North Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)

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North Bedfordshire
County constituency
for the House of Commons
North Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Boundaries since 2024
East of England - North Bedfordshire constituency.svg
Boundary of North Bedfordshire in the East of England
County Bedfordshire
Electorate 76,319 (2023) [1]
Major settlements Biggleswade, Sandy
Current constituency
Created 2024
Member of Parliament Richard Fuller (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created from Bedfordshire North East
19831997
Created from Bedford
Replaced by Bedford, Bedfordshire North East

North Bedfordshire is a county constituency in Bedfordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system, from the 1983 general election until it was abolished for the 1997 general election.

Contents

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was re-established for the 2024 general election. [2]

History

This safe Conservative seat was originally held for its entire initial existence by Trevor Skeet who had been the MP for Bedford since 1970. On its re-establishment in 2024, it was won by Richard Fuller who was MP for Bedford from 2010 to 2017 and for North East Bedfordshire from 2019 to 2024.

Boundaries

1983–1997

The Borough of North Bedfordshire wards of Brickhill, Bromham, Carlton, Castle, Cauldwell, Clapham, De Parys, Felmersham, Goldington, Harpur, Harrold, Kingsbrook, Newnham, Oakley, Putnoe, Queens Park, Renhold, Riseley, Roxton, and Sharnbrook. [3]

The territory the seat covered was virtually the same as Bedford which it replaced. This included the town of Bedford itself, but not the adjoining community of Kempston. In 1997, the constituency was abolished, being dispersed on a roughly seven to three ratio between a re-established Bedford and the new constituency of Bedfordshire North East, with 17 electors being transferred to Huntingdon. [4]

Current

The re-established constituency was defined as comprising the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

Subject to minor changes due to the revision of local authority ward boundaries, the constituency is the successor to North East Bedfordshire – except south eastern areas, including the communities of Arlesey, Langford and Stotfold, which were included in the re-established, cross-county boundary, constituency of Hitchin.

Following further local government boundary reviews in Bedford [6] [7] and Central Bedfordshire [8] [9] which came into effect in May 2023, the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:

Members of Parliament

MPs 1983–1997

Bedford prior to 1983

ElectionMember [11] Party
1983 Trevor Skeet Conservative
1997 constituency abolished

MPs since 2024

Bedfordshire North East prior to 2024

ElectionMemberParty
2024 Richard Fuller Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: North Bedfordshire [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Richard Fuller 19,981 38.8 −22.3
Labour Uday Nagaraju14,56728.3+9.2
Reform UK Pippa Clayton8,43316.4+16.2
Liberal Democrats Joanna Szaub-Newton5,55310.8−2.4
Green Philippa Fleming3,0275.9+3.1
Majority5,41410.5−31.5
Turnout 51,56165.4−8.2
Registered electors 78,850
Conservative hold Swing −15.8

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result [13]
PartyVote %
Conservative 34,36061.1
Labour 10,72919.1
Liberal Democrats 7,40313.2
Others2,0233.6
Green 1,5852.8
Brexit Party 1020.2
Turnout56,20273.6
Electorate76,319

Election results 1983–1997

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: North Bedfordshire [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Trevor Skeet 27,969 52.0
Liberal Brian Gibbons14,12026.3
Labour Pat Healy11,32321.1
IndependentN. Hughes3440.6
Majority13,84925.7
Turnout 53,75675.2
Conservative win (new seat)
General election 1987: North Bedfordshire [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Trevor Skeet 29,845 52.6 +0.6
Liberal Janice Lennon13,34023.5−2.8
Labour Carl Henderson13,14023.1+2.0
OOBPCCrispin Slee4350.8New
Majority16,50529.1+3.4
Turnout 56,76077.2+2.0
Conservative hold Swing +1.7

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: North Bedfordshire [16] [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Trevor Skeet 29,970 50.7 −1.9
Labour Patrick Hall 18,30231.0+7.9
Liberal Democrats Mike Smithson 10,01416.9−6.6
Green Louise Smith6431.1New
Natural Law Bernard Bence1780.3New
Majority11,66819.7−9.4
Turnout 59,10780.1+2.9
Conservative hold Swing −4.8

See also

Notes and references

  1. "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – Eastern". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  2. "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – Eastern | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  3. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983" (PDF).
  4. "Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies", BBC/ITN/PA News/Sky, 1995, p. 191.
  5. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region.
  6. LGBCE. "Bedford | LGBCE". lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  7. "The Bedford (Electoral Changes) Order 2022".
  8. LGBCE. "Central Bedfordshire | LGBCE". lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  9. "The Central Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2021".
  10. "New Seat Details – Bedfordshire North". electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  11. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 2)
  12. "Statement as to Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll – North Bedfordshire constituency". Bedford Borough Council. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  13. "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament . Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  14. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  15. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  16. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  17. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.

52°11′N0°24′W / 52.19°N 0.4°W / 52.19; -0.4