Woking is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024byWill 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.
Woking | |
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Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
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Boundaries since 2024
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Boundary of Woking in South East England
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County | Surrey |
Electorate | 71,737 (2023)[1] |
Major settlements |
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Current constituency | |
Created | 1950 |
Member of Parliament | Will Forster (Liberal Democrat) |
Created from |
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The seat comprises the Borough of Woking, which has one definitive town: Woking. Voters average wealthier than the UK average.[2]
It was created in 1950 from the county constituenciesofChertsey and lightly populated parts of Farnham.[n 1]
With exceptions only in 1974 (February election), 1997, 2005 and 2010 this constituency, which stood a little larger in geography than in 2024, returned a Conservative whose majority exceeded 15% of votes cast. At successive 2015 and 2017 general elections, the Labour candidates polled in second place whereas in 2019, the Lib Dem candidate did so. Similarly diversely, those results have been emulated locally eight and nine times, respectively.
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]
The Liberal Democrats in 2024 have a sizeable majority on Woking Borough Council and there is one strong Labour-voting ward (Canalside); historically the Conservatives have been the dominant force on that council. Local Conservatives won previously relevant Guildford wards of Pirbright and Normandy over many election cycles, but these two small villages become part of the Surrey Heath constituency from 2024, per boundary changes.
The 1974-recipient seat of Frimley and Camberley was North West Surrey (abolished in 1997). The 1997-recipient of Ash and Ash Vale was Surrey Heath. The constituency is based around the town of WokinginSurrey. The Boundary Commission for England made no boundary changes for Woking in the review before the 2010 general election.
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, the composition of the constituency from the 2024 United Kingdom general election reduced further by transferring the Pirbright and Normandy wards to the constituency of Surrey Heath. The boundaries became coterminous with those of the Borough of Woking.[4]
Election | 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 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrats | Will Forster[7] | 24,019 | 49.9% | +18.8% | |
Conservative | Jonathan Lord | 12,773 | 26.5% | –21.8% | |
Reform UK | Richard Barker[8] | 4,888 | 10.2% | +10.2% | |
Labour | Ese Erheriene[9] | 4,444 | 9.2% | –7.5% | |
Green | Nataly Anderson[10] | 1,853 | 3.8% | +1.0% | |
Heritage | Tim Read | 168 | 0.3% | +0.3% | |
Majority | 11,246 | 23.26% | |||
Turnout | 48,145 | 66% | –4.40% | ||
Registered electors | 72,977 | ||||
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +20.3 |
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 |
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 | new | |
Majority | 16,724 | 30.2 | 9.8 | ||
Turnout | 55,246 | 72.5 | 2.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | 4.9 |
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 | New | |
CISTA | Declan Wade | 229 | 0.4 | New | |
Magna Carta Conservation Party Great Britain | Ruth Temple | 77 | 0.1 | New | |
The Evolution Party | Angela Woolford | 41 | 0.1 | New | |
Majority | 20,810 | 40.0 | +27.1 | ||
Turnout | 51,964 | 70.0 | −1.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −1.1 |
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 | New | |
Magna Carta Conservation Party Great Britain | Ruth Temple | 44 | 0.1 | New | |
Majority | 6,807 | 12.9 | −1.5 | ||
Turnout | 52,786 | 71.5 | +8.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −0.7 |
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 | New | |
Majority | 6,612 | 14.4 | -1.3 | ||
Turnout | 46,045 | 63.4 | +3.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −0.7 |
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 |
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 | New | |
Referendum | Christopher Skeate | 2,209 | 4.3 | New | |
UKIP | Michael Harvey | 512 | 1.0 | New | |
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.
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 | New | |
Majority | 19,842 | 31.0 | +4.3 | ||
Turnout | 64,028 | 79.2 | +4.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.1 |
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 |
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 | New | |
Majority | 16,237 | 28.9 | -4.2 | ||
Turnout | 56,193 | 71.7 | -4.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -5.1 |
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 |
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 | New | |
Majority | 8,735 | 17.64 | +3.72 | ||
Turnout | 49,531 | 72.93 | -7.94 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.9 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 | New | |
Majority | 13,336 | 22.12 | -12.68 | ||
Turnout | 60,289 | 78.09 | +0.74 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -6.3 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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) |