Bristol South (UK Parliament constituency)

Bristol South is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Karin Smyth of the Labour Party.

Constituency profile
Bristol South is a traditional white working class seat. Residents' wealth is around average for the UK.

Boundaries
The constituency covers the south-west of Bristol, bounded by the Avon New Cut to the north, the A37 Wells Road to the east, and the city boundaries to the south and west.

1885–1918: The Borough of Bristol wards of Bedminster East, Bedminster West, Bristol, and Redcliffe, and part of the civil parish of Bedminster.

1918–1950: The County Borough of Bristol wards of Bedminster East, Bedminster West, and Southville, and part of Somerset ward.

1950–1955: The County Borough of Bristol wards of Bedminster, Somerset, Southville, and Windmill Hill.

1955–1983: The County Borough of Bristol wards of Bedminster, Bishopsworth, Hengrove, Somerset, and Southville.

1983–1997: The City of Bristol wards of Bedminster, Bishopsworth, Filwood, Hartcliffe, Knowle, Southville, Whitchurch Park, and Windmill Hill.

1997–2024: The City of Bristol wards of Bedminster, Bishopsworth, Filwood, Hartcliffe, Hengrove, Knowle, Southville, Whitchurch Park, and Windmill Hill.

2024–present: The City of Bristol wards of Bedminster; Bishopsworth; Filwood; Hartcliffe & Withywood; Hengrove & Whitchurch Park; Southville; and Windmill Hill.
 * To bring the electorate within the permitted range, the Knowle ward was moved to Bristol East.

History
The seat has elected Labour MPs at every election since 1935, the only seat in the south of England outside Greater London with such a record. The closest result, giving a marginal majority, was the 1987 election where Dawn Primarolo won a majority of 2.7% of the vote — in that election the Social Democratic Party, a 'moderate' breakaway party from the Labour Party, won 19.6% of the vote.

The incumbent prior to Smyth was Baroness Dawn Primarolo who held the seat for 28 years. She was a Minister of the Crown in the Blair Ministry and throughout the Coalition Government 2010 was a Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons.