Richmond and Barnes was a Tory-Liberal marginal for its 14-year existence, and was represented for the whole of that time by Jeremy Hanley of the Conservative Party.
Hanley's main opponent was Alan Watson of the SDP–Liberal Alliance, who narrowly failed to win the seat in the 1983 and 1987 elections.
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames wards of Barnes, East Sheen, East Twickenham, Ham and Petersham, Kew, Mortlake, Palewell, Richmond Hill, and Richmond Town.
The constituency consisted of the northern part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, being centred on the districts of Richmond and Barnes.
It largely replaced the former Richmond (Surrey) constituency in 1983, and was largely replaced by the Richmond Park constituency in 1997.