The area was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 and had lay in Mid Surrey that elected two MPs.

The made the seat one of the most marginal in the country[8] and was a top Liberal Democrat target and Conservative defence for the 2024 general election.

[9] In September 2019 the incumbent, Stephen Hammond lost his party's whip for rebelling on a key Brexit vote.

[10] 1885–1918: The Sessional Division of Croydon except so much as is within a district of the Metropolis, the parishes of Caterham, Chelsham, Farley, Warlingham, Merton, and Wimbledon, so much of the Parliamentary Borough of Deptford as is in Surrey, and the area of the Parliamentary Boroughs of Battersea and Clapham, Camberwell, Lambeth, Newington, Southwark, and Wandsworth.

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of: The Merton Borough wards reflect the local authority boundary review which became effective on 4 May 2022, with the Cannon Hill ward being moved to Mitcham and Morden.

[12] A local government boundary review becoming effective in May 2022 was also carried out in Kingston upon Thames,[13] but the Electoral Changes Order was not passed until 1 April 2021.

[15] According to analysis by the New Statesman the Liberal Democrats, rather than the Conservatives, would have won the seat if the 2019 election had been held on the new boundaries.

Workless claimants who were registered jobseekers were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 1.5% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.