Luton North (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Luton North
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
LutonNorth2007Constituency.svg
Boundary of Luton North in Bedfordshire
EnglandBedfordshire.svg
Location of Bedfordshire within England
Local government in England Bedfordshire
Electorate 66,272 (2018) [1]
Major settlements Luton
Current constituency
Created 1983
Member of Parliament Sarah Owen (Labour Party)
SeatsOne
Created from Luton West, Mid Bedfordshire, South Bedfordshire and Luton East [2]

Luton North is a constituency [n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Sarah Owen, of the Labour Party. [n 2]

Contents

Constituency profile

Luton North was created in 1983, primarily from the former seat of Luton West. It consists of the northern portion of the town of Luton, excluding Stopsley.

One constituency other than Luton North includes Luton; Luton South. Both cover a similar housing profile [n 3] [3] and economic ambit that have seen house prices increase above the national average since 1997, two periods of relatively high numbers of the unemployed and lowest wage earners (the 1990s and 2008–2011 global recession). [4] The former covers roughly the LU3 and 4 postcode districts and excludes the town centre of what one broadsheet characterised as a tough town [5] whereas other commentators state that Luton has a resilient economy which "revolves around the airport as well as the retail sector." [6]

History

At creation, Luton North included eight wards from the neighbouring districts of Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire; these made it a much safer seat for the Conservatives than Luton South, which included only one ward from outside the Borough of Luton. Boundary changes in 1997 reduced the Conservative majority from 13,094 to 7,357, and it was 81st on Labour's list of target seats; Labour duly gained it on a 17.1% swing, and since then the party has held the seat with comfortable majorities.

From 2005 to 2015, Luton North was Labour's safest seat in the East of England by both vote and vote share majority; in 2017 it was overtaken in the former count by Norwich South, but the percentage margin in Luton North (30.8% compared to 30.4% in Norwich South) is slightly higher.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1983–1997

Created as a county constituency formally named North Luton, [7] incorporating the bulk of the abolished borough constituency of Luton West. Extended northwards to include part of the abolished constituency of South Bedfordshire as well as Flitwick, transferred from Mid Bedfordshire.

1997–2010

Luton North (UK Parliament constituency)
Map of present boundaries

Redesignated as the borough constituency of Luton North. The parts of the Districts of Mid Bedfordshire (including Flitwick) and South Bedfordshire transferred to Mid Bedfordshire. Gained the Saints ward of the Borough of Luton from Luton South.

2010–present

Marginal changes due to revision of local authority wards.

Proposed

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, the composition of the constituency from the next general election, due by January 2025, will be expanded by the transfer of the Luton Borough ward of Stopsley from Luton South. [10]

Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023 [11] [12] , the constituency will now comprise the following wards of the Borough of Luton from the next general election:

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember [14] Party
1983 John Carlisle Conservative
1997 Kelvin Hopkins Labour
2017 Independent
2019 Sarah Owen Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Next general election: Luton North
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Reform UK James Fletcher [15]

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Luton North [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Sarah Owen 23,496 55.2 -8.6
Conservative Jeet Bains14,24933.5+0.5
Liberal Democrats Linda Jack2,0634.8+3.1
Brexit Party Sudhir Sharma1,2152.9New
Green Simon Hall7711.8+0.4
Independent Muhammad Rehman6461.5New
Women's Equality Serena Laidley1490.3New
Majority9,24721.7-9.1
Turnout 42,58962.5-8.5
Labour hold Swing
General election 2017: Luton North
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Kelvin Hopkins 29,765 63.8 +11.6
Conservative Caroline Kerswell15,40133.0+3.1
Liberal Democrats Rabi Martins8081.7-1.4
Green Simon Hall6481.4-0.9
Majority14,36430.8+8.5
Turnout 46,62271.0+7.0
Labour hold Swing +4.3
General election 2015: Luton North [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Kelvin Hopkins [18] 22,243 52.2 +2.9
Conservative Dean Russell [19] 12,73929.9−1.9
UKIP Allan White [19] 5,31812.5+8.9
Liberal Democrats Aroosa Ulzaman1,2993.1−8.0
Green Sofiya Ahmed9722.3+1.2
Majority9,50422.3+4.8
Turnout 42,57164.0−1.5
Labour hold Swing +2.4
General election 2010: Luton North [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Kelvin Hopkins 21,192 49.3 +0.7
Conservative Jeremy Brier13,67231.8−0.4
Liberal Democrats Rabi Martins4,78411.1−4.5
UKIP Colin Brown1,5643.6+0.4
BNP Shelley Rose1,3163.1New
Green Simon Hall4901.1New
Majority7,52017.5+0.9
Turnout 43,01865.5+8.6
Labour hold Swing +0.5

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Luton North [21]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Kelvin Hopkins 19,062 48.7 −8.0
Conservative Hannah S. Hall12,57532.1+0.9
Liberal Democrats Linda Jack6,08115.5+5.8
UKIP Colin Brown1,2553.2+0.8
Open ForumKayson J. Gurney1490.4New
Majority6,48716.6-8.9
Turnout 39,12257.4−0.5
Labour hold Swing −4.5
General election 2001: Luton North [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Kelvin Hopkins 22,187 56.7 +2.1
Conservative Amanda Sater12,21031.2−3.1
Liberal Democrats Robert C.H. Hoyle3,7959.7+0.6
UKIP Colin Brown9342.4+0.9
Majority9,97725.5+5.2
Turnout 39,12657.9−15.3
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Luton North [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Kelvin Hopkins 25,860 54.6 +17.4
Conservative David Senior16,23434.3−16.9
Liberal Democrats Kathryn Newbound4,2999.1−1.1
UKIP Colin Brown6891.5New
Natural Law Aaron Custance2500.50.0
Majority9,62620.3N/A
Turnout 47,33273.2-8.6
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General election 1992: Luton North [24] [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Carlisle 33,777 53.7 −0.1
Labour Tony McWalter 20,68332.9+6.1
Liberal Democrats Jane Jackson7,57012.0−7.4
Green Roger Jones6331.0New
Natural Law Keith Buscombe2920.5New
Majority13,09420.8−6.2
Turnout 62,95581.8+4.2
Conservative hold Swing −3.1

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Luton North [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Carlisle 30,997 53.8 +5.5
Labour Michael Wright15,42426.8+0.6
SDP John Stephen11,16619.4−6.1
Majority15,57327.0+4.9
Turnout 57,58777.6+0.2
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1983: Luton North [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Carlisle 26,115 48.3
Labour Kelvin Hopkins 14,13426.2
SDP John Stephen13,76925.5
Majority11,98122.1
Turnout 54,01877.4
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer).
  2. ↑ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
  3. ↑ The proportion of semi-detached houses is in the highest of the five categories, similar to London Borough of Havering, London Borough of Bexley, Castle Point and Ipswich only surpassed in the east/south east by Rochford.

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References

  1. ↑ "England Parliamentary electorates 2010-2018". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  2. ↑ "'Luton North', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  3. ↑ 2011 census interactive maps Archived 29 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ "Local statistics - Office for National Statistics". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk.
  5. ↑ "Politics". The Guardian.
  6. ↑ "Area and Property Guide for lu3 - Mouseprice". www.mouseprice.com.
  7. 1 2 "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  8. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  9. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  10. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region.
  11. ↑ LGBCE. "Luton | LGBCE". www.lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  12. ↑ "The Luton (Electoral Changes) Order 2022".
  13. ↑ "New Seat Details - Luton North". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  14. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "L" (part 4)
  15. ↑ "Find My PPC (Eastern England)" (PDF). Reform UK . Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  16. ↑ "Luton North Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  17. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  18. ↑ "LUTON NORTH 2015". electionresults.blogspot.co.uk.
  19. 1 2 "UK Polling Report". ukpollingreport.co.uk.
  20. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  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. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. 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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