Bristol (European Parliament Constituency)
Bristol was a European Parliament constituency centred on Bristol in England, but covering much of Avon. Until 1984, it included parts of southern Gloucestershire and northwestern Wiltshire.
Prior to its uniform adoption of proportional representation in 1999, the United Kingdom used first-past-the-post for the European elections in England, Scotland and Wales. The European Parliament constituencies used under that system were smaller than the later regional constituencies and only had one Member of the European Parliament each.
When it was created in England in 1979, it consisted of the Westminster Parliament constituencies of Bristol North East, Bristol North West, Bristol South, Bristol South East, Bristol West, Chippenham, Gloucestershire South and Kingswood. In 1984, Chippenham and Gloucestershire South were replaced by Bath, Northavon and Wansdyke, while Bristol North East and Bristol South East were merged to form Bristol East. In 1994, Bath and Wansdyke were replaced by Woodspring.
The seat became part of the much larger South West England constituency in 1999.
Read more about Bristol (European Parliament Constituency): Members of The European Parliament, Results
Famous quotes containing the words bristol and/or parliament:
“Through the port comes the moon-shine astray!
It tips the guard’s cutlass and silvers this nook;
But ‘twill die in the dawning of Billy’s last day.
A jewel-block they’ll make of me to-morrow,
Pendant pearl from the yard-arm-end
Like the ear-drop I gave to Bristol Molly—
O, ‘tis me, not the sentence they’ll suspend.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“At the ramparts on the cliff near the old Parliament House I counted twenty-four thirty-two-pounders in a row, pointed over the harbor, with their balls piled pyramid-wise between them,—there are said to be in all about one hundred and eighty guns mounted at Quebec,—all which were faithfully kept dusted by officials, in accordance with the motto, “In time of peace prepare for war”; but I saw no preparations for peace: she was plainly an uninvited guest.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)