South West Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)

South West Bedfordshire
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of South West Bedfordshire in Bedfordshire
Location of Bedfordshire within England
County	Bedfordshire
Electorate	79,137 (2018) [1]
Major settlements	Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard
Current constituency
Created	1983
Member of Parliament	Andrew Selous (Conservative Party (UK))
Seats	One
Created from	South Bedfordshire

South West Bedfordshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. ^{[n 1]} As with all constituencies of the UK Parliament, it elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

The serving Member since 2001 is Conservative Andrew Selous, who succeeded Conservative David Madel. Selous has been re-elected five times: in 2005, 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019.

Under the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the constituency will only be subject to minor boundary changes, but is to be renamed Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard - to be first contested at the next general election. ^[2]

Constituency profile

At the 2011 Census, the population of the constituency was 102,031, of whom 50,277 were male, and 51,754 were female. ^[3] 74.30% of residents aged 16–74 are economically active, including 4.22% unemployed. A further 13.27% of the population are retired (lower than both the regional average of 14.4% and national average of 13.7%), and 3.75% are students. ^[4] A statistical compilation by The Guardian showed unemployment benefits claimants in the constituency for April 2013 were 3.3% of the population, lower than the regional average of 3.6%. ^[5]

Turnout at the 2015 general election was 51,304, or 64.4% of those eligible to vote; lower than the national turnout of 66.4%. ^[6] This rose at the time of the 2017 general election to 55,635, or 69.8% of those eligible to vote, which was a percentage point higher than the national turnout of 68.8%. ^[7]

History

The constituency was created in 1983, mostly from the former seat of South Bedfordshire. It was represented by Sir David Madel, a Conservative, from its creation until his retirement in 2001; he almost suffered one of the biggest upsets of the 1997 general election, when the Labour candidate spectacularly slashed his majority from 21,273 in 1992 to just 132.

The present Conservative MP for the seat is Andrew Selous; he won the seat in 2001, when he managed to increase the party's majority, but only just: this increased somewhat more substantially each time in 2005 and 2010, ultimately to more than 16,000. The 2010 election also saw the second-placed candidate's party change, to the Liberal Democrats, similar to the results of 1983 and 1987, when this was the joint platform for R. Byfield and J.R. Burrow respectively, the (SDP-Liberal Alliance).

Boundaries and boundary changes

1983–1997

• The District of South Bedfordshire wards of Beaudesert, Brooklands, Dunstable Central, Eaton Bray, Heath and Reach, Hockliffe, Houghton Central, Houghton East, Houghton South, Icknield, Kensworth, Linslade, Northfields, Plantation, Priory, Southcott, Stanbridge, Studham, Totternhoe, and Watling; and
• The District of Mid Bedfordshire wards of Aspley, Cranfield, Marston, and Woburn. ^[8]

The constituency was formed largely from the bulk of the abolished seat of South Bedfordshire, including Dunstable, Houghton Regis, Leighton Buzzard and Linslade.  It was extended northwards to include south-western part of Mid Bedfordshire.

1997–2010

Map of current boundaries

• The District of South Bedfordshire wards of Beaudesert, Brooklands, Dunstable Central, Eaton Bray, Heath and Reach, Hockliffe, Houghton Central, Houghton East, Houghton South, Icknield, Kensworth, Linslade, Northfields, Plantation, Priory, Southcott, Stanbridge, Studham, Totternhoe, and Watling. ^[9]

Northern areas (comprising the District of Mid Bedfordshire wards) transferred back to Mid Bedfordshire.

2010–present

• The Central Bedfordshire unitary authority wards of All Saints, Chiltern, Dunstable Central, Eaton Bray, Grovebury, Heath and Reach, Houghton Hall, Icknield, Kensworth and Totternhoe, Linslade, Manshead, Northfields, Parkside, Planets, Plantation, Southcott, Stanbridge, Tithe Farm, and Watling. ^[10]

Local authority wards revised, but no changes to boundaries.

Members of Parliament

Election		Member [11]	Party
	1983	Sir David Madel	Conservative
	2001	Andrew Selous	Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: South West Bedfordshire ^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew Selous	32,212	60.4	+1.2
	Labour	Callum Anderson	13,629	25.6	-8.2
	Liberal Democrats	Emma Matanle	5,435	10.2	+5.5
	Green	Andrew Waters	2,031	3.8	+2.1
Majority			18,583	34.8	+9.4
Turnout			53,307	66.7	-3.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	+4.7

General election 2017: South West Bedfordshire ^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew Selous	32,961	59.2	+4.2
	Labour	Daniel Scott	18,793	33.8	+13.5
	Liberal Democrats	Daniel Norton	2,630	4.7	-0.5
	Green	Morvern Rennie	950	1.7	-2.4
	CPA	Morenike Mafoh	301	0.5	New
Majority			14,168	25.4	-9.3
Turnout			55,635	69.8	+5.4
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 2015: South West Bedfordshire ^{[14] [15]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew Selous [16]	28,212	55.0	+2.2
	Labour	Daniel Scott [16]	10,399	20.3	+0.7
	UKIP	John van Weenen [17]	7,941	15.5	+11.3
	Liberal Democrats	Stephen Rutherford [18]	2,646	5.2	−14.8
	Green	Emily Lawrence [19]	2,106	4.1	New
Majority			17,813	34.7	+1.9
Turnout			51,304	64.4	-1.9
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 2010: South West Bedfordshire ^{[20] [21]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew Selous	26,815	52.8	+4.5
	Liberal Democrats	Rod Cantrill	10,166	20.0	+3.2
	Labour	Jenny Bone	9,948	19.6	−10.6
	UKIP	Martin Newman	2,142	4.2	0.0
	BNP	Mark Tolman	1,703	3.4	New
Majority			16,649	32.8	+14.7
Turnout			50,774	66.3	+4.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.7

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: South West Bedfordshire ^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew Selous	22,114	48.3	+6.2
	Labour	Joyce Still	13,837	30.2	−10.2
	Liberal Democrats	Andrew Strange	7,723	16.9	+2.1
	UKIP	Tom Wise	1,923	4.2	+1.5
	Open-Forum	Kenson Gurney	217	0.5	New
Majority			8,277	18.1	+16.4
Turnout			45,814	61.8	-0.3
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 2001: South West Bedfordshire ^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew Selous	18,477	42.1	+1.4
	Labour	Andrew Date	17,701	40.4	−0.1
	Liberal Democrats	Martin Pantling	6,473	14.8	+0.5
	UKIP	Tom Wise	1,203	2.7	+1.9
Majority			776	1.7	+1.5
Turnout			43,854	62.1	−13.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.7

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: South West Bedfordshire ^{[24] [25]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Madel	21,534	40.7	−15.5
	Labour	Andrew Date	21,402	40.5	+14.7
	Liberal Democrats	Stephen Owen	7,559	14.3	−2.3
	Referendum	Rosalind Hill	1,761	3.3	New
	UKIP	Tom Wise	446	0.8	New
	Natural Law	Alexander Le Carpentier	162	0.3	−0.1
Majority			132	0.2	-32.2
Turnout			52,864	75.8	-6.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	−16.1

General election 1992: Bedfordshire South West ^{[26] [27]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Madel	37,498	57.1	−1.1
	Labour	Barry Elliott	16,225	24.7	+6.4
	Liberal Democrats	Mark Freeman	10,988	16.7	−5.6
	Green	Peter Rollings	689	1.0	−0.3
	Natural Law	John Gilmour	239	0.4	New
Majority			21,273	32.4	−3.5
Turnout			65,639	81.9	+3.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	−3.7

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: South West Bedfordshire ^{[28] [29]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Madel	36,140	58.2	+3.2
	SDP	John Burrow	13,835	22.3	−5.5
	Labour	Paul Dimoldenberg	11,352	18.3	+1.1
	Green	Peter Rollings	822	1.3	New
Majority			22,305	35.9	+8.7
Turnout			62,149	78.7	+3.1
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election 1983: South West Bedfordshire ^{[30] [31]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Madel	31,767	55.0
	SDP	Richard Byfield	16,036	27.8
	Labour	William Cochrane	9,899	17.2
Majority			15,731	27.2
Turnout			57,702	75.6
	Conservative win (new seat)

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Bedfordshire

Notes

1. South West Bedfordshire is a county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer).

References

1. "England Parliamentary electorates 2010-2018". Boundary Commission for England. Archived from the original on 23 March 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
2. "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – Eastern | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
3. "Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
4. "Key Figures for 2011 Census: Economic Activity". Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
5. "Unemployment: the key UK data and benefit claimants for every constituency". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
6. "The May 2015 UK elections: Report on the administration of the 7 May 2015 elections, including the UK Parliamentary general election" (PDF). p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 June 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
7. "General Election 2017: full results and analysis". House of Commons Library. 22 September 2017. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
8. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
9. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
10. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
11. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 2)
12. "Statement of Persons Nominated". centralbedfordshire.app.box.com. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
13. Carr, Richard (11 May 2017). "Dated Thursday 11 May 2017 Richard Carr Acting Returning Officer Printed and published by the Acting Returning Officer , Priory House, Monks Walk, Chicksands, Shefford, Bedfordshire, SG17 5TQ STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED, NOTICE OF POLL AND SITUATION OF POLLING STATIONS" (PDF). Central Bedfordshire Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2017.
14. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
15. "Statement Of Persons Nominated And Notice Of Poll" (PDF). Acting Returning Officer. 9 April 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
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21. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
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25. "Bedfordshire South West". politicsresources.net. Archived from the original on 30 April 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
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27. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
28. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
29. "UK General Election results: June 1987 [Archive]". politicsresources.net. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
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31. "UK General Election results: June 1983 [Archive]". politicsresources.net. Archived from the original on 28 June 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2009.

51°57′29″N0°29′28″W / 51.958°N 0.491°W / 51.958; -0.491