Westbury (UK Parliament constituency)

Westbury was a parliamentary constituency in Wiltshire from 1449 to 2010. It was represented in the House of Commons of England until 1707, and then in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until 2010.

Westbury
Former County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Westbury in Wiltshire for the 2005 general election
Location of Wiltshire within England
County	Wiltshire
Major settlements	Westbury
1449–2010
Number of members	One (Two 1449-1832)
Replaced by	South West Wiltshire, Chippenham

Until 1885, it was a parliamentary borough, returning two Members of Parliament (MPs) until 1832 and only one from 1832 to 1885. The parliamentary borough was abolished in 1885, when the name was transferred to a county constituency returning one MP. Elections used the bloc vote system when two MPs were returned, and the first-past-the-post system of election when one seat was contested.

Westbury returned a Conservative Member at every election after 1924.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Bradford-on-Avon, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, and Whorwellsdon, and part of the Sessional Division of Warminster.

1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Bradford-on-Avon, Melksham, Trowbridge, Warminster, and Westbury, and the Rural Districts of Bradford-on-Avon, Melksham, Mere, Warminster, and Westbury and Whorwellsdown.

1950–1974: The Urban Districts of Bradford-on-Avon, Melksham, Trowbridge, Warminster, and Westbury, and the Rural Districts of Bradford-on-Avon and Melksham, Mere and Tisbury, and Warminster and Westbury.

1974–1983: As prior but with redrawn boundaries.

1983–1997: The District of West Wiltshire, and the District of Salisbury wards of Knoyle, Mere, and Western.

1997–2010: The District of West Wiltshire wards of Adcroft, Bradford-on-Avon North, Bradford-on-Avon South, College, Corsley, Dilton Marsh, Drynham, Ethandune, Holt, John O'Gaunt, Manor Vale, Mid Wylye Valley, Park, Paxcroft, Shearwater, Summerham, Warminster East, Warminster West, Weavers, Westbrook, Westbury with Storridge, and Wylye Valley, and the District of Salisbury wards of Knoyle, Mere, and Western.

Originally a small pocket borough, covering only a small part of the parish of Westbury, in 1885 the parliamentary borough became a county constituency in Wiltshire. At the time of the constituency's abolition in 2010 it included the towns of Westbury, Warminster, Trowbridge, and Bradford on Avon, and the surrounding rural areas as far south as Mere. Until boundary changes in 1997, it also included Melksham.

Boundary review, 2005

Following a review of parliamentary representation in Wiltshire, the Boundary Commission for England created two new constituencies in the county. Chippenham was created mostly from the adjoining North Wiltshire constituency, plus the town of Bradford on Avon at the northern end of the Westbury constituency, while the rest of Westbury saw minor changes to its composition and was renamed South West Wiltshire. These changes were approved in 2005, to take effect at the following general election, which ultimately took place in 2010.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1449–1640

Parliament	First member	Second member
1491	Sir Thomas Long of Draycot
1510-1523	No names known [1]
1529	Thomas Kirton	Thomas Temys [1]
1536	?
1539	?
1542	?
1545	William Hartgill	Geoffrey Carter [1]
1547	John Stokes	Kenelm Throckmorton [1]
1553 (Mar)	?
1553 (Oct)	Andrew Baynton	Griffin Curteys [1]
1554 (Apr)	Griffin Curteys	Peter Morgan [1]
1554 (Nov)	William Bennett	Griffin Curteys [1]
1555	Sir Thomas Throckmorton	William Hoskins [1]
1558	John Buckland	William Allen Helyer [1]
1559	Anthony Carleton	Ralph Skinner[2]
1562/3	Hugh Ryley	John Dyster [2]
1571	Francis Blount	Thomas Long [2]
1572	William Brouncker	Henry Brouncker [2]
1584		Edward Midwinter [2]
1586	Robert Baynard	Henry Whitaker [2]
1588	Sir Henry Fanshawe	John Bennett [2]
1593	William Jordyn	Sir Henry Fanshawe [2]
1597	Matthew Ley	James Ley[2][3]
1601		Henry Jackman [2]
1604		James Ley
1605		Alexander Chocke
1609		James Ley
1614		Henry Ley
1621	Sir James Ley replaced by Walter Long	Sir Miles Fleetwood
1624	Sir Henry Ley	Sir Henry Mildmay
1625	Sir Walter Long	Gifford Long
1626		Thomas Hopton
1628	Maximillian Petty	Charles Thynne
1629–1640	No Parliaments summoned

MPs 1640–1832

Year		First member[4]	First party		Second member[4]	Second party
April 1640		Sir Thomas Penyston			John Ashe
November 1640		John Ashe	Parliamentarian		William Wheler	Parliamentarian
December 1648				Wheler excluded in Pride's Purge - seat vacant
1653	Westbury was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
January 1659		Robert Villiers, alias Danvers			William Eyre
May 1659	Not represented in the restored Rump, Ashe having died in the interim
April 1660		Richard Lewis			William Brouncker
1661					Thomas Wancklyn [5]
1678					Henry Bertie
February 1679					William Trenchard
August 1679					Henry Bertie
1680		Edward Norton			William Trenchard
1681		John Ashe
1685		Richard Lewis			James Herbert
1689					Peregrine Bertie
1695					Robert Bertie
1701		Henry Bertie
July 1702 [6]		William Trenchard			Thomas Phipps
December 1702 [6]		Henry Bertie			Robert Bertie
1708					Francis Annesley
January 1715 [7]		Willoughby Bertie
June 1715 [7]		The Lord Carbery			Charles Allanson
1722		James Bertie [8]			Francis Annesley
March 1723 by-election [8]		The Lord Carbery
1727		John Hoskins Gifford
1734		Hon. George Evans			John Bance
1741					Joseph Townsend
1747 [9]		John Bance			Paul Methuen
1748 [9]		Chauncy Townsend	Pro-Government		Matthew Michell
1753 by-election [10]					Peregrine Bertie
1768		William Blackstone
1770 by-election [11]		Hon. Charles Dillon
1774		Hon. Thomas Wenman[12]			Nathaniel Bayly
1779 by-election					Samuel Estwick I
1780		(Sir) John Whalley-Gardiner [13]
1784		Chaloner Arcedeckne
1786 by-election		John Madocks
1790		Ewan Law
January 1795 by-election		Samuel Estwick II
November 1795 by-election					Edward Wilbraham-Bootle
May 1796		Sir Henry St John-Mildmay, Bt			George Ellis [14]
October 1796 by-election					Lieutenant Colonel George Harcourt
1800 by-election					John Simon Harcourt
1802		William Baldwin			Charles Smith
1806		William Jacob			John Woolmore
May 1807		Edward Lascelles	Tory[15]		Glynn Wynn	Tory[15]
July 1807 by-election		Henry Lascelles	Tory[15]
1809 by-election					Francis Whittle	Tory[15]
1810 by-election					John de Ponthieu
1812		Benjamin Hall			Benjamin Shaw
1814 by-election		Ralph Franco	Tory
1818					Lord Francis Conyngham
1819 by-election		William Leader Maberly	Whig[15]
March 1820		Jonathan Elford	Tory[15]		Nathaniel Barton	Tory[15]
November 1820 by-election		Sir Manasseh Masseh Lopes, Bt	Tory[15]		Philip John Miles	Tory[15]
1826					Sir George Warrender	Canningite Tory[15]
1829 by-election		Robert Peel	Tory[15]
1830		Sir Alexander Grant, Bt	Tory[15]		Michael Prendergast	Tory[15]
May 1831		Sir Ralph Lopes, Bt	Whig[15]		Henry Hanmer	Tory[15]
July 1831 by-election					Henry Frederick Stephenson	Whig[15]
1832	Representation reduced to one MP

MPs 1832–1885

Election		Member	Party
	1832	Sir Ralph Lopes	Whig[15]
	1837	John Ivatt Briscoe	Whig[15][16][17][18][19]
	1841	Sir Ralph Lopes	Conservative[15]
	1847	James Wilson	Whig[20][21][22]
	1857	Sir Massey Lopes	Conservative
	1868	John Lewis Phipps [23]	Conservative
	1869 by-election	Charles Paul Phipps	Conservative
	1874	Abraham Laverton	Liberal
	1880	Charles N. P. Phipps	Conservative
	1885	Borough abolished - named transferred to county division

Westbury County constituency (1885–2010)

Election		Member[4]	Party
	1885	George Fuller	Liberal
	1895	Richard Chaloner	Conservative
	1900	John Fuller	Liberal
	1911 by-election	Hon. Geoffrey Howard	Liberal
	1918	George Palmer	Coalition Conservative
	1922	Charles Darbishire	Liberal
	1924	Captain W. W. Shaw	Conservative
	1927 by-election	Richard Long	Conservative
	1931	Sir Robert Grimston [24]	Conservative
	1964	Sir Dennis Walters	Conservative
	1992	David Faber	Conservative
	2001	Andrew Murrison	Conservative
	2010	Constituency abolished: see South West Wiltshire and Chippenham

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Westbury [15][25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	Alexander Grant	Unopposed
	Tory	Michael Prendergast	Unopposed
	Tory hold
	Tory hold

General election 1831: Westbury [15][25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Tory	Henry Hanmer	Unopposed
	Whig	Ralph Lopes	Unopposed
	Tory hold
	Whig gain from Tory

Hanmer resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 15 July 1831: Westbury [15][25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Henry Frederick Stephenson (MP)	Unopposed
	Whig gain from Tory

General election 1832: Westbury [15][26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Ralph Lopes	Unopposed
Registered electors			185
	Whig hold

General election 1835: Westbury [15][26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Ralph Lopes	Unopposed
Registered electors			192
	Whig hold

General election 1837: Westbury [15][26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	John Ivatt Briscoe	98	50.5
	Conservative	Ralph Lopes	96	49.5
Majority			2	1.0
Turnout			194	91.1
Registered electors			213
	Whig hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Westbury [15][26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ralph Lopes	Unopposed
Registered electors			291
	Conservative gain from Whig

General election 1847: Westbury [26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	James Wilson	170	53.3	New
	Conservative	Matthew Higgins[27]	149	46.7	N/A
Majority			21	6.6	N/A
Turnout			319	93.3	N/A
Registered electors			342
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Westbury [26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	James Wilson	145	51.2	−2.1
	Conservative	Massey Lopes	138	48.8	+2.1
Majority			7	2.4	−4.2
Turnout			283	90.1	−3.2
Registered electors			314
	Whig hold		Swing	−2.1

General election 1857: Westbury [26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Massey Lopes	Unopposed
Registered electors			342
	Conservative gain from Whig

General election 1859: Westbury [26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Massey Lopes	Unopposed
Registered electors			328
	Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Westbury [26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Massey Lopes	Unopposed
Registered electors			300
	Conservative hold

General election 1868: Westbury [26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Lewis Phipps	492	51.4	N/A
	Liberal	Abraham Laverton	465	48.6	New
Majority			27	2.8	N/A
Turnout			957	91.5	N/A
Registered electors			1,046
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

The 1868 election was declared void on petition, due to intimidation of the electorate, causing a by-election.[28]

By-election, 27 February 1869: Westbury [26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Charles Paul Phipps	499	50.6	−0.8
	Liberal	Abraham Laverton	488	49.4	+0.8
Majority			11	1.2	−1.6
Turnout			987	94.4	+2.9
Registered electors			1,046
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.8

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Westbury [26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Abraham Laverton	540	51.0	+2.4
	Conservative	Charles Paul Phipps	518	49.0	−2.4
Majority			22	2.0	N/A
Turnout			1,058	94.2	+2.7
Registered electors			1,123
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+2.4

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Westbury [26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Charles N. P. Phipps	559	52.5	+3.5
	Liberal	Abraham Laverton	505	47.5	−3.5
Majority			54	5.0	N/A
Turnout			1,064	94.6	+0.4
Registered electors			1,125
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+3.5

General election 1885: Westbury [29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Fuller	5,333	59.4	+11.9
	Conservative	Henry Thynne	3,639	40.6	−11.9
Majority			1,694	18.8	N/A
Turnout			8,972	84.9	−9.7
Registered electors			10,566
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+11.9

General election 1886: Westbury [29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Fuller	4,663	56.0	−3.4
	Liberal Unionist	Thomas George Palmer Hallett[30]	3,670	44.0	+3.4
Majority			993	12.0	−6.8
Turnout			8,333	78.9	−6.0
Registered electors			10,566
	Liberal hold		Swing	−3.4

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Westbury [29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Fuller	4,554	53.7	−2.3
	Conservative	William Henry Laverton	3,930	46.3	+2.3
Majority			624	7.4	−4.6
Turnout			8,484	77.2	−1.7
Registered electors			10,989
	Liberal hold		Swing	−2.3

General election 1895: Westbury [29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Richard Chaloner	4,497	50.9	+4.6
	Liberal	George Fuller	4,331	49.1	-4.6
Majority			166	1.8	N/A
Turnout			8,828	90.3	+13.1
Registered electors			9,777
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+4.6

Elections in the 1900s

John Fuller

General election 1900: Westbury [29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Fuller	4,520	53.3	+4.2
	Conservative	Richard Chaloner	3,961	46.7	−4.2
Majority			559	6.6	N/A
Turnout			8,481	86.7	−3.6
Registered electors			9,782
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+4.2

General election 1906: Westbury [29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Fuller	5,264	58.2	+4.9
	Conservative	Edward Plunkett, Lord Dunsany	3,788	41.8	-4.9
Majority			1,476	16.4	+9.8
Turnout			9,052	89.4	+2.7
Registered electors			10,130
	Liberal hold		Swing	+4.9

By-election, 1906: Westbury [29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Fuller	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Westbury[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Fuller	5,187	53.9	−4.3
	Conservative	R. C. C. Long	4,433	46.1	+4.3
Majority			754	7.8	−8.6
Turnout			9,620	92.4	+3.0
Registered electors			10,411
	Liberal hold		Swing	−4.3

General election December 1910: Westbury[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Fuller	5,041	54.8	+0.9
	Conservative	George Palmer	4,152	45.2	−0.9
Majority			889	9.6	+1.8
Turnout			9,193	88.3	−4.1
Registered electors			10,411
	Liberal hold		Swing	+0.9

Geoffrey Howard

1911 Westbury by-election[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Geoffrey Howard	5,073	53.0	−1.8
	Conservative	George Palmer	4,492	47.0	+1.8
Majority			581	6.0	−3.6
Turnout			9,565	90.1	+1.8
Registered electors			10,612
	Liberal hold		Swing	−1.8

General Election 1914/15

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

• Liberal Party: Geoffrey Howard
• Unionist Party:George Palmer

General election 14 December 1918: Westbury[31]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
C	Unionist	George Palmer	9,261	49.1	+3.9
	Liberal	Geoffrey Howard	6,064	32.1	−22.7
	Labour	Ernest Bennett	3,537	18.8	New
Majority			3,197	17.0	N/A
Turnout			18,862	64.6	−23.7
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+13.3
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

C. Darbishire

General election 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles Darbishire	9,903	41.7	+9.6
	Unionist	George Palmer	9,262	39.0	-10.1
	Labour	George Ward	4,572	19.3	+0.5
Majority			641	2.7	N/A
Turnout			23,737	81.0	+16.4
	Liberal gain from Unionist		Swing

General election 6 December 1923: Westbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles Darbishire	10,867	43.2	+1.5
	Unionist	Walter William Shaw	9,891	39.4	+0.4
	Labour	George Ward	4,372	17.4	-1.9
Majority			976	3.8	+1.1
Turnout			25,130	83.5	+2.5
	Liberal hold		Swing	+0.6

General election 1924

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Walter William Shaw	11,559	44.2	+4.8
	Liberal	Charles Darbishire	9,848	37.7	-5.5
	Labour	George Ward	4,731	18.1	+0.7
Majority			1,711	6.5	N/A
Turnout			26,138	84.9	+1.4
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing

1927 Westbury by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Richard Long	10,623	40.1	-4.1
	Liberal	Harcourt Johnstone	10,474	39.5	+1.8
	Labour	George Ward	5,396	20.4	+2.3
Majority			149	0.6	-5.9
Turnout			26,493	84.6	-0.3
	Unionist hold		Swing

General election 1929: Westbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Richard Long	12,907	38.8	-1.3
	Liberal	Harcourt Johnstone	12,840	38.7	-0.8
	Labour	George Ward	7,458	22.5	+2.1
Majority			67	0.1	-0.5
Turnout			33,205	87.1	+2.5
	Unionist hold		Swing	-0.3

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Westbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Grimston	16,949	51.2	+12.4
	Liberal	John Hobbis Harris	11,014	33.3	-5.4
	Labour	Maurice Hackett	5,127	15.5	-7.0
Majority			5,935	17.9	+17.8
Turnout			33,090	85.4	-1.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	+8.9

General election 1935: Westbury

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Grimston	15,804	49.0	-2.2
	Liberal	Charles Byers	10,789	33.5	+0.2
	Labour	R. St John Reade	5,641	17.5	+2.0
Majority			5,015	15.5	-2.4
Turnout			32,234	80.1	-5.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	-1.2

General Election 1939/40

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

• Conservative: Robert Grimston
• Liberal: Harcourt Johnstone[32]
• Labour: George Ward[33]

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Grimston	14,328	39.0	-10.0
	Labour	George Ward	13,397	36.5	+19.0
	Liberal	Walter Geoffrey Milne	9,004	24.5	-9.0
Majority			931	2.5	-13.0
Turnout			36,729	75.5	-4.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	-14.5

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Westbury[34]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Grimston	17,445	39.5	+0.5
	Labour	Reginald James Travess	15,766	35.6	-0.9
	Liberal	Harold Banning Richardson	11,031	24.9	+0.4
Majority			1,679	3.9	+1.4
Turnout			44,242	86.3	+10.8
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1951: Westbury[34]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Grimston	19,654	43.7	+4.2
	Labour	Reginald James Travess	17,623	39.2	+3.6
	Liberal	Harold Banning Richardson	7,666	17.1	-7.8
Majority			2,031	4.5	+0.6
Turnout			44,943	86.2	-0.1
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1955: Westbury[34]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Grimston	19,684	45.6	+1.9
	Labour	Reginald James Travess	16,295	37.8	-1.4
	Liberal	Peter L. M. Hurd	7,165	16.6	-0.5
Majority			3,389	7.8	+3.3
Turnout			43,144	82.4	-3.8
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1959: Westbury[34]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Grimston	20,396	45.6	0.0
	Labour	Jasper Ridley	14,570	32.5	-5.3
	Liberal	Basil Wigoder	9,816	21.9	+5.3
Majority			5,826	13.1	+5.3
Turnout			44,782	84.1	+1.7
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Westbury[34]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dennis Walters	19,950	43.1	-2.5
	Labour	Philip William Hopkins	15,049	32.6	+0.1
	Liberal	Basil Wigoder	11,232	24.3	+2.4
Majority			4,901	10.5	-2.6
Turnout			46,231	82.8	-1.3
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1966: Westbury[34]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dennis Walters	20,989	43.6	+0.5
	Labour	Philip William Hopkins	18,192	37.8	+5.2
	Liberal	Iain Meiklejohn Fowler	8,962	18.6	-5.7
Majority			2,797	5.8	-4.7
Turnout			48,143	82.5	-0.3
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Westbury[34]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dennis Walters	26,524	50.3	+6.7
	Labour	John McLaren	17,413	33.0	-4.8
	Liberal	Robert George Otter	8,781	16.7	-1.9
Majority			9,111	17.3	+11.5
Turnout			52,718	77.0	-5.5
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election February 1974: Westbury [35]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dennis Walters	26,197	43.0	-7.3
	Liberal	A. W. Glyn Court	17,778	29.2	+12.5
	Labour	Anthony J. Smith	16,453	27.0	-6.0
	Wessex Regionalist	Viscount Weymouth	521	0.8	New
Majority			8,419	13.8	-3.5
Turnout			60,949	83.5	+6.5
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election October 1974: Westbury [35]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dennis Walters	24,172	41.7	-1.3
	Liberal	A. W. Glyn Court	18,129	31.3	+2.1
	Labour	Anthony J. Smith	15,613	27.0	0.0
Majority			6,043	10.4	-3.4
Turnout			57,914	78.7	-4.7
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1979: Westbury [35]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dennis Walters	29,929	47.2	+5.5
	Liberal	P. Jackson	15,950	25.1	-6.2
	Labour	P. R. Atkins	12,532	19.8	-7.2
	Independent	S. Alexander	2,547	4.0	New
	Wessex Regionalist	Tom Thatcher	1,905	3.0	New
	Ecology	Sally Rodwell	554	0.9	New
Majority			13,979	22.1	+11.7
Turnout			63,417	79.7	+1.0
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections 1983–2005

General election 1983: Westbury[34][36]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dennis Walters	31,133	51.4
	Liberal	David J. Hughes	22,627	37.4
	Labour	Haydn W. Thomas	6,058	10.0
	Ecology	Paul W. Ekins	609	1.0
	Wessex Regionalist	John C. Banks	131	0.2
Majority			8,506	14.0
Turnout			60,558	75.5
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1987: Westbury [37]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dennis Walters	34,256	51.6	+0.2
	Liberal	David J. Hughes	24,159	36.4	-1.0
	Labour	Haydn W. Thomas	7,982	12.0	+2.0
Majority			10,097	15.2	+1.2
Turnout			66,397	78.2	+2.73
Registered electors			84,860
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.1

General election 1992: Westbury [38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Faber	36,568	50.4	-1.2
	Liberal Democrats	Vivienne A. Rayner	23,950	33.0	-3.4
	Labour	William Stallard	9,642	13.3	+1.3
	Liberal	Paul I. Macdonald	1,440	2.0	New
	Green	Patrick R. French	880	1.2	New
Majority			12,618	17.4	+2.2
Turnout			72,488	82.8	+4.6
Registered electors			87,356
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.1

General election 1997: Westbury [39]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Faber	23,037	40.6	-9.8
	Liberal Democrats	John Miller	16,969	29.9	-3.1
	Labour	Kevin Small	11,969	21.1	+7.8
	Liberal	George Hawkins	1,956	3.4	+1.4
	Referendum	Nick Hawkings-Byass	1,909	3.4	New
	UKIP	R. Westbury	771	1.4	New
	Natural Law	Colin Haysom	140	0.2	New
Majority			6,068	10.7	-6.7
Turnout			56,751	76.2	-6.6
Registered electors			74,457
	Conservative hold		Swing	3.4

General election 2001: Westbury [40]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew Murrison	21,299	42.1	+1.5
	Liberal Democrats	David Vigar	16,005	31.6	+1.7
	Labour	Sarah Cardy	10,847	21.4	+0.3
	UKIP	Charles Booth-James	1,261	2.5	+1.1
	Green	Bob Gledhill	1,216	2.4	New
Majority			5,294	10.5	-0.2
Turnout			50,628	66.6	-9.6
Registered electors			76,056
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.1

General election 2005: Westbury [41]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew Murrison	24,749	44.5	+2.4
	Liberal Democrats	Duncan Hames	19,400	34.9	+3.3
	Labour	Paul Gibby	9,640	17.3	-4.1
	UKIP	Lincoln Williams	1,815	3.3	+0.8
Majority			5,346	9.6	-0.9
Turnout			55,604	67.0	+0.4
Registered electors			82,380
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.4

Notes and references

Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.

1. "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
2. "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
3. Wilfrid Prest, ‘Ley, James, first earl of Marlborough (1550–1629)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004|| online edn, Jan 2008 , accessed 22 Jan 2009.
4. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 2)
5. Expelled from the House of Commons for corrupt misuse of Parliamentary Privilege
6. In December 1702,William Trenchard and Thomas Phipps were returned. A petition was lodged, and the result was overturned on 1 December 1702 in favour of Robert Bertie and Henry Bertie
7. At the general election in January 1715, Willoughby Bertie and Francis Annesley were returned. A petition was lodged, and the result was overturned on 1 June 1715 in favour of the runners-up Lord Carbery and Charles Allanson
8. At the 1722 general election, James Bertie was also elected for Middlesex, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Westbury. A by-election for his seat was held in March 1723
9. At the 1747 general election, John Bance and Paul Methuen were returned. A petition was lodged, and the result was overturned on 16 March 1748 in favour of the runners-up Chauncy Townsend and Paul Methuen
10. The by-election in 1753 was caused by the death of Matthew Michell
11. The by-election in 1770 was caused by the appointment of William Blackstone as a judge of the King's Bench
12. later Regius Professor of Civil Law at Oxford
13. Created a baronet, December 1782
14. Ellis was also elected for Seaford, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Westbury
15. Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. pp. 121–123. Retrieved 22 December 2018 – via Google Books.
16. Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. p. 38. Retrieved 22 December 2018 – via Google Books.
17. "John Ivatt Briscoe". Legacies of British Slave-ownership. University College London. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
18. "Pamphlet: A Letter on the Nature and Effects of the Tread-Wheel". British Library. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
19. A Member of the Middle Temple (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: With An Abstract of the Law of Election, and the Usages of Parliament. London: Scott, Webster, and Geary. pp. 38, 70 – via Google Books.
20. "The General Election". Morning Post. 24 July 1847. p. 3. Retrieved 6 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
21. Rosser, Alexander S. (2009). "Businessmen in the House of Commons: A Comparative Study of the 1852–1857 and the 1895–1900 Parliaments". KU Scholar Works. University of Kansas. p. 65. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
22. Roberts, F. David (2002). The Social Conscience of the Early Victorians. Stanford: Stanford University Press. p. 123. ISBN 9780804780933. Retrieved 22 July 2018 – via Google Books.
23. The election of 1868 was held void on petition, and a by-election held
24. Created a baronet, 1952
25. Farrell, Stephen. "Westbury". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
26. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) |format= requires |url= (help) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. p. 326. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
27. "Local Intelligence". Salisbury and Winchester Journal. 31 July 1847. p. 3. Retrieved 22 December 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
28. "Election Petitions". Bolton Evening News. 6 February 1869. p. 4. Retrieved 22 March 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
29. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. p. 417. ISBN 9781349022984.
30. "West Wilts Parliamentary Election". Warminster and Westbury Journal and Wilts County Advertiser. 2 July 1886. p. 4. Retrieved 14 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
31. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig, F. W. S. (1974)
32. The Liberal Magazine, 1939
33. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
34. F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1973
35. The Times, House of Commons
36. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
37. "UK General Election results June 1987". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
38. "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
39. "Westbury: General Election result, May 1997". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
40. "Westbury: General Election result, May 1997". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
41. "UK General Election results May 2005". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 1 February 2011.

Sources

• Guardian Unlimited (2004). Ask Aristotle - Westbury. Retrieved 16 November 2004.
• D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
• "Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803" (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808)