Stevenage (UK Parliament constituency)

Stevenage
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundaries since 2010
Boundary of Stevenage in the East of England
County	Hertfordshire
Electorate	70,370 (2023) [1]
Major settlements	Knebworth, Stevenage
Current constituency
Created	1983
Member of Parliament	Kevin Bonavia (Labour)
Seats	One
Created from	Hertford & Stevenage, Hitchin and East Hertfordshire

Stevenage is a constituency ^{[n 1]} in Hertfordshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Kevin Bonavia, a member of the Labour Party.

Constituency profile

The main town is known for its fast rail links to London and proximity to Luton Airport which accompanies a few headquarters of global businesses based in the seat. Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 higher than the national average of 3.8%, and eastern regional average of 3.2%, at 4.0% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian . ^[2]

History

The constituency was created in 1983 primarily from the abolished seat of Hertford and Stevenage. A Southern England new town seat with volatile voting patterns, like its main predecessor, it was a bellwether of the national result; it was Conservative held between 1983 and 1997 until Labour easily gained it, but their winning margin in 2005 was small and the Conservatives gained the seat at the 2010 election. It remained Conservative until 2024 when it was regained by Labour amidst their national landslide victory.

The seat was held for Labour by Barbara Follett who achieved two ministerial roles from 2007 until 2010.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1983–1997

• The Borough of Stevenage;
• The District of North Hertfordshire wards of Codicote and Knebworth; and
• The District of East Hertfordshire wards of Cottered, Datchworth, Mundern, Walkern, and Watton-at-Stone. ^[3]

The constituency was formed primarily from the majority of the abolished constituency of Hertford and Stevenage. The wards of Codicote and Knebworth were transferred from the abolished constituency of Hitchin, and the wards of Cottered and Mundern from the abolished constituency of East Hertfordshire.

1997–2010

• The Borough of Stevenage;
• The District of North Hertfordshire wards of Codicote and Knebworth; and
• The District of East Hertfordshire wards of Datchworth and Walkern. ^[4]

The District of East Hertfordshire wards of Cottered, Mundern and Watton-at-Stone were transferred to the new constituency of North East Hertfordshire.

2010–2024

• The Borough of Stevenage;
• The District of North Hertfordshire wards of Codicote and Knebworth; and
• The District of East Hertfordshire ward of Datchworth and Aston. ^[5]

Walkern ward transferred to North East Hertfordshire.

2024–present

The 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies, which was based on the ward structures in place on 1 December 2020, left the boundaries virtually unchanged ^[6] . However, following local government boundary reviews in East Hertfordshire ^[7] and North Hertfordshire ^[8] which came into effect in May 2023 and May 2024 respectively, the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:

• Part of the ward of Aston, Datchworth & Walkern in the District of East Hertfordshire, comprising the parishes of Aston and Datchworth .
• The ward of Knebworth and part of the ward of Codicote & Kimpton in the District of North Hertfordshire, comprising the parishes of Knebworth and Codicote.
• The Borough of Stevenage.

The constituency covers the Borough of Stevenage, as well as the villages of Codicote and Knebworth to the south and Aston and Datchworth to the east. ^[9]

Members of Parliament

Hertford & Stevenage prior to 1983

Election		Member [10]	Party
	1983	Tim Wood	Conservative
	1997	Barbara Follett	Labour
	2010	Stephen McPartland	Conservative
	2024	Kevin Bonavia	Labour

Elections

Election results 1983-2024

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Stevenage

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Kevin Bonavia [11]	17,698	41.4	+6.2
	Conservative	Alex Clarkson [12]	11,080	25.9	−27.2
	Reform UK	Peter Hopper [13]	7,667	17.9	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Lisa Nash [14]	3,467	8.1	−0.6
	Green	Paul Dawson [15]	2,655	6.2	+3.1
	CPA	Joshua Smith [16]	148	0.3	N/A
Majority			6,618	15.5	N/A
Turnout			42,715	61.0	−6.9
Registered electors			70,086
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	16.7

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Stevenage ^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Stephen McPartland	25,328	53.1	+2.8
	Labour	Jill Borcherds	16,766	35.2	–8.2
	Liberal Democrats	Lisa Nash	4,132	8.7	+4.6
	Green	Victoria Snelling	1,457	3.1	+0.9
Majority			8,562	17.9	+11.0
Turnout			47,683	66.6	–3.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	+5.5

General election 2017: Stevenage ^[18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Stephen McPartland	24,798	50.3	+5.8
	Labour Co-op	Sharon Taylor	21,414	43.4	+9.2
	Liberal Democrats	Barbara Gibson	2,032	4.1	+0.8
	Green	Victoria Snelling	1,085	2.2	–0.7
Majority			3,384	6.9	–3.4
Turnout			49,329	69.7	+2.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	–1.8

See also: Opinion polling in United Kingdom constituencies, 2010–15 § Stevenage

General election 2015: Stevenage ^{[19] [20]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Stephen McPartland	21,291	44.5	+3.1
	Labour Co-op	Sharon Taylor	16,336	34.2	+0.8
	UKIP	David Collins	6,864	14.4	+9.9
	Liberal Democrats	Susan Van De Ven	1,582	3.3	−13.3
	Green	Graham White	1,369	2.9	New
	TUSC	Trevor Palmer	175	0.4	New
	English Democrat	Charles Vickers	115	0.2	−0.6
	Independent	David Cox	67	0.1	−0.1
Majority			4,955	10.3	+2.3
Turnout			47,799	67.7	+2.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.2

General election 2010: Stevenage ^{[21] [22]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Stephen McPartland	18,491	41.4	+6.0
	Labour Co-op	Sharon Taylor	14,913	33.4	−9.7
	Liberal Democrats	Julia Davies	7,432	16.6	−1.7
	UKIP	Marion Mason	2,004	4.5	+1.4
	BNP	Michael Green	1,007	2.3	New
	English Democrat	Charles Vickers	366	0.8	New
	NCDMV!	Stephen Phillips	327	0.7	New
	Independent	David Cox	80	0.2	New
	Your Right To Democracy Party Ltd.	Andrew Ralph	31	0.1	New
Majority			3,578	8.0	N/A
Turnout			44,651	64.8	+2.1
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	+8.0

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Stevenage ^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Barbara Follett	18,003	42.9	−9.0
	Conservative	George Freeman	14,864	35.4	+3.7
	Liberal Democrats	Julia Davies	7,610	18.1	+3.9
	UKIP	Victoria Peebles	1,305	3.1	New
	Independent	Antal Losonczi	152	0.4	−0.4
Majority			3,139	7.5	−13.3
Turnout			41,934	62.7	+2.0
	Labour hold		Swing	−6.4

General election 2001: Stevenage ^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Barbara Follett	22,025	51.9	−3.5
	Conservative	Graeme Brian Quar	13,459	31.7	−1.1
	Liberal Democrats	Harold Davies	6,027	14.2	+5.3
	Socialist Alliance	Stephen William Glennon	449	1.1	New
	Independent	Antal Losonczi	320	0.8	New
	ProLife Alliance	Mrs. Sarah Teresa Anne Bell	173	0.4	New
Majority			8,566	20.2	−2.4
Turnout			42,453	60.7	−15.9
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Stevenage ^[25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Barbara Follett	28,440	55.4	+16.8
	Conservative	Timothy Wood	16,858	32.8	−11.1
	Liberal Democrats	Alexander Iain Cameron Wilcock	4,588	8.9	−8.2
	Referendum	Jeffery Michael Coburn	1,194	2.3	New
	ProLife Alliance	David William Bundy	196	0.4	New
	Natural Law	Andrew Brinley Michael Calcraft	110	0.2	−0.2
Majority			11,582	22.6	N/A
Turnout			51,386	76.6	−6.4
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+14.3

General election 1992: Stevenage ^{[26] [27]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Timothy Wood	26,652	45.7	+3.6
	Labour	Judith Church	21,764	37.3	+11.9
	Liberal Democrats	Andrew Anthony Reilly	9,668	16.6	−15.9
	Natural Law	Andrew Brinley Michael Calcraft	233	0.4	New
Majority			4,888	8.4	−1.2
Turnout			58,317	83.0	+2.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	−4.1

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Stevenage ^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Timothy Wood	23,541	42.1	+2.7
	SDP	Ben Stoneham	18,201	32.5	−3.6
	Labour	Malcolm Robert Crawford Withers	14,229	25.4	+1.4
Majority			5,340	9.6	+6.3
Turnout			55,971	80.5	+2.6
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1983: Stevenage ^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Timothy Wood	20,787	39.4
	SDP	Ben Stoneham	19,032	36.1
	Labour	Mrs. Susan Ann Reeves	12,673	24.0
	BNP	David Robert Bowmaker	236	0.5
Majority			1,755	3.3
Turnout			52,728	77.9
	Conservative win (new seat)

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Hertfordshire
• List of parliamentary constituencies in the East of England (region)

Notes

1. A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)

References

1. "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – Eastern". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
2. Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
3. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
4. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
5. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
6. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region.
7. LGBCE. "East Hertfordshire | LGBCE". www.lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
8. LGBCE. "North Hertfordshire | LGBCE". www.lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
9. 2010 post-revision map non-metropolitan areas and unitary authorities of England
10. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 5)
11. "Meet Kevin Bonavia - Stevenage's Labour candidate vying for your vote". The Comet. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
12. "Alex Clarkson: Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Stevenage". Stevenage Conservatives. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
13. "Stevenage Constituency". Reform UK . Retrieved 23 May 2024.
14. "Lib Dems select parliamentary candidate for Stevenage". The Comet. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
15. "Paul Dawson is your Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Stevenage". North Herts & Stevenage Green Party. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
16. "Stevenage". BBC News . Retrieved 9 June 2024.
17. "Stevenage Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
18. "Stevenage parliamentary constituency - Election 2017 - BBC News". BBC Online . 9 June 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
19. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
20. "Stevenage parliamentary constituency - Election 2015 - BBC News". BBC Online . 8 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
21. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
22. "Stevenage". BBC Online (BBC). 7 May 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
23. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
24. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
25. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
26. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
27. "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
28. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
29. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

External links

• Stevenage UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• Stevenage UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
• Stevenage UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK

51°53′N0°10′W / 51.883°N 0.167°W / 51.883; -0.167