Frequently Asked Questions — Oxford West and Abingdon Constituency

Who won the Oxford West and Abingdon constituency election in 2010?

Conservative gained Oxford West and Abingdon constituency at the 6 May 2010 General Election, taking the seat from Liberal Democrats. Conservative won with a majority of 176 votes (0.3%). Turnout was 65.3%.

What was the swing in Oxford West and Abingdon at the 2010 election?

The swing in Oxford West and Abingdon was 7.8% from LD to CON — a significant shift towards CON. Swing is calculated using the Butler two-party formula: the average of the change in winner's vote share and the fall in the runner-up's vote share compared to the previous election here.

What does swing mean in UK elections?

Swing measures how much support has shifted between two parties compared to a previous election. The Butler swing formula — used in British election reporting since the 1950s — takes the average of the gain in the winner's vote share and the loss in the runner-up's. A 5% swing is considered large at ward level; anything above 10% is exceptional. The swing figure for Oxford West and Abingdon in 2010 is shown in the statistics above.