South West · England · 71,571Boundary · 2023

Bridgwater

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Created in the 2023 boundary review, replacing Bridgwater and West Somerset.

Dispatch
Apr 2026

Won by Con in its first election in 2024 by 3.4%. Covers Bridgwater, Burnham-on-Sea and North Petherton. Population 99,660. Median income £26K (below average).

A Conservative backbencher primarily aligned with his party, Ashley Fox made his most notable recent moves on assisted dying, where he broke with the majority of Conservative MPs across five separate votes in June 2025. His position was notably more sceptical of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill's safeguards than most colleagues -- he voted to tighten the definition of terminal illness to exclude voluntary starvation, while rejecting amendments the Conservative majority supported. His voting data also flags a significant deviation on pension protection: he votes 0% in line with that stance against a party average of 47%, consistent with his recent votes backing Lords amendments that restricted government powers over pension fund investment.

Fox participates in 79% of votes -- slightly below the Commons average -- and votes with his party 96.6% of the time, making him broadly a reliable Conservative loyalist. He is consistently pro-business (90%), anti-tax-increases (88%), and supportive of parliamentary and Lords scrutiny (86% and 100% respectively). His speeches concentrate heavily on the economy, local government, fiscal policy, and crime, matching his seat on the Justice Committee. He deviates notably above his party average on NHS funding and public health stances.

384
Commons votes
This parliament
£26k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
71.6k
Electorate
2024 GE

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§ 06This week in Westminster.Live · today’s sittingOrder Paper · refreshed daily

Fox’s scheduled Commons activity this week — whipped divisions, oral questions, debates — drawn from the House of Commons Order Paper.

§ 07The record, at a glance.398 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Fox has cast the most ballots — a proxy for engagement, not direction. Notable votes are the moments where the whip was free or where they broke ranks.

Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted · cumulative this Parliament
Taxation
93
Economy
84
Employment
48
Crime & Policing
42
Education
29
Constitution and Democracy
26
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment (b) to New Clause 1413 Jun 2025
No
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: New Clause 213 Jun 2025
No
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 1220 Jun 2025 · free vote
No
§ 08The local picture.8 wards

Constituencies are not uniform. Below — the local council make-up, key facts worth knowing, and the neighbouring seats on either side.

WardCouncillorVotesParty
Bridgwater East BawdripAndy Dingwall1,099Conserva
Bridgwater East BawdripDiogo Rodrigues1,188Conserva
Bridgwater North CentralHilary Bruce511Labour P
Bridgwater North CentralLeigh Redman589Labour P
Bridgwater SouthBrian Smedley768Labour P
Bridgwater SouthKathy Pearce804Labour P
Bridgwater WestGill Slocombe1,040Conserva
Bridgwater WestLance John Duddridge956Conserva
Burnham On Sea NorthPeter Burridge-Clayton1,561Conserva
CanningtonBrian Bolt1,234Conserva
CanningtonMike Caswell1,271Conserva
Highbridge Burnham SouthAlistair Hendry804Conserva
Population (2021 Census)
99,660
Electorate 71,571 · 2024 register
Median income
£25,700
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
19.4%
England average 20.0%
Schools
41
31 primary · 5 secondary
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More constituency data is being added, including local issue analysis and historical trends. Learn about our methodology. View data sources & attribution.