Current MP
Current representation
Brian Mathew
Liberal Democrats
Male
Previous MP: Michelle Donelan (Conservative) - defeated 2024
Constituency view
Melksham and Devizes
South West, England
LD gain from Con
2024 Results
Party breakdown
Lib Dem20,031 - 39.1%
Conservative17,630 - 34.4%
Reform6,726 - 13.1%
Labour4,587 - 9.0%
Green2,229 - 4.4%
Benefits bill · 2025/26
£145,922,642
Estimated yearly spend on the six main working-age and disability benefits paid to residents of this constituency.
£1,531 total benefits bill per resident · 32% below average
- Melksham and Devizes
- £1,531
- England and Wales average
- £2,259
Ranked 457 of 575 constituencies (1 = highest)
| Total benefits bill | £145,922,642 | 491/575 |
| Change over 2 years | +18.2% | |
| Median local wage (2025) | £34,641 | +10.5% |
- Universal Credit£79,569,462
£835 per resident · 6,581 households claiming
Assessed LCWRA: 2,507 · 1 in 22 working-age adults
- Personal Independence Payment£34,107,518
£358 per resident · 4,574 claimants (+21.6% since Jul 2024)
Psychiatric conditions: 1,710 · 37% of claimants
Enhanced mobility (Motability-eligible): 2,350
- Disability Living Allowance£12,403,693
£130 per resident · 2,121 claimants
- Housing Benefit£9,935,142
£104 per resident · 1,360 claimants
- Employment Support Allowance£5,495,269
£58 per resident · 886 claimants
- Carer's Allowance£4,411,559
£46 per resident · 1,019 claimants
Ranks are out of England and Wales constituencies, highest first. Source: TaxPayers' Alliance, benefitsdata.uk (estimated from DWP Stat-Xplore claimant counts). England and Wales only. See this seat on benefitsdata.uk ↗
Demographics
Demographics
Source: ONS Census 2021 (England, Wales, NI) and Scotland's Census 2022, aggregated to 2024 constituency boundaries by the House of Commons Library.
Ethnic composition
2021
White 96.3%White British 92.8%Asian 1.2%Black, African or Caribbean 0.5%Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups 1.6%Other 0.4%
England & Wales (2021)
White 83.0%White British 74.4%Asian 8.6%Black, African or Caribbean 3.7%Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups 2.7%Other 2.0%
2011
White 97.4%White British 94.6%Asian 0.9%Black, African or Caribbean 0.4%Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups 1.2%Other 0.1%
England & Wales (2011)
White 86.0%White British 80.5%Asian 7.5%Black, African or Caribbean 3.3%Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups 2.2%Other 1.0%
2001
White 98.5%White British 96.4%Asian 0.4%Black, African or Caribbean 0.3%Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups 0.7%Other 0.2%
England & Wales (2001)
White 91.3%White British 87.5%Asian 4.8%Black, African or Caribbean 2.2%Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups 1.3%Other 0.4%
1991 data not available for this constituency.
Year-over-year comparison uses broad ethnic groups.
2011 values are reaggregated from 2011 Output Areas onto 2024 boundaries.
2001 values are reaggregated from 2001 LSOAs onto 2024 boundaries.
Country of birth
Melksham and Devizes (2021)
UK 92.5%Other EU 3.6%Other countries 3.9%
England & Wales (2021)
UK 84.0%Other EU 6.0%Other countries 10.1%
Melksham and Devizes (2011)
UK 93.5%Other EU 2.7%Other countries 3.8%
England & Wales (2011)
UK 86.6%Other EU 3.6%Other countries 9.8%
Melksham and Devizes (2001)
UK 94.6%Other EU 1.8%Other countries 3.6%
England & Wales (2001)
UK 91.1%Other EU 1.4%Other countries 7.5%
1991 data not available for this topic.
Nearby seats
Constituencies around Melksham and Devizes
Neighbouring constituencies on 2024 boundaries, ordered by the length of the shared border.
Source: ONS Westminster Parliamentary Constituencies (July 2024) Boundaries UK BSC. Seats with a short coastline or none, such as islands, are completed with the closest constituencies by distance.