Meon Valley (/ˈmiːɒn/) was a parliamentary constituency[n 1] in Hampshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was represented from its 2010 creation by George Hollingbery and from 2019 to 2024 by Flick Drummond.[n 2]
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the constituency was abolished and divided between three new seats.[2] The bulk of the constituency namely Waterlooville and the surrounding villages were moved to Fareham and Waterlooville. Horndean was be moved to East Hampshire, offsetting losses moved into the new cross-county Surrey seat of Farnham and Bordon. Other western areas moved into Winchester and Hamble Valley.
Meon Valley was a generally rural constituency, and an affluent safe seat[3] for the Conservatives. The largest towns in the constituency are Waterlooville and Horndean.
Output areas in the area in 2001 displayed higher than average incomes overall compared to the national average.[4] In the 2011 census, incidence of home ownership and incidence of semi-detached and detached properties all exceeded the national average and were some of the highest figures for the region.[5]
The seat was formed in 2010 by the Boundary Commission for England as an extra constituency in Hampshire, with electoral wards from the East Hampshire, Havant and Winchester constituencies.
The 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies proposed to break up the Meon Valley constituency, with the parliamentary constituencies of Winchester, Fareham and Waterlooville and East Hampshire taking over areas of the constituency. The plans went through Parliament by July 2023.[6]
When created, the notional result was based on ward data from the previous seats' general election results. The new constituency takes in territory from the then Liberal Democrat-held Winchester and Conservative-held East Hampshire with uncertain swing between the two parties . Estimates were that the Conservative majority if the seat had existed in 2005 would have been around 2,000 votes. At the 2010 election however, the seat saw one of the largest Liberal Democrat to Conservative swings (9.4%), and the Conservative candidate George Hollingbery was elected with a majority of over 12,000. A similar swing was recorded in the neighbouring Winchester seat, which was a Conservative gain. It would now take a swing of almost 12% for any party to gain Meon Valley and more than 24% swing for Labour.
Following the 2015 general election it is one of the safest Conservative seats in the country.
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished prior to the 2024 general election, with its contents distributed four ways:[2]
50°54′00″N 1°01′26″W / 50.900°N 1.024°W / 50.900; -1.024