Bracknell (UK Parliament constituency)

Bracknell is a constituency^{[n 1]} in Berkshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Peter Swallow, from the Labour Party.^{[n 2]} It was created for the 1997 general election, largely replacing the abolished county constituency of East Berkshire.

Bracknell
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundaries since 2024
Boundary of Bracknell in South East England
County	Berkshire
Population	104,849 (2011 census)[1]
Electorate	70,247 (2023)[2]
Major settlements	Bracknell, Sandhurst, Crowthorne
Current constituency
Created	1997
Member of Parliament	Peter Swallow (Labour)
Seats	One
Created from	East Berkshire

Constituency profile

The seat covers the entirety of the town of Bracknell, as well as Sandhurst and Crowthorne - although some of the Crowthorne urban area is in Wokingham.^{[citation needed]} Additionally, it includes Quelm Park, Martins Heron, The Warren, Forest Park, and Whitegrove.^{[citation needed]}

History

From its creation in 1997 until 2010, Bracknell's MP was Andrew MacKay of the Conservative Party, who represented the old seat of East Berkshire from 1983. On 14 May 2009, he resigned from his position as parliamentary aide to David Cameron in the wake of a major scandal over his Parliamentary expenses. MacKay and his wife, fellow Tory MP Julie Kirkbride, had wrongfully claimed over £250,000 from the taxpayer for mortgage payments for second homes, in a case of so-called 'double-dipping'. They also wrongfully claimed for each other's travel costs. At a hastily called meeting with his constituents in Bracknell to explain the "unacceptable" expenses claims, Mr MacKay was jeered and called a "thieving toad". A video of the angry meeting was leaked to the press and, after an urgent phone call from David Cameron the next day, MacKay agreed to stand down at the 2010 general election. The Conservative Party chose Phillip Lee, a general practitioner, as its new candidate in an American-style open primary, involving seven candidates including Rory Stewart and Iain Dale, in a contest open to all registered Bracknell voters.^[3]

2010 election

Lee went on to become the next MP in an election which saw the share of the vote for the Labour Party fall by 11.1%. The Liberal Democrats saw the biggest rise in support of all the parties (+4.5%), overtaking Labour to gain second place behind the Conservative Party. UKIP saw a slight rise in support to 4.4% of the vote. The 2010 election also saw for the first time the Green Party and British National Party vying for the seat.

2017 election

Lee held his seat at the 2017 general election.^[4] His vote share rose by 3%, but Labour increased its share by 13.3%. Lee received 32,882 votes, Paul Bidwell (Labour) in second place had 16,866 votes.^[5] On 3 September 2019, Lee resigned from the Conservative Party to join the Liberal Democrats due to the Conservative Party's support for Brexit. At the 2019 general election he unsuccessfully contested the adjacent Wokingham constituency for the Lib Dems.

2019 election

James Sunderland was elected for the Conservative party with 58.7% of the vote.

2024 election

Sunderland ran for re-election as Conservative MP for the constituency, but was narrowly defeated by Labour's Peter Swallow on a 16% swing. This marked the first time Labour had ever gained the seat, and the first time a Conservative had not been elected to represent the area since it became covered by a single-member constituency in the late 19th century. Notably, Labour had previously gained control of Bracknell Forest Borough Council for the first time since 1997 in 2023.^[6]

Boundaries and boundary changes

Bracknell is based around the town of Bracknell and the Bracknell Forest authority. It is bordered by the constituencies of Wokingham, Maidenhead, Windsor, Surrey Heath, Aldershot, and North East Hampshire.

1997–2010

• The Borough of Bracknell Forest wards of Binfield, Bullbrook, Central Sandhurst, College Town, Crowthorne, Garth, Great Hollands North, Great Hollands South, Hanworth, Harmanswater, Little Sandhurst, Old Bracknell, Owlsmoor, Priestwood, Warfield, and Wildridings; and
• The District of Wokingham wards of Finchampstead North, Finchampstead South, and Wokingham Without.^[7]

The Borough of Bracknell Forest wards had formed the majority of the abolished constituency of East Berkshire. The two Finchampstead wards were transferred from Reading East, and the ward of Wokingham Without was transferred from Wokingham.

2010–2024

Map of boundaries 2010-2024

• The Borough of Bracknell Forest wards of Bullbrook, Central Sandhurst, College Town, Crown Wood, Crowthorne, Great Hollands North, Great Hollands South, Hanworth, Harmanswater, Little Sandhurst and Wellington, Old Bracknell, Owlsmoor, Priestwood and Garth, and Wildridings and Central; and
• The District of Wokingham wards of Finchampstead North, Finchampstead South, and Wokingham Without.^[8]

Northern areas, including Binfield, were transferred to Windsor.

2024–present

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for 2024 general election, the seat lost its District of Wokingham wards to the Wokingham constituency in order to bring its electorate within the permitted range. To partly compensate, the Warfield Harvest Ride ward (as it existed on 1 December 2020) was transferred from Windsor.

Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023,^[9][10] the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:

• The Borough of Bracknell Forest wards and part wards of: Binfield North & Warfield West (small part); Binfield South & Jennett's Park (part); Bullbrook; Crowthorne; Easthampstead & Wildridings; Great Hollands; Hanworth; Harmans Water & Crown Wood; Owlsmoor & College Town; Priestwood & Garth; Sandhurst; Swinley Forest (most); Town Centre & The Parks; Whitegrove (most).^[11]

Members of Parliament

East Berkshire prior to 1997

Election		Member[12]	Party
	1997	Andrew MacKay	Conservative
	2010	Phillip Lee	Conservative
	September 2019		Liberal Democrat
	2019	James Sunderland	Conservative
	2024	Peter Swallow	Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Bracknell^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Peter Swallow	14,783	33.7	+8.3
	Conservative	James Sunderland	13,999	31.9	−23.6
	Reform UK	Malcolm Tullett	7,445	17.0	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Katie Mansfield	4,768	10.9	−3.1
	Green	Emily Torode	2,166	4.9	+0.9
	Independent	Olivio Barreto	480	1.1	−0.1
	Heritage	Jason Reardon	196	0.5	N/A
Majority			784	1.8	N/A
Turnout			43,837	61.4	−5.3
Registered electors			71,660
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+16.0

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result[14]
Party		Vote	%
	Conservative	26,022	55.5
	Labour	11,893	25.4
	Liberal Democrats	6,555	14.0
	Green	1,865	4.0
	Others	553	1.2
Turnout		46,888	66.7
Electorate		70,247

General election 2019: Bracknell^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Sunderland	31,894	58.7	−0.1
	Labour	Paul Bidwell	12,065	22.2	−8.0
	Liberal Democrats	Kaweh Beheshtizadeh	7,749	14.3	+6.8
	Green	Derek Florey	2,089	3.8	N/A
	Independent	Olivio Barreto	553	1.0	+0.2
Majority			19,829	36.5	+7.9
Turnout			54,350	68.6	−2.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	+3.9

General election 2017: Bracknell^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Phillip Lee	32,882	58.8	+3.0
	Labour	Paul Bidwell	16,866	30.2	+13.3
	Liberal Democrats	Patrick Smith	4,186	7.5	±0.0
	UKIP	Len Amos	1,521	2.7	−13.0
	Independent	Olivio Barreto	437	0.8	N/A
Majority			16,016	28.6	−10.3
Turnout			55,892	70.6	+5.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	−5.1

General election 2015: Bracknell^[17][18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Phillip Lee[19]	29,606	55.8	+3.4
	Labour	James Walsh[19]	8,956	16.9	+0.1
	UKIP	Richard Thomas[19]	8,339	15.7	+11.3
	Liberal Democrats	Patrick Smith[20]	3,983	7.5	−14.8
	Green	Derek Florey[21]	2,202	4.1	+2.5
Majority			20,650	38.9	+8.8
Turnout			53,086	65.3	−2.5
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 2010: Bracknell^[22][23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Phillip Lee	27,327	52.4	+2.5
	Liberal Democrats	Raymond Earwicker	11,623	22.3	+4.5
	Labour	John Piasecki	8,755	16.8	−11.1
	UKIP	Murray Barter	2,297	4.4	+0.9
	BNP	Mark Burke	1,253	2.4	N/A
	Green	David Young	821	1.6	N/A
	Scrap Members Allowances	Dan Haycocks	60	0.1	N/A
Majority			15,704	30.1	+6.6
Turnout			52,140	67.8	+5.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	−1.0

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Bracknell

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew MacKay	25,412	49.7	+3.1
	Labour	Janet Keene	13,376	26.2	−6.8
	Liberal Democrats	Lee Glendon	10,128	19.8	+2.7
	UKIP	Vincent Pearson	1,818	3.6	+1.0
	Independent	Dominica Roberts	407	0.8	N/A
Majority			12,036	23.5	+9.9
Turnout			51,141	63.4	+2.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	+5.0

General election 2001: Bracknell

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew MacKay	22,962	46.6	−0.8
	Labour	Janet Keene	16,249	33.0	+3.2
	Liberal Democrats	Raymond Earwicker	8,428	17.1	+1.7
	UKIP	Lawrence Boxall	1,266	2.6	+1.6
	ProLife Alliance	Dominica Roberts	324	0.7	+0.2
Majority			6,713	13.6	−4.0
Turnout			49,229	60.7	−13.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	−2.0

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Bracknell

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew MacKay	27,983	47.4
	Labour	Anne Snelgrove	17,596	29.8
	Liberal Democrats	Alan Hilliar	9,122	15.4
	Independent	John Tompkins	1,909	3.2
	Referendum	Warwick Cairns	1,636	2.8
	UKIP	Lawrence Boxall	569	1.0
	ProLife Alliance	Dominica Roberts	276	0.5
Majority			10,387	17.6
Turnout			59,091	74.5
	Conservative win (new seat)

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Berkshire
• List of parliamentary constituencies in the South East England (region)

Notes

1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.