Bristol (European Parliament Constituency)

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.