Didcot and Wantage
Didcot and Wantage is a constituency of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament. Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, it was first contested at the 2024 general election. The seat was won by Olly Glover representing the Liberal Democrats.
The constituency is named for the towns of Didcot and Wantage in Oxfordshire.
Constituency profile
Didcot and Wantage is a mostly rural constituency located in Oxfordshire. Its largest town is Didcot, which has a population of around 32,000. Other settlements in the constituency include the towns of Wantage and Wallingford and the large village of Grove. Didcot is an important railway town and Wantage and Wallingford are historic market towns. The Harwell Science and Innovation Campus is a significant local employer. The constituency is generally affluent with low levels of deprivation.Residents of the constituency have high rates of education and professional employment, and household income is considerably higher than the national average. At the 2021 census, White people made up 92% of the population. Most of the constituency is represented by Liberal Democrats at the local council level, with some Labour Party councillors in Didcot and Greens in rural areas. An estimated 53% of voters in the constituency supported remaining in the European Union in the 2016 referendum compared to 48% nationwide.
History
A campaign to change the name of the previous Wantage constituency to include 'Didcot' dates back to at least 2016.Boundaries
The constituency is composed of the following :- The District of South Oxfordshire wards of: Cholsey; Didcot North East; Didcot South; Didcot West; Sandford & the Wittenhams; Wallingford.
- The District of Vale of White Horse wards of: Blewbury & Harwell; Drayton; Grove North; Hendreds; Ridgeway; Stanford; Steventon & the Hanneys; Sutton Courtenay; Wantage & Grove Brook; Wantage Charlton.