Hitchin | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
![]() Boundaries since 2024 | |
![]() Boundary of Hitchin in the East of England | |
County | Hertfordshire |
Electorate | 72,112 (2023) [1] |
Major settlements | Hitchin, Stotfold and Shefford |
Current constituency | |
Created | 2024 |
Member of Parliament | Alistair Strathern (Labour) |
Seats | One |
Created from | Hitchin and Harpenden |
1885–1983 | |
Seats | One |
Created from | Hertfordshire |
Replaced by | North Hertfordshire, Stevenage [2] |
Hitchin is a parliamentary constituency in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was re-established for the 2024 general election. [3]
The constituency was established by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (which followed on from the Third Reform Act) as one of four Divisions of the abolished three-member Parliamentary County of Hertfordshire, and was formally named as the Northern or Hitchin Division of Hertfordshire. It included the towns/villages of Hitchin, Stevenage, Welwyn, Baldock and Royston.
Minor changes only to reflect local authority boundaries.
The constituency had included a part of the Urban District of Welwyn Garden City, which had been formed as a separate local authority in 1927, and this was now transferred to St Albans. Other nominal changes as a result of the reorganisation of local authorities.
The Rural District of Welwyn was transferred to St Albans.
The part of the Rural District of Braughing was transferred to the new constituency of East Hertfordshire, and the part of the Rural District of Hertford was transferred to Hertford.
The Urban District of Stevenage formed the majority of the new County Constituency of Hertford and Stevenage.
The constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election and was replaced by the new constituency of North Hertfordshire, with the exception of a small part in the south-east which was included in the new constituency of Stevenage (Codicote and Knebworth).
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the re-established constituency was defined as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023, [10] [11] the part in Central Bedfordshire now comprises the following wards from the 2024 general election:
North Hertfordshire and Stevenage prior to 1885
Notes:-
Hitchin & Harpenden prior to 2024
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Alistair Strathern | Labour |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Alistair Strathern [lower-alpha 1] [15] | 23,067 | 44.8 | +18.6 | |
Conservative | Bim Afolami [lower-alpha 2] [16] | 14,958 | 28.5 | −18.5 | |
Reform UK | Charles Bunker [17] | 6,760 | 12.9 | N/A | |
Liberal Democrats | Chris Lucas [18] | 4,913 | 9.4 | −14.3 | |
Green | Will Lavin [19] | 2,631 | 5.0 | +3.5 | |
CPA | Sid Cordle [20] | 181 | 0.3 | −0.1 | |
Majority | 8,109 | 15.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 52,696 | 69.4 | −5.6 | ||
Registered electors | 75,877 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | ![]() |
The Hitchin parliamentary constituency did not exist when the 2019 general election was held. The following is a projection of what the result of the 2019 general election might have looked like in the Hitchin parliamentary constituency if it had existed.
2019 notional result [21] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Vote | % | |
Conservative | 25,419 | 47.0 | |
Labour | 14,155 | 26.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | 12,798 | 23.7 | |
Others | 871 | 1.6 | |
Green | 818 | 1.5 | |
Turnout | 54,061 | 75.0 | |
Electorate | 72,112 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Dimsdale | 4,419 | 60.6 | ||
Liberal | Henry Fordham | 2,869 | 39.4 | ||
Majority | 1,550 | 21.2 | |||
Turnout | 7,288 | 81.0 | |||
Registered electors | 8,996 | ||||
Conservative win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Dimsdale | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Bickersteth Hudson | 4,187 | 60.5 | N/A | |
Liberal | John Wattridge | 2,728 | 39.5 | New | |
Majority | 1,459 | 21.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 6,915 | 77.0 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 8,982 | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Bickersteth Hudson | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | George Bickersteth Hudson | Unopposed | |||
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Julius Bertram | 4,157 | 50.5 | New | |
Conservative | J J W Miller | 4,081 | 49.5 | N/A | |
Majority | 76 | 1.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 8,238 | 83.9 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 9,820 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alfred Hillier | 5,761 | 59.8 | +10.3 | |
Liberal | Julius Bertram | 3,877 | 40.2 | −10.3 | |
Majority | 1,884 | 19.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 9,638 | 88.5 | +4.6 | ||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +10.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alfred Hillier | 5,233 | 57.0 | −2.8 | |
Liberal | Thomas Tylston Greg | 3,942 | 43.0 | +2.8 | |
Majority | 1,291 | 14.0 | −5.6 | ||
Turnout | 9,175 | 84.3 | −4.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −2.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Robert Cecil | 5,542 | 58.6 | +1.6 | |
Liberal | Thomas Tylston Greg | 3,909 | 41.4 | −1.6 | |
Majority | 1,633 | 17.2 | +3.2 | ||
Turnout | 9,451 | 84.8 | +0.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.6 |
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Unionist | Robert Cecil | 9,828 | 60.6 | +3.6 |
Labour | Robert Green | 5,661 | 34.9 | New | |
NFDDSS | George Humm | 722 | 4.5 | New | |
Majority | 4,167 | 25.7 | +11.7 | ||
Turnout | 16,211 | 54.4 | −29.9 | ||
Registered electors | 29,820 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | ||||
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Robert Cecil | 13,124 | 62.0 | +1.4 | |
Labour | Skene Mackay | 8,049 | 38.0 | +3.1 | |
Majority | 5,075 | 24.0 | −1.7 | ||
Turnout | 21,173 | 66.2 | +7.8 | ||
Registered electors | 32,005 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | −0.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Guy Kindersley | 11,157 | 49.7 | −12.3 | |
Labour | Skene Mackay | 5,913 | 26.3 | −11.7 | |
Liberal | Dugald Macfadyen | 5,390 | 24.0 | New | |
Majority | 5,244 | 23.4 | −0.6 | ||
Turnout | 22,460 | 67.7 | +1.5 | ||
Registered electors | 33,197 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | −0.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Guy Kindersley | 14,019 | 59.2 | +9.5 | |
Labour | Julian Athelstan Tayler | 5,773 | 24.4 | −1.9 | |
Liberal | Dugald Macfadyen | 3,881 | 16.4 | −7.6 | |
Majority | 8,246 | 34.8 | +11.4 | ||
Turnout | 23,673 | 69.5 | +1.8 | ||
Registered electors | 34,060 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | +5.7 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Guy Kindersley | 14,786 | 44.8 | −14.4 | |
Liberal | Enid Lapthorn | 9,325 | 28.3 | +11.9 | |
Labour | Richard Gifford | 8,880 | 26.9 | +2.5 | |
Majority | 5,461 | 16.5 | −18.3 | ||
Turnout | 32,991 | 73.4 | +3.9 | ||
Registered electors | 44,967 | ||||
Unionist hold | Swing | −9.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Antony Bulwer-Lytton | 25,841 | 75.7 | +30.9 | |
Labour | Dermot Freyer | 8,312 | 24.3 | −2.6 | |
Majority | 17,529 | 51.4 | +34.9 | ||
Turnout | 34,153 | 71.1 | −2.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Arnold Wilson | 14,569 | 58.4 | −17.3 | |
Labour | William Bennett | 10,362 | 41.6 | +17.3 | |
Majority | 4,207 | 16.8 | −34.6 | ||
Turnout | 24,931 | 51.3 | −19.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -17.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Arnold Wilson | 21,452 | 63.34 | ||
Labour | George Lindgren | 12,417 | 36.66 | ||
Majority | 9,035 | 26.68 | |||
Turnout | 33,869 | 66.44 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
General Election 1939–40: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Seymour Berry | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Conservative hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Philip Jones | 20,779 | 42.64 | ||
Conservative | Seymour Berry | 20,433 | 41.93 | ||
Liberal | Thomas Darling | 7,515 | 15.42 | New | |
Majority | 346 | 0.71 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 48,727 | 72.44 | |||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nigel Fisher | 23,580 | 45.11 | ||
Labour | Philip Jones | 21,829 | 41.76 | ||
Liberal | Frank Haigh | 6,863 | 13.13 | ||
Majority | 1,751 | 3.35 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 52,272 | 85.78 | |||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nigel Fisher | 27,719 | 52.64 | ||
Labour | Peter Benenson | 24,941 | 47.36 | ||
Majority | 2,778 | 5.28 | |||
Turnout | 52,660 | 84.98 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Martin Maddan | 26,371 | 50.93 | ||
Labour | Peter Benenson | 25,406 | 49.07 | ||
Majority | 965 | 1.86 | |||
Turnout | 51,777 | 83.17 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Martin Maddan | 30,193 | 46.82 | ||
Labour | Peter Benenson | 25,818 | 40.03 | ||
Liberal | Robert Glenton | 8,481 | 13.15 | New | |
Majority | 4,375 | 6.79 | |||
Turnout | 64,492 | 85.43 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Shirley Williams | 34,034 | 45.84 | ||
Conservative | Martin Maddan | 30,649 | 41.28 | ||
Liberal | Elma Dangerfield | 9,564 | 12.88 | ||
Majority | 3,385 | 4.56 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 74,247 | 84.54 | |||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Shirley Williams | 42,233 | 56.52 | ||
Conservative | John Stokes | 32,483 | 43.48 | ||
Majority | 9,750 | 13.04 | |||
Turnout | 74,716 | 65.54 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Shirley Williams | 40,932 | 48.53 | ||
Conservative | Richard Luce | 37,258 | 44.18 | ||
Liberal | Thomas Willis | 6,148 | 7.29 | New | |
Majority | 3,674 | 4.35 | |||
Turnout | 84,338 | 76.88 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ian Stewart | 27,222 | 44.11 | ||
Labour | Ann Mallalieu | 23,204 | 37.60 | ||
Liberal | D Beavan | 10,824 | 17.54 | ||
Independent | P Bianchi | 467 | 0.76 | New | |
Majority | 4,018 | 6.51 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 61,717 | 85.57 | |||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ian Stewart | 25,842 | 44.59 | ||
Labour | Ann Mallalieu | 22,656 | 39.09 | ||
Liberal | Eric Dix | 9,454 | 16.31 | ||
Majority | 3,186 | 5.50 | |||
Turnout | 57,952 | 79.59 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Ian Stewart | 33,169 | 52.54 | ||
Labour | Denis O'Flynn | 19,940 | 31.59 | ||
Liberal | Eric Dix | 8,224 | 13.03 | ||
Ecology | Brian Goodale | 911 | 1.44 | New | |
National Front | Victor Logan | 881 | 1.40 | New | |
Majority | 13,229 | 20.95 | |||
Turnout | 63,125 | 82.19 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south and Buckinghamshire to the west. The largest settlement is Watford, and the county town is Hertford.
East Hertfordshire is one of ten local government districts in Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Hertford, the county town of Hertfordshire. The largest town in the district is Bishop's Stortford, and the other main towns are Ware, Buntingford and Sawbridgeworth. At the 2011 Census, the population of the district was 137,687. By area it is the largest of the ten local government districts in Hertfordshire. The district borders North Hertfordshire, Stevenage, Welwyn Hatfield and Broxbourne in Hertfordshire, and Epping Forest, Harlow and Uttlesford in Essex.
North Hertfordshire is one of ten local government districts in the county of Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Letchworth Garden City and the largest town is Hitchin. The district also includes the towns of Baldock and Royston and numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. Part of the district lies within the Chiltern Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
St Albans is a constituency in Hertfordshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Daisy Cooper, a Liberal Democrat.
Mid Bedfordshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Blake Stephenson of the Conservative Party since the 2024 United Kingdom general election.
Hertford and Stortford is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Josh Dean of the Labour Party since 2024.
North East Hertfordshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Chris Hinchliff of the Labour Party.
Stevenage is a constituency in Hertfordshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Kevin Bonavia, a member of the Labour Party.
Hertford was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Hertfordshire, which elected Members of Parliament (MPs) from 1298 until 1974.
North Hertfordshire was a parliamentary constituency in Hertfordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first-past-the-post system.
East Hertfordshire was a parliamentary constituency in the county of Hertfordshire from 1955 to 1983. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
The SG postcode area, also known as the Stevenage postcode area, is a group of nineteen postcode districts in England, within fifteen post towns. These cover north Hertfordshire and east Bedfordshire, plus a small part of south-west Cambridgeshire and a very small part of Essex.
Hertfordshire was a constituency of the European Parliament located in the United Kingdom, electing one Member of the European Parliament by the first-past-the-post electoral system. Created in 1979 for the first elections to the European Parliament, it was abolished in 1999 on the adoption of proportional representation for European elections in Great Britain. It was succeeded by the East of England region.
Hitchin Rural District was a rural district in Hertfordshire, England from 1894 to 1974, covering an area in the north of the county.
The Comet is a weekly newspaper covering the English towns of Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth and Baldock, as well as the surrounding villages in north Hertfordshire and south-east Bedfordshire. It is based in Stevenage and part of the Archant group. The vast majority of its copies are delivered locally or picked up as a free newspaper, but it is also sold. It is published each Thursday in three editions—one concentrates on the Stevenage area, another focuses on Hitchin and a third pays particular attention to Letchworth and Baldock. Nick Gill has been editor since January 2017; previous permanent editors were Darren Isted (2002–14) and John Francis, who retired in June 2016.