Thornbury and Yate (UK Parliament constituency)

Thornbury and Yate is a constituency^{[n 1]} encompassing an area to the north-east of Bristol within the South Gloucestershire Unitary Authority Area. It is represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since the 2024 election by Claire Young, a member of the Liberal Democrats.^{[n 2]}

Thornbury and Yate
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Thornbury and Yate in South West England
County	Gloucestershire
Electorate	74,935 (2023)[1]
Major settlements	Thornbury, Yate and Chipping Sodbury
Current constituency
Created	2010
Member of Parliament	Claire Young (Liberal Democrats)
Seats	One
Created from	Northavon

History

This seat is a successor to the former Northavon constituency, which was abolished following boundary changes taking effect at the 2010 general election.^[2] It is named after the two largest towns in the constituency: Thornbury and Yate.

The constituency was one of a significant number gained from the Liberal Democrats by the Conservatives in the 2015 general election, and their majority further increased to more than 12,000 in the 2017 election, even as the Conservatives saw a net loss of seats nationally. The Liberal Democrats regained the seat at the 2024 general election.

Boundaries

Map of boundaries 2010 to 2024

2010–2024: Following the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies by the Boundary Commission this newly defined seat emerged. The electoral wards used in the creation of this new seat were all from the district of South Gloucestershire and were as follows:^[2]

• Alveston
• Boyd Valley (includes Marshfield, Pucklechurch and Wick)
• Charfield
• Cromhall
• Chipping Sodbury
• Cotswold Edge (includes Hawkesbury Upton and Acton Turville)
• Dodington
• Frampton Cotterell
• Ladden Brook (includes Wickwar)
• Severn – Aust
• Thornbury North
• Thornbury South
• Westerleigh
• Yate Central
• Yate North
• Yate West

Ward names and boundaries were subsequently reconfigured by the South Gloucestershire (Electoral Changes) Order 2018^[3] which came into effect in 2019.^[4]

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 1 December 2020):

• The District of South Gloucestershire wards of: Boyd Valley; Charfield; Chipping Sodbury & Cotswold Edge; Dodington; Frampton Cotterell; Pilning & Severn Beach; Severn Vale; Thornbury; Yate Central; Yate North.^[5]

The seat was expanded to bring the electorate within the permitted range, with the addition of areas in the Bristol Channel hinterland including Severn Beach from Filton and Bradley Stoke.^[6][7]

Constituency profile

Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 1.8% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.^[8]

Members of Parliament

Election		Member[9][10]	Party
	2010	Steve Webb	Liberal Democrat
	2015	Luke Hall	Conservative
	2024	Claire Young	Liberal Democrat

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Thornbury and Yate^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Claire Young	20,815	39.0	+6.4
	Conservative	Luke Hall	17,801	33.4	–25.1
	Reform UK	Andrew Banwell	7,529	14.1	N/A
	Labour	Rob Logan	5,057	9.5	+0.8
	Green	Alexandra Jenner-Fust	2,165	4.1	+3.9
Majority			3,014	5.6	N/A
Turnout			53,367	68.3	−6.5
Registered electors			78,195
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing	15.8

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result[12]
Party		Vote	%
	Conservative	32,798	58.5
	Liberal Democrats	18,260	32.6
	Labour	4,899	8.7
	Green	126	0.2
Turnout		56,083	74.8
Electorate		74,935

General election 2019: Thornbury and Yate^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Luke Hall	30,202	57.8	+2.5
	Liberal Democrats	Claire Young	17,833	34.1	+2.7
	Labour	Rob Logan	4,208	8.1	−4.0
Majority			12,369	23.7	−0.2
Turnout			52,243	75.2	+0.6
Registered electors			69,492
	Conservative hold		Swing	-0.1

General election 2017: Thornbury and Yate^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Luke Hall	28,008	55.3	+14.3
	Liberal Democrats	Claire Young	15,937	31.4	−6.5
	Labour	Brian Mead	6,112	12.1	+4.3
	Green	Iain Hamilton	633	1.2	−1.5
Majority			12,071	23.9	+20.8
Turnout			50,690	74.6	+0.9
Registered electors			67,927		+3.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	+10.4

General election 2015: Thornbury and Yate^[14][15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Luke Hall	19,924	41.0	+3.9
	Liberal Democrats	Steve Webb	18,429	37.9	−14.0
	UKIP	Russ Martin	5,126	10.6	+7.1
	Labour	Hadleigh Roberts	3,775	7.8	+0.8
	Green	Iain Hamilton	1,316	2.7	New
Majority			1,495	3.1	N/A
Turnout			48,570	73.7	−1.5
Registered electors			65,884		+2.8
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing	+8.92

General election 2010: Thornbury and Yate^{[16][17] [18]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Steve Webb	25,032	51.9	−2.4
	Conservative	Matthew Riddle	17,916	37.2	+6.3
	Labour	Roxanne Egan	3,385	7.0	−3.9
	UKIP	Jenny Knight	1,709	3.5
	Independents Federation UK	Thomas Beacham	126	0.3
	Independent	Anthony Clements	58	0.1
Majority			7,116	14.7
Turnout			48,226	72.2
Registered electors			64,092		+0.1
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Avon
• List of parliamentary constituencies in Gloucestershire

Notes

1. A county 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.