South Cotswolds: General Constituency 2024

The South Cotswolds might bring to mind bucolic villages and charming market towns.

But is life there really a rural idyll – and is it still a Tory stronghold?

The seat is one of the newly formed constituencies contesting for the first time in this general election.

So what is the South Cotswolds constituency and what will the changes mean?

The new seat takes up almost half of the old Cotswold constituency – including Cirencester and its environs such as Lechlade, Fairford and Tetbury – but also Kingswood near Wotton-under-Edge (not to be confused with the Bristol district of the same name).

And then it includes many parts of North Wiltshire such as Malmesbury, Cricklade, Castle Combe and Minety.

It also covers the King’s Highgrove residence – although convention dictates that the monarch does not actually vote.

Both the former North Wiltshire and Cotswolds seats were staunchly Tory and represented by long-standing Tories for decades.

In the Cotswolds, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown served as MP from 1992 to 2024, and down the road, James Gray was elected in 1997.

But some polls indicate a shift to the Liberal Democrats.

The new constituency covers some of the most expensive places to live in the country.

The average house price is now more than £430,000 and there is a lot of talk about the availability of homes and affordability for first time buyers.

There are thousands of homes being built at Steadings, near Cirencester, but concern about the impact on local NHS services and schools.

Almost half the population is over 50, so social care, the NHS and bus services are important.

In this largely rural area, it’s no surprise that agriculture is also high on the agenda, along with rural crime and broadband.

According to the 2021 census, over 95% of the population is white, three-quarters own their own home and the median income is £48,000.

Martin Broomfield – Social Democratic Party

James Gray – Conservative

Owen Humphreys – Independent

Roz Savage – Liberal Democrats

Sandy Steele – Independent

Chris Twells – Liberal Party