The constituency existed from the February 1974 general election. It had been held by the Conservative and Labour parties. Before the 2010 election, when the seat was held by Labour, it was 135th on the Conservative Party target seats list and in the 2015 election it was 41st on the Labour Party's target seats.
On 26 November 2022, the previous MP, Conservative Chris Skidmore, announced that he would not seek re-election at the next election. On 5 January 2024, Skidmore announced he would resign from parliament "as soon as possible" in protest at the introduction of the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill. On 8 January 2024, he formally resigned as an MP which triggered a by-election.
Boundaries
1974–1983: The Urban Districts of Kingswood and Mangotsfield, alongside the Rural District of Warmley.
1983–1997: The District of Kingswood wards of Chase, Chiphouse, Downend, Forest, Hanham, Mangotsfield, New Cheltenham, Soundwell, Staple Hill, Woodstock, alongside the City of Bristol wards of Frome Vale, Hillfields, St George East, St George West.
1997–2010: The Borough of Kingswood wards of Badminton, Blackhorse, Bromley Heath, Chase, Chiphouse, Downend, Forest, Hanham, Mangotsfield, New Cheltenham, Oldland Barrs Court, Oldland Cadbury Heath, Oldland Longwell Green, Siston, Soundwell, Springfield, Staple Hill, Woodstock, alongside the City of Bristol wards of Frome Vale and Hillfields.
2010–2019: The District of South Gloucestershire wards of Bitton, Hanham, Kings Chase, Longwell Green, Oldland Common, Parkwall, Rodway, Siston, Woodstock.
2019 to 2024: The District of South Gloucestershire wards of Bitton and Oldland Common, Hanham, Kingswood, New Cheltenham, Woodstock, Longwell Green, Parkwall and Warmley.
The constituency covered part of the South Gloucestershire unitary authority, consisting of the eastern suburbs of Bristol and commuter villages outside of the city boundary, including the town of Kingswood. It largely corresponded to the former Borough of Kingswood.
The town of Kingswood, comprising the Kingswood, New Cheltenham and Woodstock wards of South Gloucestershire, included in the re-established seat of Bristol North East
^Percentage change and swing for 2010 is calculated relative to the PA (Rallings and Thrasher) 2005 notional result, not actual 2005 result "Press Association Elections". Press Association. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
^"Politics Resources". Election 1997. Politics Resources. 1 May 1997. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
^C. Rallings & M. Thrasher, The Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies, p.106 (Plymouth: LGC Elections Centre, 1995)
^The 1997 swings are calculated relative to the notional, not the actual, 1992 result.
^Boundary changes meant that Kingswood was notionally a Conservative seat in 1992, which is why this is described as a Labour gain despite the fact that Roger Berry was the incumbent Labour MP.
^Percentage change and swing for 1983 is calculated relative to the BBC/ITN 1979 notional constituency result, not actual 1979 result. See British Broadcasting Corporation; Independent Television News. The BBC/ITN Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies (Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services 1983)
^Percentage change and swing for February 1974 is calculated relative to the BBC notional 1970 constituency result, not actual 1970 result. Notional 1970 results were rounded to the nearest hundred. Constituency data for 1974–83 including 1970 notionals, retrieved 18 July 2017