Salisbury is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by John Glen of the Conservative Party.

History

From 1295 (the Model Parliament), a form of this constituency on a narrower area, the Parliamentary borough of Salisbury, returned two MPs to the House of Commons of England. Elections were held using the bloc vote system, which afforded the ability for wealthy males who owned property rated at more than £2 a year for Land Tax to vote in the county and borough elections (if they met the requirements of both systems). The franchise (right to vote) in the city was generally restricted to male tradespersons and professionals within the central wards. The borough constituency co-existed with the neighbouring minuscule-electorate seat of Old Sarum (described towards its Great Reform Act abolition as a rotten borough) which covered the mostly abandoned older settlement to the north-east. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the borough's representation was reduced to one member. The parliamentary borough of Salisbury was abolished for the 1918 general election but the name was transferred immediately to a new county division.

Boundaries

The constituency is based around the city of Salisbury in Wiltshire. A large portion of the former Salisbury district is included within the constituency. The small town of Downton was a borough constituency until abolished as a rotten borough, like Old Sarum, in 1832. 1918–1950: The Municipal Boroughs of Salisbury and Wilton, and the Rural Districts of Amesbury, Salisbury, Tisbury, and Wilton. 1950–1983: The Municipal Boroughs of Salisbury and Wilton, and the Rural Districts of Amesbury, and Salisbury and Wilton. 1983–2010: The District of Salisbury wards of Alderbury, Amesbury, Bemerton, Bishopdown, Bulford, Chalke Valley, Donhead, Downton, Durrington, Ebble, Fisherton and Bemerton Village, Fonthill, Fovant, Harnham, Idmiston, Laverstock, Milford, Nadder, Redlynch, St Edmund, St Mark, St Martin, St Paul, Stratford, Till Valley, Tisbury, Upper Bourne, Whiteparish, Wilton, Winterbourne, Winterslow, Woodford Valley, and Wylye. 2010–2024: The District of Salisbury wards of Alderbury and Whiteparish, Amesbury East, Amesbury West, Bemerton, Bishopdown, Chalke Valley, Downton and Redlynch, Ebble, Fisherton and Bemerton Village, Harnham East, Harnham West, Laverstock, Lower Wylye and Woodford Valley, St Edmund and Milford, St Francis and Stratford, St Martin and Milford, St Paul, Till Valley and Wylye, Upper Bourne, Idmiston and Winterbourne, Wilton, and Winterslow. 2024–present: Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following (as they existed on 4 May 2021): ''Amesbury and the Till Valley were transferred to the new constituency of East Wiltshire. To partly compensate, Tisbury and the Nadder Valley were transferred from South West Wiltshire.''

Traditions

According to a local tradition, the Member of Parliament for Salisbury sings the song The Vly be on the Turmut from the balcony of the White Hart Hotel in St John's Street after winning each Parliamentary election.

Constituency profile

The constituency consists of Census Output Areas of one local government district with a working population whose income is close to the national average and lower than average reliance upon social housing. At the end of 2012 the unemployment rate in the constituency stood as 1.6% of the population claiming jobseekers allowance, compared to the regional average of 2.5%. The rural county as a whole has a low 14.8% of its population without a car, 18.6% of the population without qualifications and a high 29.5% with level 4 qualifications or above. In terms of tenure across the whole county 67.5% of homes are owned outright or on a mortgage as at the 2011 census.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1295–1660

MPs 1660–1885

MPs since 1885

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

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

Elections in the 1870s

Elections in the 1860s

Elections in the 1850s

Elections in the 1840s

Elections in the 1830s

Sources