Welwyn Hatfield (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Welwyn Hatfield
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Welwyn Hatfield (UK Parliament constituency)
Boundaries since 2024
East of England - Welwyn Hatfield constituency.svg
Boundary of Welwyn Hatfield in the East of England
County Hertfordshire
Electorate 74,535 (2023) [1]
Major settlements Brookmans Park, Hatfield, Welham Green, Welwyn Garden City
Current constituency
Created 1974 (1974)
Member of Parliament Andrew Lewin (Labour)
SeatsOne
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 2024 by Andrew Lewin, a member of the Labour Party.

Contents

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 three Labour periods of representation, during the longer part of the Labour government of 1974 to 1979, the first two terms of the Blair ministry and the first Starmer 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 meant that the seat was somewhat marginal again, needing a 7.1% swing to become Labour. In the 2024 election, a swing of 14.3% led to the election of Labour's Andrew Lewin with a majority of 3,799.

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 19 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

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

1983–1997

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]

Welwyn Hatfield (UK Parliament constituency)
Map of boundaries 2010-2024

1997–2010

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

2010–2024

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

Current

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency is unchanged, except for very minor modifications due to ward boundary revisions. [11]

The District of Welwyn Hatfield ward of Northaw and Cuffley was transferred from Broxbourne to Hertsmere.

Members of Parliament

For elections prior to 1974, see Hertford and St Albans.

ElectionMember [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
2024 Andrew Lewin Labour

Elections

Vote share in Welwyn Hatfield, 1974-2024 Vote share in the Welwyn Hatfield constituency, 1974-2024.svg
Vote share in Welwyn Hatfield, 1974-2024

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Welwyn Hatfield [13] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Andrew Lewin 19,877 41.0 +9.3
Conservative Grant Shapps 16,07833.2−19.3
Reform UK Jack Aaron6,39713.2New
Liberal Democrats John Munro3,1176.4−6.3
Green Sarah Butcher2,9866.2+3.1
Majority3,7997.8N/A
Turnout 48,45564.6−4.9
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +14.4

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Welwyn Hatfield [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Grant Shapps 27,394 52.6 +1.6
Labour Rosie Newbigging16,43931.6−5.2
Liberal Democrats Paul Zukowskyj6,60212.7+5.3
Green Oliver Sayers1,6183.1+1.5
Majority10,95521.0+6.8
Turnout 52,05369.5−1.5
Conservative hold Swing +3.4
General election 2017: Welwyn Hatfield [16] [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Grant Shapps 26,374 51.0 +0.6
Labour Anawar Miah19,00536.8+10.7
Liberal Democrats Nigel Quinton3,8367.4+1.1
UKIP Dean Milliken1,4412.8–10.3
Green Christianne Sayers8351.6–1.9
Independent Melvyn Jones1780.3New
Majority7,36914.2–10.1
Turnout 51,66971.0+2.5
Conservative hold Swing −5.0
General election 2015: Welwyn Hatfield [18] [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Grant Shapps 25,281 50.4 −6.6
Labour Anawar Miah13,12826.1+4.7
UKIP Arthur Stevens6,55613.1+9.7
Liberal Democrats Hugh Annand3,1406.3−10.1
Green Marc Scheimann1,7423.5+1.9
Independent Michael Green 2160.4New
TUSC Richard Shattock1420.3New
Majority12,15324.3−11.3
Turnout 50,20568.5+0.5
Conservative hold Swing −5.7
General election 2010: Welwyn Hatfield [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Grant Shapps 27,894 57.0 +7.4
Labour Mike Hobday10,47121.4−14.9
Liberal Democrats Paul Zukowskyj8,01016.4+2.2
UKIP David Platt1,6433.4New
Green Jill Weston7961.6New
Independent Nigel Parker1580.3New
Majority17,42335.6+22.3
Turnout 48,97268.0−0.2
Conservative hold Swing +11.1

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Welwyn Hatfield [21]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Grant Shapps 22,172 49.6 +9.2
Labour Melanie Johnson 16,22636.3−6.9
Liberal Democrats Sara Bedford6,31814.10.0
Majority5,94613.3N/A
Turnout 44,71668.1+4.2
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +8.0
General election 2001: Welwyn Hatfield [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Melanie Johnson 18,484 43.2 −3.9
Conservative Grant Shapps 17,28840.4+3.9
Liberal Democrats Daniel Cooke6,02114.1+0.6
UKIP Malcolm Biggs7981.9New
ProLife Alliance Fiona Pinto2300.50.0
Majority1,1962.8−7.8
Turnout 42,82163.9−14.7
Labour hold Swing −3.9

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Welwyn Hatfield [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Melanie Johnson 24,936 47.1 +11.1
Conservative David Evans 19,34136.5−11.0
Liberal Democrats Rodney Schwartz7,16113.5−2.5
Residents Association Victor Cox1,2632.4New
ProLife Alliance Helen Harrold2670.5New
Majority5,59510.6N/A
Turnout 52,96878.6−5.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +11.0
General election 1992: Welwyn Hatfield [24] [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Evans 29,447 48.4 +2.8
Labour Ray Little20,98234.5+8.1
Liberal Democrats Robin Parker10,19616.7−10.6
Natural Law Eva Lucas2640.4New
Majority8,46513.9−4.4
Turnout 60,88984.3+3.4
Conservative hold Swing −2.7

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Welwyn Hatfield [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative David Evans 27,164 45.6 –2.1
SDP Lindsay Granshaw 16,26127.3+0.8
Labour Chris Pond 15,69926.4+0.6
Ind. Conservative Bruce Dyson4010.7New
Majority10,90318.3–2.9
Turnout 59,52580.9+1.5
Conservative hold Swing -1.4
General election 1983: Welwyn Hatfield [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Christopher Murphy 27,498 47.7 –0.9
SDP Lindsay Granshaw 15,25226.5New
Labour John France14,89825.8–16.9
Majority12,24621.2+15.4
Turnout 57,64879.4−5.6
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Welwyn and Hatfield
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Christopher Murphy 28,892 48.59
Labour Helene Hayman 25,41842.75
Liberal J Hurd4,6887.88
National Front P Ruddock4590.77New
Majority3,4745.84N/A
Turnout 59,45784.99
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election October 1974: Welwyn and Hatfield
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Helene Hayman 23,339 42.76
Conservative Robert Lindsay 22,81941.81
Liberal PH Robinson8,41815.42
Majority5200.95N/A
Turnout 54,57681.28
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General election February 1974: Welwyn and Hatfield
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Robert Lindsay 22,581 39.85
Labour CW Sewell21,16637.35
Liberal P Robinson12,92322.80
Majority1,4152.50
Turnout 56,67085.32
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

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

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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. ↑ "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. ↑ "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll". Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. 7 June 2024. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  14. ↑ "UK Parliamentary Election Results 4 July 2024". Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  15. ↑ "Welwyn Hatfield - 2019 general election". UK Parliament. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  16. ↑ "Statement as to persons nominated and notice of poll". Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. 11 May 2017. Archived from the original on 14 June 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  17. ↑ "Welwyn Hatfield - 2017 general election". UK Parliament. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  18. ↑ "Statement as to persons nominated and notice of poll". Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. 9 April 2015. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  19. ↑ "Welwyn Hatfield - 2015 general election". UK Parliament. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  20. ↑ "Welwyn Hatfield - 2010 general election". UK Parliament. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  21. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  23. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  24. ↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  25. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  26. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  27. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

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