South Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

South Bedfordshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
SouthBedfordshire1974Constituency.svg
Boundary of South Bedfordshire in Bedfordshire, boundaries 1974-83
1950–1983
SeatsOne
Created from Luton and Mid Bedfordshire [1]
Replaced by South West Bedfordshire, Luton North and Luton South [2]

South Bedfordshire was 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 system.

Contents

The constituency was created for the 1950 general election, and abolished for the 1983 general election.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1950–1974

The constituency was created by the Representation of the People Act 1948 as a County Constituency, comprising:

Leighton Buzzard and surrounding rural areas were transferred from Mid Bedfordshire; and Dunstable, Leagrave and Limbury from the abolished constituency of Luton.

1974–1983

(Second Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies)

Gained the former Urban District of Linslade from Buckingham in Buckinghamshire - this had been merged with Leighton Buzzard to form the Urban District of Leighton-Linslade in 1965. [4]   Leagrave and Limbury were included in the new constituency of Luton West.

The constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election. It was largely absorbed into the new constituency of South West Bedfordshire, including Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard and Linslade.  Areas to the north and south of Luton were included in the constituencies of North Luton and Luton South respectively.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberParty
1950 Edward Moeran Labour
1951 Norman Cole Conservative
1966 Gwilym Roberts Labour
1970 David Madel Conservative
1983 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Bedfordshire South [5] [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Edward Moeran 20,07045.26
National Liberal William A Fearnley-Whittingstall18,54641.83
Liberal James Stewart Knight5,72512.91
Majority1,5243.43
Turnout 44,34186.88
Registered electors 51,039
Labour win (new seat)
General election 1951: Bedfordshire South [5] [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Liberal Norman Cole 22,91750.94+9.11
Labour Edward Moeran 22,06849.06+3.8
Majority8491.88N/A
Turnout 44,98586.70−0.18
Registered electors 51,887
National Liberal gain from Labour Swing +2.66
General election 1955: Bedfordshire South [5] [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Liberal Norman Cole 23,36552.79+1.85
Labour Edward Moeran 20,89747.21−1.85
Majority2,4685.58+3.70
Turnout 44,26281.89−4.81
Registered electors 54,051
National Liberal hold Swing +1.85
General election 1959: Bedfordshire South [5] [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Liberal Norman Cole 25,86147.13−5.66
Labour Walter Johnson 21,10238.45−8.76
Liberal Renee Soskin 7,91214.42New
Majority4,7598.68+3.10
Turnout 54,87583.89+2.0
Registered electors 65,416
National Liberal hold Swing +1.55

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Bedfordshire South [5] [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Norman Cole 33,83850.25+3.12
Labour Dennis John Nisbet33,49949.75+11.3
Majority3390.50−8.17
Turnout 67,33780.83−3.06
Registered electors 83,307
Conservative hold Swing −4.09
General election 1966: Bedfordshire South [5] [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Gwilym Roberts 34,54947.75−2.00
Conservative Norman Cole 30,31941.90−8.35
Liberal Hamilton Simonds-Gooding7,48410.34New
Majority4,2305.85N/A
Turnout 72,35283.74+2.91
Registered electors 86,403
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +3.18

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Bedfordshire South [5] [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Madel 38,08548.73+6.83
Labour Gwilym Roberts 33,10742.36−5.39
Liberal Godfrey Shocket6,9568.90−1.44
Majority4,9786.36N/A
Turnout 78,14877.16−6.58
Registered electors 101,284
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +6.11
General election February 1974: Bedfordshire South [13] [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Madel 21,38039.70−9.03
Liberal David John Howard Penwarden16,62230.87+21.97
Labour Paul Farnham Tinnion15,84729.43−12.93
Majority4,7588.83+2.47
Turnout 53,84984.49+7.33
Registered electors 63,700
Conservative hold Swing −15.5
General election October 1974: Bedfordshire South [14] [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Madel 20,79441.31+1.61
Labour Raymond Alfred Little16,35132.48+3.05
Liberal David John Howard Penwarden13,19426.21−4.66
Majority4,4438.830.00
Turnout 50,33978.27−6.27
Registered electors 64,329
Conservative hold Swing −0.72
General election 1979: Bedfordshire South [15] [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Madel 32,98856.37+15.06
Labour John Gardner16,50528.20−4.28
Liberal Malcolm Alfred Turner8,40214.36−11.85
National Front Laurence Anthony Smith6261.07New
Majority16,48328.17+19.34
Turnout 58,52179.90+1.65
Registered electors 73,247
Conservative hold Swing +9.67

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References

  1. ↑ Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1985-1972. Chichester, Sussex: Political Reference Publications. ISBN   0-900178-09-4.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "'Bedfordshire South', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  3. 1 2 S., Craig, Fred W. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN   0900178094. OCLC   539011.
  4. ↑ "Leighton Linslade UD through time | Census tables with data for the Local Government District". www.visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973, FWS Craig
  6. ↑ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1950". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  7. ↑ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1951". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  8. ↑ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1955". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  9. ↑ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1959". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  10. ↑ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1964". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  11. ↑ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1966". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  12. ↑ Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1970". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  13. ↑ "UK General Election results February 1974". Politics Resources. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  14. ↑ "UK General Election results October 1974". Politics Resources. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  15. ↑ "UK General Election results May 1979". Politics Resources. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
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