Boundaries
As the name suggests, the constituency covers most of north Wiltshire. However it excludes the town of Swindon which is represented by North Swindon and South Swindon.
North Wiltshire constituency was formed for the 1983 general election, with boundaries identical to the former Chippenham constituency (1885–1983). The constituency sits between the Cotswolds and Swindon. Its main towns are Calne, Wootton Bassett, Cricklade and Malmesbury, and it also contains a number of villages, both small and large, spread over a large area of farming countryside, including the well-known picturesque village of Box.
From the 2010 general election the North Wiltshire constituency changed radically as a result of boundary change recommendations. The name was retained by the northernmost part of the current constituency, focused on the towns of Malmesbury, Cricklade, Wootton Bassett and Calne (the furthest south) while the largest town of Chippenham was given its own seat (which was previously abolished in 1983) encompassing the nearby market towns of Bradford on Avon and Melksham. The sitting North Wiltshire member James Gray successfully stood for the new North Wiltshire seat.
While North Wiltshire has a long history of returning Conservative candidates, its district council (created in 1973 and abolished in 2009) was closely contested between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.
Read more about this topic: North Wiltshire (UK Parliament Constituency)
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