BBC Profile:
The electoral history of this constituency is a short one. As Woodspring, it only came into existence in 1983 and has been represented by just two MPs, both of them Conservatives.
When the seat was created the sitting MP for North Somerset Sir Paul Dean chose to contest the new constituency (four-fifths of which had been drawn from his old one). He represented Woodspring with large majorities until he retired in 1992. Sir Paul's successor was Dr Liam Fox, who remains the incumbent Tory MP. Dr Fox retained the seat in 2005 with a reduced majority of 6,016.
The seat, now renamed North Somerset, is geographically the larger of the two parliamentary constituencies of the North Somerset Unitary Authority - the smaller being Weston-Super-Mare.
Situated between Bristol and Weston-Super-Mare, it is home to many commuters working in the two urban centres.
Its largest town, Clevedon, is a Victorian resort with 23,000 inhabitants. It is primarily a residential town for commuters to Bristol, but attracts a significant number of tourists too.
To the north, Portishead is only slightly smaller and has a more industrial history. A coal-operated power station was built along its docks and for 50 years the frequent arrival of ships bearing coal sustained the relatively small marina. The power station closed in 1980, and the docks are now the site of a major redevelopment.
Nailsea is a former coal-mining centre that became famous for its glass in the 18th and 1
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BBC Profile:
The electoral history of this constituency is a short one. As Woodspring, it only came into existence in 1983 and has been represented by just two MPs, both of them Conservatives.
When the seat was created the sitting MP for North Somerset Sir Paul Dean chose to contest the new constituency (four-fifths of which had been drawn from his old one). He represented Woodspring with large majorities until he retired in 1992. Sir Paul's successor was Dr Liam Fox, who remains the incumbent Tory MP. Dr Fox retained the seat in 2005 with a reduced majority of 6,016.
The seat, now renamed North Somerset, is geographically the larger of the two parliamentary constituencies of the North Somerset Unitary Authority - the smaller being Weston-Super-Mare.
Situated between Bristol and Weston-Super-Mare, it is home to many commuters working in the two urban centres.
Its largest town, Clevedon, is a Victorian resort with 23,000 inhabitants. It is primarily a residential town for commuters to Bristol, but attracts a significant number of tourists too.
To the north, Portishead is only slightly smaller and has a more industrial history. A coal-operated power station was built along its docks and for 50 years the frequent arrival of ships bearing coal sustained the relatively small marina. The power station closed in 1980, and the docks are now the site of a major redevelopment.
Nailsea is a former coal-mining centre that became famous for its glass in the 18th and 19th centuries. The closure of the glassworks rendered the town dependent on cider production and agricultural activity until the 1950s, when it was identified by the county as a convenient place of residence for workers in Bristol, eight miles away.
Rallings & Thrasher Notional:
C 21,631 (41.81%)
LD 15,624 (30.20%)
Lab 11,267 (21.78%)
Green 1,309 (2.53%)
UKIP 1,272 (2.46%)
Others 633 (1.22%)
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