History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Bedfordshire

The ceremonial county of Bedfordshire currently comprises the unitary authorities of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton. From 1997, it has returned six MPs to the UK Parliament.

Number of seats

The table below shows the number of MPs representing Bedfordshire at each major redistribution of seats affecting the county.

Year	County seats1	Borough seats1	Total
Prior to 1885	2	2	4
1885–1918	2	1	3
1918–1950	3	0	3
1950–1974	3	1	4
1974–1983	3	2	5
1983–1997	4	1	5
1997–present	3	3	6

¹Prior to 1950, seats were classified as County Divisions or Parliamentary Boroughs. Since 1950, they have been classified as County or Borough Constituencies.

Timeline

  County seat  Borough seat

Constituency	Prior to 1885	1885–1918	1918–1950	1950–1974	1974–1983	1983–1997	1997–present
Bedfordshire	1290–1885 (2 MPs)
Bedford	1295–1885 (2 MPs)	1885–1918	1918–1983				1997–present
North Bedfordshire						1983–1997
North East Bedfordshire							1997–present
Biggleswade		1885–1918
Mid Bedfordshire			1918–present
South Bedfordshire				1950–1983
South West Bedfordshire						1983–present
Luton		1885–1950		1950–1974
Luton East					1974–1983
Luton West					1974–1983
Luton North						1983–1997	1997–present
Luton South						1983–present

Boundary reviews

Prior to 1885	Since 1290, the Parliamentary County of Bedfordshire, along with all other English Counties regardless of size or population, had elected 2 MPs (Knights of the Shire) to the House of Commons. The Parliamentary Borough of Bedford had also returned 2 MPs (burgesses) since 1295. The Great Reform Act of 1832 radically changed the representation of the House of Commons, but Bedfordshire was one of the few counties which were unaffected by this and the County and Borough both continued to elect 2 MPs until 1885.
1885	Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, [1] the county was divided into 2 single-member constituencies, namely the Northern or Biggleswade Division and the Southern or Luton Division. Biggleswade covered the northern half of the county including Biggleswade, Ampthill and Kempston as well as non-resident freeholders of the Municipal Borough of Bedford. Luton covered the southern half of the county, including Leighton Buzzard and the Municipal Boroughs of Dunstable and Luton. Bedford was retained as a Parliamentary Borough but its representation was reduced to 1 MP.	Bedfordshire 1885–1918
1918	Under the Representation of the People Act 1918, [2] the Parliamentary Borough of Bedford was replaced by a new county division of the same name, incorporating the Municipal Borough of Bedford, together with the Urban District of Kempston and the rural areas comprising the northern half of the abolished Biggleswade division. The southern areas of Biggleswade, including the Urban Districts of Biggleswade and Ampthill were included in a new Mid Bedfordshire Division, along with Leighton Buzzard and surrounding rural areas transferred from Luton.	Bedfordshire 1918–1950
1950	The Representation of the People Act 1948 [3] increased the county's representation from 3 to 4 MPs with the creation of the new constituency of South Bedfordshire. This included Dunstable and the Leagrave and Limbury districts of Luton transferred from the Luton constituency, and Leighton Buzzard transferred from Mid Bedfordshire. Luton was redesignated as a Borough Constituency, comprising the remainder of the Municipal Borough. Mid Bedfordshire gained some southern and eastern rural areas of Bedford.	Bedfordshire 1950–1974
1974	Under the Second Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies, [4] representation was increased from 4 to 5 MPs as Luton was abolished and the Municipal Borough was split between the constituencies of Luton East and Luton West; the majority of the latter comprised the Leagrave and Limbury districts transferred from South Bedfordshire. There were also two minor changes due to changes to the county boundaries: South Bedfordshire gained the former Urban District of Linslade in Buckinghamshire which had been merged with that of Leighton Buzzard to form the Urban District of Leighton-Linslade; and Mid Bedfordshire lost the village of Eaton Socon which had been absorbed into the Urban District of St Neots in Huntingdonshire.	Bedfordshire 1974–1983
1983	The Third Periodic Review [5] left the county's representation at 5 MPs, but saw significant changes to the constituencies, with only Mid Bedfordshire being retained. Bedford was abolished, being largely replaced by North Bedfordshire, with the exception of Kempston (transferred to Mid Bedfordshire). Luton East and Luton West were replaced by Luton South and Luton North respectively, with both of these including small parts of South Bedfordshire and Luton North (formally the County Constituency of North Luton) extending further northwards to include Flitwick from Mid Bedfordshire. South Bedfordshire was abolished and largely replaced by South West Bedfordshire, which was extended northwards to included south-western parts of Mid Bedfordshire.	Bedfordshire 1983–1997
1997	The Fourth Review [6] resulted in a further increase to 6 MPs. Bedford was re-established as a Borough Constituency comprising the town of Bedford itself, which had contributed most of the electorate of the abolished constituency of North Bedfordshire, together with Kempston which was transferred back from Mid Bedfordshire. A new constituency of North East Bedfordshire was created, comprising the remaining (rural) areas of North Bedfordshire and northern and eastern parts of Mid Bedfordshire, including Biggleswade and Sandy, resulting in the loss of around half of its electorate. To compensate for this and the loss of Kempston, Mid Bedfordshire regained the areas previously transferred to South West Bedfordshire and gained the parts outside the Borough of Luton from Luton North (including Flitwick). The latter was redesignated as a Borough Constituency and gained the Saints ward from Luton South.	Bedfordshire 1997–2010
2010	The Fifth Review [7] resulted in only marginal changes due to the revision of local authority wards.	Bedfordshire 2010–present

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Bedfordshire

References

1. Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. The public general acts. unknown library. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884. p. 113.
2. Fraser, Hugh (1918). The Representation of the people act, 1918 : with explanatory notes. University of California Libraries. London : Sweet and Maxwell.
3. "Representation of the People Act, 1948". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
4. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
5. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
6. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
7. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2020.