14) superimposed on a satellite image. Perhaps you can identify where this is? If not, it will be revealed on Monday, with other snippets about its electoral past to follow during the week.

A new random area will be coming soon. This week's RAW13 can be found on the Surrey (excl. Spelthorne) page of the parlconst website.

The far north of RAW13 was the site of what was then the UK's worst air disaster, when in December 1935 a SABENA plane, on a flight from Brussels to Croydon, crashed into the garden of a house on Kemsley Road, Tatsfield. All 11 people on board died in the crash, after the plane had stalled.

After losing in 1906, Richard Rawson was elected as Conservative MP for Reigate in the two General Elections in 1910. He died shortly before the 1918 General Election. A year before his death, he left the Conservatives, unhappy with the wartime coalition, and joined the right wing National Party.

Henry Cubitt, grandson of the property developer Thomas Cubitt, was Conservative MP for Reigate from 1892 until 1906, when he did not defend the seat. In his his last two General Elections he was returned unopposed. He is the great-grandfather of the current Queen Camilla.

Geoffrey Howe represented RAW13 as Conservative MP for Reigate from 1970 to 1974 and for East Surrey from 1974 to 1992. Under Margaret Thatcher he was Chancellor, Foreign Secretary, and Deputy Prime Minister, until he departed with a blistering resignation speech in 1989.

Since 1885, the only time that an MP other than a Conservative has been elected in the seat covering this week's Area was in 1906. In the General Election that year Harry Brodie was elected as the Liberal MP for Reigate, but lost his seat at the next General Election in January 1910.

This week's Area (RAW13) has only been in either East Surrey or Reigate constituencies (highlighted on the Constituency Chart), as follows: 1885-1918: Reigate 1918-1950: East Surrey 1950-1974: Reigate 1974-now: East Surrey In 1974 the majority of the old East Surrey went to form Croydon South.

RAW13, sub-Area 53 on the Area Map & Table, comprises 40.3% of the current East Surrey constituency. Since 1885, RAW13 has only been in the constituency of East Surrey or Reigate.

This week's Random Area (RAW13) is in the far east of Surrey. It stretches from Oxted, Tatsfield and Godstone in the north to Lingfield and Dormans Park in the south. RAW13 is sub-Area 53 of Area Map & Table 25b Surrey (remainder).

Voting takes place today in Bosnia's General Election - there was a lot of campaigning going on while I was there. I don't claim to understand fully the labyrinthine (and arguably illogical) electoral system, which has quotas based on ethnicity. Early unofficial results are expected by tonight.

Here is the next Random Area of the Week (RAW13) superimposed on a satellite image. Perhaps you can identify where this is? If not, it will be revealed on Monday, with other snippets about its electoral past to follow during the week.

Here is the next Random Area of the Week (RAW13) superimposed on a satellite image. Perhaps you can identify where this is? If not, it will be revealed on Monday, with other snippets about its electoral past to follow during the week.

A new random area will be coming soon. This week's RAW12 can be found on the Hampshire (East) and Isle of Wight page of the parlconst website.

The square outside the Public Library in Fleet, at the heart of this week's area, is called Gurkha Square, commemorating that the 1st Battalion of the Gurkha Rifles were based in Fleet from 1971 to 2000.

James Arbuthnot was Conservative MP for NE Hampshire from the seat's creation in 1997 until 2015, having previously been MP for Wanstead & Woodford. He was an early supporter of subpostmasters implicated in the Post Office accounting scandal and continued to promote their cause from the Lords.

Viscount Wolmer, also known as Roundell Palmer, and later as the Earl of Selborne, was Conservative MP for Aldershot from 1918 until he joined the House of Lords in 1942. During WWII he was Minster of Economic Warfare and in charge of the Special Operations Executive.

Arthur Frederick Jefferies was Conservative MP for Basingstoke from 1887 until his death in 1906. He was born and brought up in Australia, and played first class cricket for New South Wales, Hampshire and the MCC.

Since 1885, the constituents of RAW12 had only been represented by a Conservative MP up until the 2024 General Election when North East Hampshire was won by Alex Brewer for the Liberal Democrats.

This week's area (RAW12) has been in four different constituencies since 1885 (in purple): 1885-1918: Basingstoke 1918-83: Aldershot 1983-97: East Hampshire 1997-now: North East Hampshire RAW12 was a minor part in the creation of East Hampshire in 1983 (the majority came from Petersfield).

RAW12, sub-Area 5 on the Area Map & Table, makes up 44.1% of the current North East Hampshire constituency. It has been in North East Hampshire ever since that constituency was created in 1997.

This week's Random Area (RAW12) is in Hampshire. It includes the town of Fleet and a slice of countryside to the south. It is sub-Area 5 in Area Map & Table 23a Hampshire (East).

Here is the next Random Area of the Week (RAW12) superimposed on a satellite image. Perhaps you can identify where this is? If not, it will be revealed on Monday, with other snippets about its electoral past to follow during the week.