Mid Bedfordshire | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | Bedfordshire |
Electorate | 84,212 (2018) [1] |
Major settlements | Ampthill, Flitwick |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1918 |
Member of Parliament | Alistair Strathern (Labour) |
Seats | One |
Created from | Luton and Biggleswade |
Mid Bedfordshire is a constituency [n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Alistair Strathern of the Labour Party since a 2023 by-election. [n 2]
This seat comprises small towns and rural areas in the outer parts of the London commuter belt, with the M1 motorway, Midland Main Line, the A1 road, East Coast Main Line and other A roads providing the major north–south commuter links primarily in and out of London. There are several logistics sites including Amazon at Marston Gate. Residents are wealthier than the UK average, and health is around the UK average. [2]
Mid Bedfordshire was created under the Representation of the People Act 1918.
It had elected Conservative MPs since the 1931 general election. It was held from 1983 to 1997 by the Attorney General Nicholas Lyell, who then transferred to the newly created seat of North East Bedfordshire; his old seat was won by Jonathan Sayeed, a former MP in Bristol. Sayeed was forced to retire in 2005 due to ill health, following a row over allegations he had profited from his private educational tours of Parliament and a resulting deselection attempt by the constituency party. Nadine Dorries then held the seat until 2023; the Conservative whip was withdrawn from her in 2012 and returned six months later, after she had appeared on the reality television series I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! . [3] Dorries resigned her seat in August 2023. [4] In the ensuing by-election, the seat was taken by Alistair Strathern of the Labour Party, the first time a Labour member had held the seat in its 105-year history. [5]
The constituency was created as a Division of Bedfordshire by the Representation of the People Act 1918, comprising:
Ampthill and Biggleswade had been part of the abolished Biggleswade Division, and Leighton Buzzard was transferred from the Luton Division.
1Created as an Urban District out of the Rural District of Biggleswade in 1927. [7]
Gained southern and eastern rural areas of Bedford. Leighton Buzzard and surrounding rural areas (equivalent to the abolished Rural District of Eaton Bray, which had been absorbed by the Rural District of Luton) transferred to the new constituency of South Bedfordshire.
As above, apart from changes to the Rural District of Bedford. [6]
The village of Eaton Socon had been absorbed by the Urban District of St Neots and was transferred to the county constituency of Huntingdonshire.
Kempston transferred from the abolished constituency of Bedford. Parts included in the new constituencies of North Bedfordshire (far north-eastern area), South West Bedfordshire (south-western parts) and North Luton (including Flitwick).
Wholesale changes, with eastern parts, comprising about half of the electorate, including Biggleswade and Sandy, being transferred to the new constituency of North East Bedfordshire. Kempston was transferred back to the re-established borough constituency of Bedford. Regained parts of the District of Mid Bedfordshire previously transferred to South West Bedfordshire and North Luton (including Flitwick), together with the parts of the District of South Bedfordshire, also previously in North Luton.
Marginal changes due to revision of local authority wards.
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, the composition of the re-established constituency from the next general election, due by January 2025, will be (as they existed on 1st December 2020):
Eastern areas, including the town of Shefford, will be transferred out, primarily to the re-established, cross-county boundary constituency of Hitchin.
Following further local government boundary reviews in Bedford [12] [13] and Central Bedfordshire [14] [15] which came into effect in May 2023, the constituency will now comprise the following from the next general election:
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reform UK | David Holland [18] | ||||
Green | Cade Sibley [19] | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Alistair Strathern | 13,872 | 34.1 | +12.4 | |
Conservative | Festus Akinbusoye | 12,680 | 31.1 | −28.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Emma Holland-Lindsay | 9,420 | 23.1 | +10.5 | |
Independent | Gareth Mackey | 1,865 | 4.6 | New | |
Reform UK | Dave Holland | 1,487 | 3.7 | New | |
Green | Cade Sibley | 732 | 1.8 | −2.0 | |
Monster Raving Loony | Ann Kelly | 249 | 0.6 | −0.2 | |
English Democrat | Antonio Vitiello | 107 | 0.3 | New | |
CPA | Sid Cordle | 101 | 0.2 | New | |
True & Fair Party | Alan Victor | 93 | 0.2 | New | |
Heritage | Alberto Thomas | 63 | 0.1 | New | |
No description | Prince Ankit Love, Emperor of India | 27 | 0.1 | New | |
Mainstream | Chris Rooney | 24 | 0.1 | New | |
Majority | 1,192 | 3.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 40,720 | 44.1 | −29.6 | ||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +20.5 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nadine Dorries | 38,692 | 59.8 | –1.8 | |
Labour | Rhiannon Meades | 14,028 | 21.7 | –6.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Rachel McGann | 8,171 | 12.6 | +6.6 | |
Green | Gareth Ellis | 2,478 | 3.8 | +1.0 | |
Independent | Alan Victor | 812 | 1.3 | New | |
Monster Raving Loony | Ann Kelly | 536 | 0.8 | –0.3 | |
Majority | 24,664 | 38.1 | +4.9 | ||
Turnout | 64,717 | 73.7 | –3.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.4 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nadine Dorries | 38,936 | 61.6 | +5.5 | |
Labour | Rhiannon Meades | 17,953 | 28.4 | +12.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | Lisa French | 3,798 | 6.0 | –1.2 | |
Green | Gareth Ellis | 1,794 | 2.8 | –1.4 | |
Monster Raving Loony | Ann Kelly | 667 | 1.1 | +0.6 | |
Majority | 20,983 | 33.2 | –7.0 | ||
Turnout | 63,148 | 76.7 | +5.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | –3.5 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nadine Dorries | 32,544 | 56.1 | +3.6 | |
Labour | Charlynne Pullen | 9,217 | 15.9 | +1.1 | |
UKIP | Nigel Wickens | 8,966 | 15.4 | +10.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Linda Jack | 4,193 | 7.2 | –17.7 | |
Green | Gareth Ellis | 2,462 | 4.2 | +2.8 | |
Independent | Tim Ireland | 384 | 0.7 | New | |
Monster Raving Loony | Ann Kelly | 294 | 0.5 | New | |
Majority | 23,327 | 40.2 | +12.6 | ||
Turnout | 58,060 | 71.6 | –0.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.3 | |||
In June 2015 the independent candidate, Tim Ireland, lodged an unsuccessful election petition accusing Nadine Dorries of breaches of section 106 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 by making false statements about his character. [35] [36] The petition was dismissed by the courts on 30 July 2015. [37]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nadine Dorries | 28,815 | 52.5 | +5.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Linda Jack | 13,663 | 24.9 | +1.4 | |
Labour | David Reeves | 8,108 | 14.8 | –7.7 | |
UKIP | Bill Hall | 2,826 | 5.1 | +2.4 | |
Green | Malcolm Bailey | 773 | 1.4 | –1.2 | |
English Democrat | John Cooper | 712 | 1.3 | New | |
Majority | 15,152 | 27.6 | +5.1 | ||
Turnout | 54,897 | 72.2 | +3.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.3 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nadine Dorries | 23,345 | 46.3 | –1.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Mark Chapman | 11,990 | 23.8 | +4.1 | |
Labour | Martin Lindsay | 11,351 | 22.5 | –7.6 | |
UKIP | Richard Joselyn | 1,372 | 2.7 | 0.0 | |
Green | Ben Foley | 1,292 | 2.6 | New | |
Veritas | Howard Martin | 769 | 1.5 | New | |
Independent | Saqhib Ali | 301 | 0.6 | New | |
Majority | 11,355 | 22.5 | +5.2 | ||
Turnout | 50,420 | 68.3 | +2.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | –2.6 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Jonathan Sayeed | 22,109 | 47.4 | +1.4 | |
Labour | James Valentine | 14,043 | 30.1 | –2.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Graham Mabbutt | 9,205 | 19.7 | +2.9 | |
UKIP | Chris Laurence | 1,281 | 2.7 | New | |
Majority | 8,066 | 17.3 | +3.3 | ||
Turnout | 46,638 | 65.9 | –13.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.9 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Jonathan Sayeed | 24,176 | 46.0 | –16.4 | |
Labour | Neil Mallett | 17,086 | 32.5 | +12.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Tim J. Hill | 8,823 | 16.8 | +1.0 | |
Referendum | Shirley C. Marler | 2,257 | 4.3 | New | |
Natural Law | Marek J. Lorys | 174 | 0.3 | New | |
Majority | 7,090 | 14.0 | –22.4 | ||
Turnout | 52,534 | 78.9 | –5.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | −14.6 [44] | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nicholas Lyell | 40,230 | 58.2 | –0.8 | |
Labour | Richard A. Clayton | 15,092 | 21.8 | +3.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Nikolas Hills | 11,957 | 17.3 | –5.6 | |
Liberal | Phil Cottier | 1,582 | 2.3 | New | |
Natural Law | Marek J. Lorys | 279 | 0.4 | New | |
Majority | 25,138 | 36.4 | +0.4 | ||
Turnout | 69,140 | 84.4 | +5.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | –2.3 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nicholas Lyell | 37,411 | 59.0 | +2.1 | |
SDP | Nikolas Hills | 14,560 | 23.0 | –3.9 | |
Labour | John Heywood | 11,463 | 18.1 | +1.9 | |
Majority | 22,851 | 36.0 | +6.0 | ||
Turnout | 63,434 | 78.6 | +1.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +3.0 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Nicholas Lyell | 33,042 | 56.9 | ||
Liberal | Monica Howes | 15,661 | 26.9 | ||
Labour | John Tizard | 9,420 | 16.2 | ||
Majority | 17,381 | 30.0 | |||
Turnout | 58,123 | 76.9 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Stephen Hastings | 37,724 | 56.87 | ||
Labour | F.G. Peacock | 17,140 | 25.84 | ||
Liberal | C.A.P. Smout | 11,467 | 17.29 | ||
Majority | 20,584 | 31.03 | |||
Turnout | 66,331 | 81.32 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Stephen Hastings | 26,885 | 45.70 | ||
Labour | J.E. Crow | 17,559 | 29.85 | ||
Liberal | P.W. Meyer | 14,388 | 24.46 | ||
Majority | 9,326 | 15.85 | |||
Turnout | 58,832 | 78.26 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Stephen Hastings | 28,973 | 45.28 | ||
Labour | David F. Harrowell | 17,862 | 27.92 | ||
Liberal | P.W. Meyer | 17,151 | 26.80 | ||
Majority | 11,111 | 17.36 | |||
Turnout | 63,986 | 85.87 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Stephen Hastings | 29,670 | 52.51 | ||
Labour | David F Harrowell | 19,035 | 33.69 | ||
Liberal | John P. Christian | 7,799 | 13.80 | ||
Majority | 10,635 | 18.82 | |||
Turnout | 56,504 | 77.28 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Stephen Hastings | 23,477 | 46.02 | ||
Labour | C. Trevor Bell | 20,369 | 39.98 | ||
Liberal | Paul L. Rose | 7,138 | 14.01 | ||
Majority | 3,078 | 6.04 | |||
Turnout | 50,984 | 82.29 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Stephen Hastings | 22,414 | 46.03 | ||
Labour | C. Trevor Bell | 17,096 | 35.11 | ||
Liberal | Wilfred G. Matthews | 9,184 | 18.86 | ||
Majority | 5,318 | 10.92 | |||
Turnout | 48,694 | 83.04 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Stephen Hastings | 17,503 | 45.38 | −1.41 | |
Labour | Bryan Magee | 11,281 | 29.25 | −6.17 | |
Liberal | Wilfred G. Matthews | 9,550 | 24.76 | +6.97 | |
New Conservative | C. F. H. Gilliard | 235 | 0.61 | New | |
Majority | 6,222 | 16.13 | +4.76 | ||
Turnout | 38,569 | 71.1 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Lennox-Boyd | 21,301 | 46.79 | ||
Labour | Bryan Magee | 16,127 | 35.42 | ||
Liberal | Wilfred G. Matthews | 8,099 | 17.79 | N/A | |
Majority | 5,174 | 11.37 | |||
Turnout | 45,527 | 84.48 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Lennox-Boyd | 23,012 | 54.71 | ||
Labour | Thomas Skeffington-Lodge | 19,048 | 45.29 | ||
Majority | 3,964 | 9.42 | |||
Turnout | 42,060 | 81.36 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Lennox-Boyd | 19,681 | 45.39 | ||
Labour | T.L. 'Addy' Taylor | 17,818 | 41.09 | ||
Liberal | Donald Tweddle | 5,863 | 13.52 | ||
Majority | 1,863 | 4.30 | |||
Turnout | 43,362 | 85.34 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Lennox-Boyd | 17,671 | 41.39 | ||
Labour | W. Howell | 15,512 | 36.33 | ||
Liberal | Ewart Kenneth Martell | 9,511 | 22.28 | ||
Majority | 2,159 | 5.06 | |||
Turnout | 42,694 | 86.22 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Lennox-Boyd | 13,954 | 37.0 | −13.3 | |
Labour | W Howell | 12,073 | 32.1 | +18.9 | |
Liberal | Ewart Kenneth Martell | 11,641 | 30.9 | −5.5 | |
Majority | 1,881 | 5.0 | −8.9 | ||
Turnout | 37,668 | 73.19 | −3.10 | ||
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 | Alan Lennox-Boyd | 16,054 | 50.3 | +2.9 | |
Liberal | Milner Gray | 11,623 | 36.4 | −6.4 | |
Labour | Thomas Henry Knight | 4,224 | 13.2 | +3.4 | |
Majority | 4,431 | 13.89 | +9.26 | ||
Turnout | 31,901 | 76.29 | −2.85 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alan Lennox-Boyd | 15,213 | 47.4 | +6.7 | |
Liberal | Milner Gray | 13,726 | 42.8 | −4.1 | |
Labour | Henry William Fenner | 3,156 | 9.8 | −2.6 | |
Majority | 1,487 | 4.63 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 32,095 | 79.14 | |||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Milner Gray | 14,595 | 46.9 | −1.1 | |
Unionist | William Warner | 12,682 | 40.7 | −11.3 | |
Labour | Henry William Fenner | 3,853 | 12.4 | New | |
Majority | 1,913 | 6.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 31,130 | 79.5 | 3 | ||
Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | +5.1 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | William Warner | 12,317 | 52.0 | +10.1 | |
Liberal | Frederick Linfield | 11,356 | 48.0 | −3.0 | |
Majority | 961 | 4.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 23,673 | 76.5 | +3.9 | ||
Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Frederick Linfield | 11,310 | 51.0 | −5.5 | |
Unionist | William Warner | 9,287 | 41.9 | −1.6 | |
Labour | Robert Leonard Wigzell | 1,567 | 7.1 | New | |
Majority | 2,023 | 9.1 | −3.9 | ||
Turnout | 22,164 | 72.6 | +2.5 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Frederick Linfield | 11,874 | 56.5 | +11.7 | |
Unionist | Max Townley | 9,137 | 43.5 | −11.7 | |
Majority | 2,737 | 13.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 21,011 | 70.1 | +15.3 | ||
Liberal gain from Unionist | Swing | +11.7 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Unionist | Max Townley | 9,073 | 55.2 | |
Liberal | Arthur Black | 7,352 | 44.8 | ||
Majority | 1,721 | 10.4 | |||
Turnout | 16,425 | 54.8 | |||
Unionist win (new seat) | |||||
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. |
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Mid Bedfordshire was a local government district in Bedfordshire, England, from 1974 to 2009.
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