North East Hertfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)

North East Hertfordshire
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Boundaries since 2010
Map of constituency
Boundary of North East Hertfordshire in the East of England
CountyHertfordshire
Electorate76,849 (2023)[1]
Major settlementsLetchworth, Baldock and Royston
Current constituency
Created1997
Member of ParliamentChris Hinchliff (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created fromHertfordshire North, Hertford and Stortford, Stevenage

North East Hertfordshire is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Chris Hinchliff of the Labour Party.[n 2]

Constituency profile

The constituency includes the towns of Letchworth, Baldock and Royston and the undulating rural area, strewn with traditional English villages[2] primarily to their south, most of which are within the more accessible parts of the London Commuter Belt and west of London Stansted Airport.

History

The constituency was created for the 1997 general election largely from parts of the abolished constituency of North Hertfordshire, including Letchworth, Baldock and Royston. It also included rural areas of the District of East Hertfordshire transferred from Hertford and Stortford and Stevenage.

The seat had been held since its creation for the Conservative Party with comfortable majorities by Sir Oliver Heald, who was previously MP for North Hertfordshire.

In the 2024 general election, the seat was lost to Labour candidate Chris Hinchliff, a councillor for the North Herts District Council.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1997–2010

  • The District of North Hertfordshire wards of Arbury, Baldock, Grange, Letchworth East, Letchworth South East, Letchworth South West, Newsells, Royston East, Royston West, Sandon, Weston, and Wilbury; and
  • The District of East Hertfordshire wards of Braughing, Buntingford, Cottered, Little Hadham, Munden, Standon St Mary, Stapleford, Tewin, Thundridge, and Watton-at-Stone.[3]

2010–present

  • The District of North Hertfordshire wards of Arbury, Baldock East, Baldock Town, Ermine, Letchworth East, Letchworth Grange, Letchworth South East, Letchworth South West, Letchworth Wilbury, Royston Heath, Royston Meridian, Royston Palace, and Weston and Sandon; and
  • The District of East Hertfordshire wards of Braughing, Buntingford, Hertford Rural North, Hertford Rural South, Little Hadham, Mundens and Cottered, Puckeridge, Thundridge and Standon, Walkern, and Watton-at-Stone.[4]

Minor changes due to revision of local authority wards.

Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023,[5][6] the part in the District of East Hertfordshire now comprises the wards of: Aston, Datchworth & Walkern (Bennington and Walkern parishes); Braughing & Standon; Buntingford; Hertford Rural; Little Hadham & The Pelhams; The Mundens; Ware Rural (Thundridge parish); Watton-at-Stone.[7]

Subject to a minor adjustment, the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which was based on the ward structure in place at 1 December 2020, left the boundaries unchanged.[8]

Members of Parliament

Hertfordshire North, Hertford & Stortford and Stevenage prior to 1997

Election Member[9] Party
1997 Sir Oliver Heald Conservative
2024 Chris Hinchliff Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: North East Hertfordshire[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Chris Hinchliff[12] 18,358 35.0 +11.3
Conservative Nikki da Costa[13] 16,435 31.3 −25.3
Reform UK Steven Adelantado[14] 8,462 16.1 N/A
Liberal Democrats Ruth Brown[15] 5,463 10.4 −5.1
Green Vicky Burt[16] 3,802 7.2 +2.9
Majority 1,923 3.7 N/A
Turnout 52,520 67.6 −5.1
Registered electors 77,090
Labour gain from Conservative Swing Increase18.3

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: North East Hertfordshire[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Oliver Heald 31,293 56.6 –2.0
Labour Kelley Green 13,104 23.7 –4.6
Liberal Democrats Amy Finch 8,563 15.5 +7.8
Green Tim Lee 2,367 4.3 –1.0
Majority 18,189 32.9 +2.6
Turnout 55,327 72.7 –0.7
Conservative hold Swing +1.3
General election 2017: North East Hertfordshire[19][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Oliver Heald 32,587 58.6 +3.2
Labour Doug Swanney 15,752 28.3 +9.4
Liberal Democrats Nicky Shepard 4,276 7.7 +0.1
Green Tim Lee 2,965 5.3 +0.1
Majority 16,835 30.3 –6.2
Turnout 55,764 73.4 +2.7
Conservative hold Swing –3.1
General election 2015: North East Hertfordshire[21][22][23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Oliver Heald 28,949 55.4 +1.9
Labour Chris York[24] 9,869 18.9 +2.5
UKIP William Compton[25] 6,728 12.9 +8.8
Liberal Democrats Joe Jordan[26] 3,952 7.6 −15.8
Green Mario May[27][28] 2,789 5.2 +3.5
Majority 19,080 36.5 +6.4
Turnout 52,500 70.7 +0.9
Conservative hold Swing −0.3
General election 2010: North East Hertfordshire[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Oliver Heald 26,995 53.5 +6.2
Liberal Democrats Hugh Annand 11,801 23.4 +2.0
Labour David Kirkman 8,291 16.4 −11.6
UKIP Adrianne Smyth 2,075 4.1 +0.8
Green Rosemary Bland 875 1.7 New
Independent Richard Campbell 209 0.4 New
Your Right To Democracy Party Limited David Ralph 143 0.3 New
Independent Philip Reichardt 36 0.1 New
Majority 15,194 30.1 +10.8
Turnout 50,425 69.8 +3.2
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: North East Hertfordshire[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Oliver Heald 22,402 47.3 +3.2
Labour Andy Harrop 13,264 28.0 −8.4
Liberal Democrats Iain Coleman 10,147 21.4 +4.2
UKIP David Hitchman 1,561 3.3 +1.0
Majority 9,138 19.3 +11.6
Turnout 47,374 65.6 +0.6
Conservative hold Swing +5.8
General election 2001: North East Hertfordshire[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Oliver Heald 19,695 44.1 +2.4
Labour Ivan Gibbons 16,251 36.4 +0.6
Liberal Democrats Alison Kingman 7,686 17.2 −1.0
UKIP Malcolm Virgo 1,013 2.3 New
Majority 3,444 7.7 +1.8
Turnout 44,645 65.0 −12.1
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: North East Hertfordshire[32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Oliver Heald 21,712 41.7
Labour Ivan Gibbons 18,624 35.8
Liberal Democrats Stephen Jarvis 9,493 18.2
Referendum Jonathan Grose 2,166 4.2
Majority 3,088 5.9
Turnout 51,995 77.1
Conservative win (new seat)

Note: Although a Conservative win due to the seat being newly created, the winning candidate was the previous MP for North Hertfordshire, which was abolished and largely reformed as North East Hertfordshire.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ A county 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.

References

  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – Eastern". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  2. ^ "OS Maps - online and App mapping system | Ordnance Survey Shop". Archived from the original on 14 March 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  3. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  4. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  5. ^ LGBCE. "East Hertfordshire | LGBCE". www.lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  6. ^ "The East Hertfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2023".
  7. ^ "New Seat Details - Hertfordshire North East". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  8. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region.
  9. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 3)
  10. ^ "Declaration of results - North East Hertfordshire" (PDF). North Hertfordshire District Council. Melanie Stimpson. 5 July 2024.
  11. ^ "North East Hertfordshire - General election results 2024". BBC News. BBC. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  12. ^ Labour East [@EofELabour] (24 May 2024). "Congratulations, Chris Hinchliff, Labour's Parliamentary candidate for North East Hertfordshire!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  13. ^ https://twitter.com/tomorrowsmps/status/1796941401638261167 [bare URL]
  14. ^ "North East Hertfordshire Constituency". Reform UK. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  15. ^ "Ruth Brown". Royston branch of North Herts & Stevenage Local Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  16. ^ "Vote Vicky". East Hertfordshire Green Party. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Hertfordshire North East Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  18. ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis" (PDF). London: House of Commons Library. 28 January 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  19. ^ "Election Results 2017". 9 June 2017. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  20. ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis" (PDF) (Second ed.). House of Commons Library. 29 January 2019 [7 April 2018]. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2019.
  21. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  22. ^ "North East Hertfordshire - Telegraph". www.telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015.
  23. ^ "GENERAL ELECTION 2015: North East Hertfordshire | Hertfordshire Mercury". Archived from the original on 12 May 2015.
  24. ^ http://www.labour.org.uk/people/detail/chris-york [dead link‍]
  25. ^ Dickinson, Eleanor (26 January 2015). "UKIP candidate chosen to take on Royston MP Sir Oliver Heald in the 2015 general election". Cambridge News. Archived from the original on 25 February 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  26. ^ "Joe Jordan". Archived from the original on 13 April 2015.
  27. ^ "Eastern Region Green Party | Green Party Selects its General Election candidates for seats in the North Herts". eastern.greenparty.org.uk. Archived from the original on 5 October 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  28. ^ "North Hertfordshire Green Party | Candidates 2012". Archived from the original on 6 November 2012.
  29. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  30. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  31. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  32. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

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