Constituency

 
About the Romsey and Southampton North Constituency

Following the last review of parliamentary boundaries the new seat of Romsey and Southampton North was created. It contains the Southern and central wards of Test Valley Borough and the two wards of Bassett and Swaythling in Southampton City.
 
Political History of the Seat

As this is a new seat Caroline Nokes is the only MP to ever have held it. However the former Romsey seat was held by the late Michael Colvin MP (1997-2000) and former MP Sandra Gidley (2000-2010).

Before that time Romsey was part of the Romsey and Waterside seat (Michael Colvin MP 1983-1997).

 

The centre of the constituency is the historic market town of Romsey, which sits alongside the famous River Test, known the world over for its fly fishing.  There is a medieval Abbey in the centre of the town, which was sold by Henry VIII for £100.

However, most of the population of this constituency live outside of Romsey, with approximately 20,000 of the electorate coming from the two wards of Bassett and Swaythling in Southampton.  The University is right on the edge of the constituency, but with many of the halls of residence falling within Romsey and Southampton North.  At Chilworth there is the Southampton University Science Park, and in Swaythling the largest employer is Ford, where the Transit is manufactured.

Romsey is surrounded by a number of smaller parishes and villages, and the constituency stretches all the way north of the A303 at Longparish.  It is also home to the Army Air Corps and the School of Army Aviation at Middle Wallop.