Lab took this seat from Con after 4 consecutive elections.
MP News Approval i
+56
Matt Bishop
Labour PartyMatt Bishop is the Labour MP for Forest of Dean, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.
A vote on whether to allow a Bill to be introduced that would replace the current first-past-the-post voting system with proportional representation (specifically single transferable vote) for UK parliamentary and English local government elections. The Bill was proposed by Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olney, arguing the current system produces large parliamentary majorities on small vote shares.
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Sign up freeCoverage of Forest of Dean has been mixed for Matt across 40 recent articles.
Positive coverage
“Starmer warns Travelodge boss after hotel sex attack” — Greatest Hits Radio
“PM warns Travelodge CEO to 'seriously engage' with MPs after 'appalling' hotel sex attack” — Yahoo News UK
A marginal seat — won by just 278 votes (0.6%) in 2024. Covers Lydney, Cinderford and Coleford (Forest of Dean). Population 87,019, notably older (median age 48 vs 41 nationally). Recorded crime is 43% below the national average.
Man arrested after break-in at charity site at Heritage railway
Cotswold Journal · 9 Apr 2026
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Sign up freeMedian Income▼
£26,900
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Mean Income▼
£34,400
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Businesses▼
4,070
VAT/PAYE registered (ONS 2024)
Schools▼
58
48 primary, 6 secondary, 4 other
Total Income Tax▼
£242m
from 50,000 taxpayers
Median Tax▼
£2,600
per taxpayer / year
Mean Tax
£4,890
per taxpayer / year
Source: HMRC Survey of Personal Incomes, tax year 2022-23. Allocated by taxpayer residence. Covers income tax only — excludes NI, VAT, and capital gains. Sample-based estimate (~8% confidence interval).
Attainment 8▼
41.8
average score (DfE)
GCSE Pass Rate▼
58.2%
5+ GCSEs 9-4 (DfE)
4 towns, 24 villages, rural areas — 91,554 total population
Source: ONS Built-Up Areas (Census 2021) + data.police.uk — crime rates are per 1,000 population (last 3 months)
Source: data.police.uk — street-level crime data aggregated from LSOA to constituency
40 councillors across 22 wards · Last elections: May 2023
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berry Hill | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Jamie Elsmore | May 2023 |
| Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Tim Gwilliam | May 2023 | |
| Bream | Green Party of England and Wales | Alison Jennifer Bruce | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Beth Llewellyn | May 2023 | |
| Cinderford East | Labour Party | Di Martin | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Matt Bishop | May 2023 | |
| Cinderford West | Labour Party | Jacob Edward Sanders | May 2023 |
| Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Mark David Turner | May 2023 | |
| Coleford | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Clive Terence Elsmore | May 2023 |
| Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Ian Whitburn | May 2023 | |
| Labour Party | Patrick Joseph Kyne | May 2023 | |
| Dymock | Liberal Democrats | Gill Kilmurray | May 2023 |
| Hartpury Redmarley | Conservative and Unionist Party | Clayton Williams | May 2023 |
| Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Philip Howard Joseph Burford | May 2023 | |
| Highnam With Haw Bridge | Conservative and Unionist Party | Jill Kate Smith | May 2023 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Paul Dermot McLain | May 2023 | |
| Longhope Huntley | Green Party of England and Wales | David Stephen Tradgett | May 2023 |
| Independent Berwick Hills Resident | John Charles Francis | May 2023 | |
| Lydbrook | Green Party of England and Wales | Syd Phelps | May 2023 |
| Lydney East | Conservative and Unionist Party | Alan Preest | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Andrew Raymond McDermid | May 2023 | |
| Independent Berwick Hills Resident | James Arthur Bevan | May 2023 | |
| Lydney North | Conservative and Unionist Party | Harry Joseph Ives | May 2023 |
| Lydney West Aylburton | Green Party of England and Wales | Mark Topping | May 2023 |
| Mitcheldean Ruardean Drybrook | Green Party of England and Wales | Jackie Fraser | May 2023 |
| Labour Party | Shaun Stammers | May 2023 | |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Trevor Benjamin Roach | May 2023 | |
| Newent Taynton | Liberal Democrats | Gill Moseley | May 2023 |
| Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Julia Denise Gooch | May 2023 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Julie Hudson | May 2023 | |
| Newland Sling | Green Party of England and Wales | David Andrew John Wheeler | May 2023 |
| Newnham | Green Party of England and Wales | Andy Moore | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Richard William Burton | May 2023 | |
| Pillowell | Green Party of England and Wales | Jackie Dale | May 2023 |
| Ruspidge | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Bernie O'Neill | May 2023 |
| St Briavels | Green Party of England and Wales | Chris McFarling | May 2023 |
| Tidenham | Green Party of England and Wales | Adrian Birch | May 2023 |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Johnathan Lane | May 2023 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Nick Evans | May 2023 | |
| Westbury On Severn | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Simon Charles Phelps | May 2023 |
Source: DCLEAPIL v1.0 by Jason Leman, LEAP (Andrew Teale) & Democracy Club. CC BY-SA 4.0. Data last refreshed: 1 Apr 2026.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lab | 16,373 | 34.0% | |
Won 2019 GEWon 2017 GEWon 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 16,095 | 33.5% |
| Ref | 8,194 | 17.0% | |
| Green | 4,735 | 9.8% | |
| LD | 2,604 | 5.4% | |
| Ind | 90 | 0.2% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2017 GEWon 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 30,680 | 59.6% |
| Lab | 14,811 | 28.8% | |
| Green | 4,681 | 9.1% | |
| Ind | 1,303 | 2.5% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2019 GEWon 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 28,096 | 54.3% |
| Lab | 18,594 | 35.9% | |
| LD | 2,029 | 3.9% | |
| Green | 1,241 | 2.4% | |
| Ind | 1,237 | 2.4% | |
| Ind | 570 | 1.1% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2019 GEWon 2017 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 23,191 | 46.8% |
| Lab | 12,204 | 24.6% | |
| Ind | 8,792 | 17.8% | |
| Green | 2,703 | 5.5% | |
| LD | 2,630 | 5.3% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2019 GEWon 2017 GEWon 2015 GE | Con | 22,853 | 46.9% |
| Lab | 11,789 | 24.2% | |
| LD | 10,676 | 21.9% | |
| Ind | 2,522 | 5.2% | |
| Green | 923 | 1.9% |
Matt Bishop appeared in 1 national article across 2 topics (14 Apr 2026 – 14 Apr 2026)
Negative (-0.70)Ranked #120 of 286 MPs mentioned in national coverage
Bishop's public opposition to the council's local plan undermined efforts to deliver government housing policy and prompted a cabinet member's resignation, suggesting poor coordination with local implementation.
16 articles hidden as not sufficiently relevant to this constituency
A burglary occurred at the Dean Forest Railway in Lydney, with a 39-year-old man arrested after stealing items from a railway carriage restaurant and donation boxes. All stolen items have been recovered and returned to the heritage site.
Raymond's Stores, a family-run retail business with decades of history in Lydney and Coleford, has closed its Lydney location on March 28 after nearly 70 years of operation. The closure reflects broader challenges facing high street retailers, though the Coleford carpet store remains open.
Plans for a KFC drive-thru restaurant and industrial units in Coleford are due for Forest of Dean District Council approval on April 14, expected to create 35 jobs. The proposal has faced objections from 13 residents over concerns about littering, anti-social behaviour, traffic congestion, and health impacts, though planning officers recommend approval.
Raymonds, a family-owned clothes shop in Lydney that operated for 70 years, has permanently closed. The closure is a significant loss for the local community, with customers expressing sadness about the departure of a long-established institution.
University of Gloucestershire researchers have compiled a book honouring Catherine Drew, a 19th-century Forest of Dean poet known as 'The Forest Poetess', whose rediscovered manuscripts and poems document the area's industrial transformation. The collection, held at the Dean Heritage Centre, showcases Drew's exceptional literary legacy and provides valuable historical records of how coal, iron, and railways changed the Forest of Dean landscape.
A folklore and literary analysis article exploring the origins and symbolism of the owl in Shakespeare's time, using the tale of 'The Baker's Daughter' as a case study. The piece traces local Gloucestershire folklore traditions and their connection to Shakespearean references, examining how cautionary tales reflected medieval winter hardship and moral lessons.
An 88-year-old widow was seriously injured in Viney Hill, Forest of Dean when her mobility scooter nosedived into a pothole, trapping her underneath and causing a severe arm wound requiring five hours of hospital treatment. The incident highlights the poor condition of local roads, with Pat Lowe calling on the council to address the dangerous pothole problem that she says has worsened significantly due to heavy rain.
A body has been found during the search for a 77-year-old man from the Forest of Dean area who went missing in early March. The death is not being treated as suspicious and formal identification is pending.
A British man in his 50s from County Durham has become the seventh British tourist to die in Cape Verde since January 2023, following a severe gastric illness contracted at a five-star resort. The article highlights a pattern of illness among British holidaymakers, with over 1,700 people represented by solicitors, and reports of shigella bacteria detected in irrigation water and fresh produce on the islands.
A seventh British tourist has died in Cape Verde in three years following gastric illness, with one victim from Lydney, Gloucestershire. The article documents a pattern of illness among British holidaymakers linked to contaminated water and food, with over 1,700 affected tourists now represented by solicitors.
Seven British holidaymakers have died in Cape Verde over three years after contracting gastric illnesses, with one recent victim from Lydney, Gloucestershire. Cape Verde authorities have confirmed shigella bacteria in irrigation water and food, prompting investigations and hygiene guidance.
Police are conducting helicopter searches for a 40-year-old man named Gavin who went missing from his home in Lydney, Forest of Dean, on Saturday morning. The search involves Gloucestershire Constabulary, the Severn Area Rescue Association, and the National Police Air Service, with focus on the Lydney harbour area.
The article profiles two people from the Gloucestershire area—Karol from Dorking and Vicki from Newent—who have donated stem cells to save strangers' lives, inspired by their own families' experiences with blood cancer. It promotes stem cell donation as a simple, accessible way for ordinary people to help others and encourages readers to register as donors.
This article covers Women's Six Nations squad announcements and women's rugby results from the Gloucestershire region. England captain Zoe Stratford of Gloucester-Hartpury announced her pregnancy and will miss the tournament, with multiple players from local clubs including Gloucester-Hartpury, Cheltenham Tigers, and other Forest of Dean area teams featured in various squad selections and match reports.
The Prime Minister has written to Travelodge's CEO urging greater engagement with MPs following a sexual assault at a Maidenhead hotel in 2022. Matt Bishop, MP for Forest of Dean, was among those who met with the CEO earlier this month, though the company later declined to meet with a wider group of MPs.
Gloucestershire County Council has announced 55 road resurfacing schemes across the county taking place between April and June, with an additional £15 million investment in highways over three years. Several roads within Forest of Dean constituency are included in the programme, including the A4151 New Road in Cinderford and roads around Newent and Redmarley.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has demanded Travelodge's CEO engage directly with MPs over women's safety concerns following a sexual assault at a Maidenhead hotel in 2022. Forest of Dean MP Matt Bishop is among nearly 100 MPs working on potential legislation to toughen hotel safety measures, and is co-authoring a 10-minute rule bill with Labour MP Jen Craft.
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