Woking (UK Parliament constituency)

Woking
Woking
Borough constituency; for the House of Commons
	Boundaries since 2024
	Boundary of Woking in South East England
County	Surrey
Electorate	71,737 (2023)
Major settlements	Woking; Byfleet; Brookwood;
Current constituency
Created	1950
Member of Parliament	Will Forster (Liberal Democrat)
Created from	Chertsey; Farnham;

Woking is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Will Forster, a Liberal Democrat. Since it was first created for the 1950 general election, it had only ever returned Conservative Party candidates until it elected a Liberal Democrat for the first time in 2024.

Constituency profile

The seat comprises the Borough of Woking, which has one main town: Woking. Voters are, on average, wealthier than the UK average.^[2]

History

The seat was created in 1950 from the county constituencies of Chertsey and lightly populated parts of Farnham.^{[n 1]}

Prior to 2024, and with exceptions only in 1974 (February election), 1997, 2005 and 2010, this constituency returned a Conservative with majorities exceeding 15% of votes cast.

At the 2015 and 2017 general elections, the Labour candidates polled in second place, whereas in 2019 the Lib Dem candidate did so. Until the election of 2024, similar second place results had been emulated locally eight and nine times respectively by Labour and the Lib Dems.

A Conservative win by 11.2% of the vote in 1997 was a notably marginal result. By contrast, at the 2015 general election the seat was the 41st-safest of the Conservative Party's 331 seats by percentage of majority, 40 percentage points ahead of Labour.^[3]

By 2024, the Liberal Democrats had a very sizeable majority on Woking Borough Council and there were no Conservative councillors left on the authority, although historically the Conservatives had been the dominant force on the council.

Local Conservatives won the previously relevant Guildford wards of Pirbright and Normandy over many election cycles, but these two villages become part of the Surrey Heath constituency from 2024 onwards following boundary changes.

Boundaries

Map of 1997–2024 boundaries

Historic

1950–74: The Urban Districts of Frimley and Camberley, and Woking, and in the Rural District of Guildford the parishes of Ash, Normandy, and Pirbright.

1974–83: as above less Frimley and Camberley (transferred to North West Surrey which was abolished in 1997). Note that in 1974 these areas constituted the whole of Woking (borough) and a part of Guildford (borough).

1983–97: unchanged (i.e. The Borough of Woking, and the Borough of Guildford wards of Ash, Ash Vale, Normandy, and Pirbright.)

The Boundary Commission for England made no boundary changes for Woking in the review before the 2010 general election.

1997–2024: as above less Ash and Ash Vale (transferred to Surrey Heath).

Current

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the size of the electorate was reduced by transferring the wards of Pirbright and Normandy to the constituency of Surrey Heath. The constituency boundaries of Woking thereby became coterminous with those of the Borough of Woking,^[4] comprising the wards of:

Byfleet & West Byfleet; Canalside; Goldsworth Park; Heathlands; Hoe Valley; Horsell; Knaphill; Mount Hermon; Pyrford; and St. John's.

Members of Parliament

	Member^[5]	Party
1950	Harold Watkinson	Conservative
1964	Sir Cranley Onslow	Conservative
1997	Humfrey Malins	Conservative
2010	Jonathan Lord	Conservative
2024	Will Forster	Liberal Democrats

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Woking^[6]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Will Forster	24,019	49.9	+18.8
	Conservative	Jonathan Lord	12,773	26.5	–21.8
	Reform UK	Richard Barker	4,888	10.2	N/A
	Labour	Ese Erheriene	4,444	9.2	–7.5
	Green	Nataly Anderson	1,853	3.8	+1.0
	Heritage	Tim Read	168	0.3	N/A
Majority			11,246	23.4	N/A
Turnout			48,145	66.0	–4.4
Registered electors			72,977
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing	+20.3

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result^[7]
Party		Vote	%
	Conservative	24,358	48.3
	Liberal Democrats	15,675	31.1
	Labour	8,444	16.7
	Green	1,398	2.8
	Others	600	1.2

Turnout		50,475	70.4
Electorate		71,737

General election 2019: Woking^[8]^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Jonathan Lord	26,396	48.9	5.2
	Liberal Democrats	Will Forster	16,629	30.8	13.2
	Labour	Gerry Mitchell	8,827	16.4	7.5
	Green	Ella Walding	1,485	2.8	0.8
	UKIP	Troy de Leon	600	1.1	1.0
Majority			9,767	18.1	12.1
Turnout			53,937	71.5	1.0
Registered electors			75,455
	Conservative hold		Swing	9.3

General election 2017: Woking^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Jonathan Lord	29,903	54.1	2.1
	Labour	Fiona Colley	13,179	23.9	7.8
	Liberal Democrats	Will Forster	9,711	17.6	6.0
	UKIP	Troy de Leon	1,161	2.1	9.2
	Green	James Brierley	1,092	2.0	2.1
	Independent	Hassan Akberali	200	0.4	N/A
Majority			16,724	30.2	9.8
Turnout			55,246	72.5	2.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	4.9

General election 2015: Woking^[11]^[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Jonathan Lord	29,199	56.2	+5.9
	Labour	Jill Rawling	8,389	16.1	+8.1
	Liberal Democrats	Chris Took	6,047	11.6	−25.8
	UKIP	Rob Burberry	5,873	11.3	+7.5
	Green	Martin Robson	2,109	4.1	N/A
	CISTA	Declan Wade	229	0.4	N/A
	Magna Carta Conservation Party Great Britain	Ruth Temple	77	0.1	N/A
	The Evolution Party	Angela Woolford	41	0.1	N/A
Majority			20,810	40.0	+27.1
Turnout			51,964	70.0	−1.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	−1.1

General election 2010: Woking^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Jonathan Lord	26,551	50.3	+2.9
	Liberal Democrats	Rosie Sharpley	19,744	37.4	+4.3
	Labour	Tom Miller	4,246	8.0	−8.3
	UKIP	Rob Burberry	1,997	3.8	+0.9
	Peace	Julie Roxburgh	204	0.4	N/A
	Magna Carta Conservation Party Great Britain	Ruth Temple	44	0.1	N/A
Majority			6,807	12.9	−1.5
Turnout			52,786	71.5	+8.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.7

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Woking^[14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Humfrey Malins	21,838	47.4	+1.4
	Liberal Democrats	Anne Lee	15,226	33.1	+2.8
	Labour	Ellie Blagbrough	7,507	16.3	−4.0
	UKIP	Matthew Davies	1,324	2.9	−0.5
	UK Community Issues Party	Michael Osman	150	0.3	N/A
Majority			6,612	14.4	−1.3
Turnout			46,045	63.4	+3.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.7

General election 2001: Woking^[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Humfrey Malins	19,747	46.0	+7.6
	Liberal Democrats	Alan Hilliar	12,988	30.3	+3.0
	Labour	Sabir Hussain	8,714	20.3	−0.7
	UKIP	Michael Harvey	1,461	3.4	+2.4
Majority			6,759	15.7	+4.6
Turnout			42,910	60.2	−12.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.3

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Woking^[16]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Humfrey Malins	19,553	38.4	−20.7
	Liberal Democrats	Philip Goldenberg	13,875	27.3	+0.2
	Labour	Katie Hanson	10,695	21.0	+7.6
	Ind. Conservative	Hugh Bell	3,933	7.7	N/A
	Referendum	Christopher Skeate	2,209	4.3	N/A
	UKIP	Michael Harvey	512	1.0	N/A
	Natural Law	Deirdre Sleeman	137	0.3	−0.2
Majority			5,678	11.1	−19.9
Turnout			50,914	72.7	−6.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	-10.3

This constituency underwent boundary changes between the 1992 and 1997 general elections and thus change in share of vote is based on a notional calculation.

General election 1992: Woking^[17]^[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cranley Onslow	37,744	58.9	+0.8
	Liberal Democrats	Dorothy Buckrell	17,902	28.0	−3.4
	Labour	James Dalgleish	8,080	12.6	+2.1
	Natural Law	Teresa Macintyre	302	0.5	N/A
Majority			19,842	31.0	+4.3
Turnout			64,028	79.2	+4.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.1

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Woking^[19]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cranley Onslow	35,990	58.1	−0.2
	Alliance (Liberal)	Philip Goldenberg	19,446	31.4	+2.0
	Labour	Anita Pollack	6,537	10.5	−1.2
Majority			16,544	26.7	−2.2
Turnout			61,973	75.1	+3.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	-1.1

General election 1983: Woking^[20]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cranley Onslow	32,748	58.3	+1.3
	Alliance (Liberal)	Philip Goldenberg	16,511	29.4	+11.4
	Labour	Barbara Broer	6,566	11.7	−6.3
	Party of Associates with Licensees	D. M. Comens	368	0.6	N/A
Majority			16,237	28.9	−4.2
Turnout			56,193	71.7	−4.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	-5.1

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Woking
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cranley Onslow	31,719	57.05	+11.01
	Labour	Nigel Beard	13,327	23.97	+0.27
	Liberal	George H. Dunk	9,991	17.97	−10.43
	National Front	P. A. Gleave	564	1.01	−0.85
Majority			18,392	33.08	+15.44
Turnout			55,601	76.51	+3.58
	Conservative hold		Swing	+5.4

General election October 1974: Woking
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cranley Onslow	22,804	46.04	−0.29
	Liberal	P. Wade	14,069	28.40	−4.01
	Labour	J. W. Tattersall	11,737	23.70	+2.44
	National Front	R. Vaughan-Smith	921	1.86	N/A
Majority			8,735	17.64	+3.72
Turnout			49,531	72.93	−7.94
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.9

General election February 1974: Woking
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cranley Onslow	25,243	46.33	−10.38
	Liberal	P. Wade	17,660	32.41	+17.54
	Labour	J. W. Tattersall	11,583	21.26	−7.16
Majority			7,583	13.92	−14.37
Turnout			54,486	80.87	+10.99
	Conservative hold		Swing	-14.0

General election 1970: Woking
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cranley Onslow	37,220	56.71	+5.31
	Labour	R. M. Taylor	18,652	28.42	−2.38
	Liberal	P. Wade	9,763	14.87	−2.93
Majority			18,568	28.29	+7.69
Turnout			65,635	69.88	−7.23
	Conservative hold		Swing	+3.8

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Woking
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cranley Onslow	32,057	51.40	−0.30
	Labour	Michael Downing	19,210	30.80	+1.22
	Liberal	Agnes H. Scott	11,104	17.80	−0.92
Majority			12,847	20.60	−1.52
Turnout			62,371	77.11	−0.98
	Conservative hold		Swing	-0.8

General election 1964: Woking
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Cranley Onslow	31,170	51.70	−15.70
	Labour	H. G. N. Clother	17,834	29.58	−3.02
	Liberal	Agnes H. Scott	11,285	18.72	N/A
Majority			13,336	22.12	−12.68
Turnout			60,289	78.09	+0.74
	Conservative hold		Swing	-6.3

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Woking
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Harold Watkinson	33,521	67.40	+2.99
	Labour	R David Vaughan Williams	16,210	32.60	−2.99
Majority			17,311	34.80	+5.98
Turnout			49,731	77.35	+1.63
	Conservative hold		Swing	+3.0

General election 1955: Woking
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Harold Watkinson	27,860	64.41	−0.54
	Labour	R David Vaughan Williams	15,393	35.59	+0.54
Majority			12,467	28.82	−1.08
Turnout			43,253	75.72	−3.01
	Conservative hold		Swing	-0.5

General election 1951: Woking
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Harold Watkinson	26,522	64.95	+6.97
	Labour	W. Eric Wolff	14,313	35.05	+3.86
Majority			12,209	29.90	+3.11
Turnout			40,835	78.73	−4.51
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.6

General election 1950: Woking
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Harold Watkinson	24,454	57.98
	Labour	T. Davies	13,157	31.19
	Liberal	Michael Fernley Turner-Bridger	4,567	10.83
Majority			11,297	26.79
Turnout			42,178	83.24
	Conservative win (new seat)

Notes

^ All extant UK seats elect one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election, as from the outset in Woking in 1950

References

^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South East". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
^ Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Woking
^ "Conservative Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 5)
^ "Woking results". BBC News Online. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
^ "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.
^ "Statement of Persons Nominated, Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Stations" (PDF). Woking Borough Council. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
^ "Woking Parliamentary constituency". BBC News Online. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
^ "Known candidates for Woking in the 2017 general election". Democracy Club. 12 May 2017. Archived from the original on 14 May 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^ "UK 2015 general election results in full". The Guardian. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources

"Election result, 2015". BBC News Online.
"Election result, 2010". BBC News Online.
"Election result, 2005". BBC News Online.
"Election results, 1997–2001". BBC News Online.
"Election results, 1997–2001". Election Demon.
"Election results, 1983–1992". Election Demon.
"Election results, 1950–1979". Politics Resources.

External links

Woking UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
Woking UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
Woking UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK

51°19′N 0°33′W / 51.31°N 0.55°W / 51.31; -0.55

[3] All extant UK seats elect one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election, as from the outset in Woking in 1950

[1] "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South East". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 25 June 2024.

[2] Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Woking

[4] "Conservative Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.

[5] "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.

[6] Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 5)

[7] "Woking results". BBC News Online. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.

[8] "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.

[SoPN_2019-9] "Statement of Persons Nominated, Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Stations" (PDF). Woking Borough Council. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.

[10] "Woking Parliamentary constituency". BBC News Online. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.

[Democracy_Club_2017-11] "Known candidates for Woking in the 2017 general election". Democracy Club. 12 May 2017. Archived from the original on 14 May 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.

[electoralcalculus-12] "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.

[13] "UK 2015 general election results in full". The Guardian. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2017.

[electoralcalculus2010-14] "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.

[electoralcalculus2005-15] "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

[electoralcalculus2001-16] "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

[electoralcalculus1997-17] "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

[electoralcalculus1992-18] "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

[19] "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.

[electoralcalculus1987-20] "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

[electoralcalculus1983-21] "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

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