Slough is a large, industrial town that is sometimes considered part of the London commuter belt; the town is located around 20 miles (32km) west of the centre of the capital. The town developed around Slough Trading Estate, one of the largest industrial estates in Europe. The estate was established in 1920 and the town grew rapidly in population, attracting workers from across the UK and abroad. Slough forms part of the high-techM4 corridor and is close to Heathrow Airport, the busiest airport in Europe. Most of the town has high levels of deprivation, although the eastern suburbs are more affluent. Most residents live in dense flats or terraces; house prices are generally similar to the UK average but lower than the rest of South East England.
Slough has a large population of middle-aged adults with families and a very low proportion of retirees. Residents have average rates of income, low levels of homeownership, and the child poverty rate is in line with the overall UK rate. They have average levels of education and a high proportion work in the retail, manufacturing and technology sectors. The percentage of residents claiming unemployment benefits is high.
Slough is an ethnically diverse constituency. Asians were the largest ethnic group at the 2021 census; they made up 48% of the population, roughly evenly-split between people of Indian and Pakistani origin. Slough has one of the UK's largest Sikh communities, who made up 11% of residents in 2021. White people were 35% of the population, around one-third of whom were of non-British origin including large Polish and Romanian populations. Black people made up 8% of residents.
From 1945 to 1983 most of the area presently covered by this seat was in the Eton and Slough constituency, which was a marginal seat usually held by the Labour Party. The Labour MP from 1950 to 1964 was the veteran politician Fenner Brockway, a radical progressive social democrat, who led in writing on pacifism, prison reform, anti-colonialism and anti-discrimination, was editor of the Labour Leader, attended talks by the Fabian Society and had joined the fledgling Independent Labour Party in 1907. It was also held by Labour government minister Joan Lester from 1966 until its abolition in 1983.
The Slough constituency was created from the bulk of the Eton and Slough seat for the 1983 election, when it was won by the Conservatives. Fiona Mactaggart captured it for Labour at the landslideelection of 1997 and have retained since then, with Tan Dhesi succeeding Mactaggart in 2017. It is now considered to be a safe Labour seat.
Boundaries and boundary changes
Map of 2010–2024 boundaries
1983–1997
The Borough of Slough.
Created from the bulk of the abolished constituency of Eton and Slough, which contributed 88.2% of the constituency. The remaining northern slice came from the safe Conservative constituency of Beaconsfield.
1997–2010
The Borough of Slough wards of Baylis, Britwell, Central, Chalvey, Cippenham, Farnham, Haymill, Kedermister, Langley St Mary's, Stoke, Upton, and Wexham Lea.
The Borough of Slough wards of Baylis and Stoke, Britwell, Central, Chalvey, Cippenham Green, Cippenham Meadows, Farnham, Foxborough, Haymill, Langley Kedermister, Langley St Mary's, Upton, and Wexham Lea.
The Foxborough ward was transferred back in, but the Colnbrook with Poyle ward, which had been created in 1998 within the Borough of Slough as a result of minor boundary changes involving the counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Surrey, was retained in Windsor.
2024–present
Under the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency was reduced to bring its electorate within the permitted range by transferring back the Foxborough ward to Windsor, along with the Langley Kedermister ward (as they existed at 1 December 2020).
Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023, the constituency now comprises the following wards of the Borough of Slough from the 2024 general election:
Baylis & Salt Hill; Britwell; Chalvey; Cippenham Green; Cippenham Manor; Cippenham Village; Elliman; Farnham; Haymill; Herschel Park; Langley Marish (small part); Langley Meads; Langley St Mary's (most); Manor Park & Stoke; Northborough & Lynch Hill Valley; Slough Central; Upton; Upton Lea; Wexham Court.
↑A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
↑As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
