Welwyn Hatfield (UK Parliament constituency)

Welwyn Hatfield
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Welwyn Hatfield in Hertfordshire
Location of Hertfordshire within England
County	Hertfordshire
Electorate	71,766 (December 2010) [1]
Major settlements	Brookmans Park, Hatfield, Welham Green, Welwyn Garden City
Current constituency
Created	1974 (1974)
Member of Parliament	Grant Shapps (Conservative)
Seats	One
Created from	Hertford and St Albans

Welwyn Hatfield is a constituency ^{[n 1]} in Hertfordshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2005 by Grant Shapps, a Conservative who currently serves as Secretary of State for Defence. He has previously held the posts of Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Secretary of State for Transport

Constituency profile

The area has a higher than average proportion of managers, professionals and retired people than much of Greater London. ^[2] The seat has a strong local economy, with extensive retail and industrial/commercial premises, particularly in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield. Two of the four largest Hertfordshire economic towns, Stevenage and St Albans are also close by. Accordingly, workless claimants who were registered jobseekers were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 2.4% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian . ^[3]

History

The seat was created for the February 1974 general election following the second periodic review of Westminster constituencies, as Welwyn and Hatfield. It was formed from parts of the abolished constituency of Hertford. For the 1983 general election, the constituency was renamed in line with the recently created District of Welwyn Hatfield.

Political history

Despite its short history, the seat has seen two parties serve it, with two Labour periods of representation, during the longer part of the Labour Government 1974-1979 and during the first two terms of the Blair ministry. Other than this the seat has elected a Conservative as its MP.

The 2005 majority more than tripled on the second election of Grant Shapps, in 2010, from a historically breakable (in the constituency) majority of 5,946 votes to the 26th largest Conservative share of the vote, ^[4] which on standard uniform swing seen in elections since 1931 represented a safe seat, but a 5% swing to Labour in 2017 means the seat is somewhat marginal again, needing a 7.1% swing to become Labour.

Prominent frontbenchers

The first MP ended his term in the Commons as the member for Welwyn Hatfield before which he was Defence Minister from 1970 to 1972 then a Foreign Office Minister until February 1974 - later that year Lord Balniel was awarded a life peerage, ^{[n 2]} accelerating and safeguarding his right to sit in the Lords. The second MP later became the politically neutral Lord Speaker, Baroness Hayman.

During five years of the Blair ministry, the constituency's MP Melanie Johnson was a frontbench minister, serving as Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Minister for Competition and Consumers and the Minister for Public Health.

Grant Shapps, her successor, was appointed the Minister of State for Housing and Local Government for the first two years of the UK coalition government 2010 before being appointed to chair his party. Following the Conservative victory in 2015, he was appointed Minister of State at the Department for International Development ^[5] before resigning in November 2015. Shapps was briefly Home Secretary for six days from 19th October 2022 covering the period between the resignation and reinstatement of Suella Braverman. ^[6] Since then, he has served as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy followed by Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1974–1983

• The Urban District of Welwyn Garden City; and
• The Rural Districts of Hatfield and Welwyn. ^[7]

In April 1974 these local authorities were abolished and were merged into the Welwyn Hatfield District.

1983–1997

• The District of Welwyn Hatfield wards of Brookmans Park and Little Heath, Haldens, Handside, Hatfield Central, Hatfield East, Hatfield North, Hatfield South, Hollybush, Howlands, Peartree, Sherrards, Welham Green and Redhall, Welwyn East, and Welwyn West; and
• The City of St Albans ward of Wheathampstead.

Wheathampstead had formerly been in the St Albans parliamentary constituency.The Welwyn Hatfield ward of Northaw was included in the new Broxbourne parliamentary constituency. ^[8]

Map of current boundaries

1997–2010

As above minus Wheathampstead ward, which was transferred to the new constituency of Hitchin and Harpenden. ^[9]

2010–present

• The District of Welwyn Hatfield wards of Brookmans Park and Little Heath, Haldens, Handside, Hatfield Central, Hatfield East, Hatfield North, Hatfield South, Hatfield West, Hollybush, Howlands, Panshanger, Peartree, Sherrards, Welham Green, Welwyn North, and Welwyn South.

Contents updated to reflect local authority boundary review. Northaw remained in the Broxbourne constituency. ^[10]

Proposed

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, the boundaries of the constituency from the next general election, due by January 2025, will be unchanged, except for very minor modifications due to ward boundary revisions. ^[11]

Members of Parliament

Election	Member [12]	Party
Feb 1974	Lord Balniel		Conservative
Oct 1974	Helene Hayman		Labour
1979	Christopher Murphy		Conservative
1987	David Evans		Conservative
1997	Melanie Johnson		Labour
2005	Grant Shapps		Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Next general election: Welwyn Hatfield

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform UK	Jack Aaron [13]
	Labour	Andrew Lewin [14]
Majority
Turnout
Registered electors
			Swing

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Welwyn Hatfield ^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Grant Shapps	27,394	52.6	+1.6
	Labour	Rosie Newbigging	16,439	31.6	-5.2
	Liberal Democrats	Paul Zukowskyj	6,602	12.7	+5.3
	Green	Oliver Sayers	1,618	3.1	+1.5
Majority			10,955	21.0	+6.8
Turnout			52,053	69.5	-1.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	+3.4

General election 2017: Welwyn Hatfield ^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Grant Shapps	26,374	51.0	+0.6
	Labour	Anawar Miah	19,005	36.8	+10.7
	Liberal Democrats	Nigel Quinton	3,836	7.4	+1.1
	UKIP	Dean Milliken	1,441	2.8	-10.3
	Green	Christianne Sayers	835	1.6	-1.9
	Independent	Melvyn Jones	178	0.3	New
Majority			7,369	14.2	-10.1
Turnout			51,669	71.0	+2.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	−5.0

General election 2015: Welwyn Hatfield ^{[17] [18]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Grant Shapps	25,281	50.4	−6.6
	Labour	Anawar Miah	13,128	26.1	+4.7
	UKIP	Arthur Stevens [19]	6,556	13.1	+9.7
	Liberal Democrats	Hugh Annand	3,140	6.3	−10.1
	Green	Marc Scheimann [20]	1,742	3.5	+1.6
	Independent	Michael Green [21]	216	0.4	New
	TUSC	Richard Shattock	142	0.3	New
Majority			12,153	24.3	-11.3
Turnout			50,205	68.5	+0.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	−5.7

General election 2010: Welwyn Hatfield ^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Grant Shapps	27,894	57.0	+7.4
	Labour	Mike Hobday	10,471	21.4	-14.9
	Liberal Democrats	Paul Zukowskyj	8,010	16.4	+2.2
	UKIP	David Platt	1,643	3.4	New
	Green	Jill Weston	796	1.9	New
	Independent	Nigel Parker	158	0.3	New
Majority			17,423	35.6	+22.3
Turnout			48,972	68.0	−0.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	+11.1

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Welwyn Hatfield ^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Grant Shapps	22,172	49.6	+9.2
	Labour	Melanie Johnson	16,226	36.3	−6.9
	Liberal Democrats	Sara Bedford	6,318	14.1	0.0
Majority			5,946	13.3	N/A
Turnout			44,716	68.1	+4.2
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	+8.0

General election 2001: Welwyn Hatfield ^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Melanie Johnson	18,484	43.2	−3.9
	Conservative	Grant Shapps	17,288	40.4	+3.9
	Liberal Democrats	Daniel Cooke	6,021	14.1	+0.6
	UKIP	Malcolm Biggs	798	1.9	New
	ProLife Alliance	Fiona Pinto	230	0.5	0.0
Majority			1,196	2.8	-7.8
Turnout			42,821	63.9	−14.7
	Labour hold		Swing	−3.9

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Welwyn Hatfield ^[25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Melanie Johnson	24,936	47.1	+11.1
	Conservative	David Evans	19,341	36.5	−11.0
	Liberal Democrats	Rodney Schwartz	7,161	13.5	−2.5
	Residents Association	Victor Cox	1,263	2.4	New
	ProLife Alliance	Helen Harrold	267	0.5	New
Majority			5,595	10.6	N/A
Turnout			52,968	78.6	-5.7
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+11.0

General election 1992: Welwyn Hatfield ^{[26] [27]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Evans	29,447	48.4	+2.8
	Labour	Ray A. Little	20,982	34.5	+8.1
	Liberal Democrats	Robin G. Parker	10,196	16.7	−10.6
	Natural Law	Eva T. Lucas	264	0.4	New
Majority			8,465	13.9	−4.4
Turnout			60,889	84.3	+3.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	−2.7

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Welwyn Hatfield ^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Evans	27,164	45.6	-2.1
	SDP	Lindsay Granshaw	16,261	27.3	+0.8
	Labour	Chris Pond	15,699	26.4	+0.6
	Ind. Conservative	Bruce Dyson	401	0.7	New
Majority			10,903	18.3	-2.9
Turnout			59,525	80.9	+1.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	-1.4

General election 1983: Welwyn Hatfield ^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Christopher Murphy	27,498	47.7	-0.9
	SDP	Lindsay Granshaw	15,252	26.5	New
	Labour	John France	14,898	25.8	-16.9
Majority			12,246	21.2	+15.4
Turnout			57,648	79.4	-5.6
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Welwyn and Hatfield

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Christopher Murphy	28,892	48.59
	Labour	Helene Hayman	25,418	42.75
	Liberal	J Hurd	4,688	7.88
	National Front	P Ruddock	459	0.77	New
Majority			3,474	5.84	N/A
Turnout			59,457	84.99
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

General election October 1974: Welwyn and Hatfield

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Helene Hayman	23,339	42.76
	Conservative	Robert Lindsay	22,819	41.81
	Liberal	PH Robinson	8,418	15.42
Majority			520	0.95	N/A
Turnout			54,576	81.28
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

General election February 1974: Welwyn and Hatfield

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Lindsay	22,581	39.85
	Labour	CW Sewell	21,166	37.35
	Liberal	P Robinson	12,923	22.80
Majority			1,415	2.50
Turnout			56,670	85.32
	Conservative win (new seat)

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Hertfordshire

Notes

1. A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
2. Balniel joined his father, the Earl of Crawford, who from 1963 no longer had to be regularly elected as a Scottish representative peer

References

1. "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
2. "Local statistics - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk.
3. Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
4. The Electoral Commission 2010 results
5. "The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk.
6. "Grant Shapps replaces Suella Braverman as home secretary". BBC News. 20 October 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
7. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
8. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
9. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
10. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
11. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region.
12. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 2)
13. "Welwyn Hatfield Constituency: PPC - Jack Aaron". Reform UK . Retrieved 7 April 2024.
14. "Andrew Lewin selected as Parliamentary candidate for Welwyn Hatfield". Welwyn Hatfield CLP.
15. "Welwyn Hatfield Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
16. "Statement as to persons nominated and notice of poll" (PDF). Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
17. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
18. "Statement Of Persons Nominated And Notice Of Poll". Acting Returning Officer. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
19. "UK Polling Report".
20. "Marc Scheimann PPC page". Green Party of England and Wales. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
21. Burke, Dave (29 April 2015). "Satire show comic is standing against Grant Shapps after changing name to Michael Green". Welwyn Hatfield Times. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
22. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
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. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. 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.

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