Hitchin (constituency)
UK Parliament constituency (1885–1983, 2024 onwards)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hitchin was a parliamentary constituency in Hertfordshire which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.
| Hitchin | |
|---|---|
| County constituency for the House of Commons | |
 Interactive map of boundaries since 2024 | |
Location within the East of England | |
| County | Hertfordshire |
| Electorate | 72,112 (March 2020)[1] |
| Major settlements | Hitchin, Shefford, Stotfold, Arlesey |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 2024 |
| Member of Parliament | Alistair Strathern (Labour) |
| Seats | One |
| Created from | Hitchin and Harpenden, Mid Bedfordshire (part) |
| 1885–1983 | |
| Seats | One |
| Created from | Hertfordshire |
| Replaced by | North Hertfordshire, Stevenage[2] |
| During its existence contributed to new seat(s) of | Hertford and Stevenage |
Further to the completion of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, it was re-established as a cross-county boundary seat in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire for the 2024 general election,[3] since when it has been held by Alistair Strathern of the Labour Party. Strathern had served as the MP for Mid Bedfordshire since a by-election in October 2023, but chose to stand in Hitchin, which included a small part of the Mid Bedfordshire following boundary changes.
Constituency profile
The Hitchin constituency is located mostly in Hertfordshire and partly in Bedfordshire. It is centred around its largest town, Hitchin, which has a population of around 35,000.[4] Other settlements in the constituency include the Stevenage suburb of Great Ashby, the small towns of Shefford, Stotfold and Arlesey and the villages of Langford and Clifton. The constituency also contains communities based around the military sites of MOD Chicksands and RAF Henlow. Hitchin is traditionally an agricultural market town and is connected to London and Cambridge by rail. The constituency is affluent with low levels of deprivation.[5] House prices are higher than the national average.[6]
Residents of the constituency have high levels of education and income.[6] A high proportion of residents work in the construction and defence industries.[7] White people made up 88% of the population at the 2021 census.[6] At the local council level, Hitchin is represented by Labour Party and Liberal Democrat councillors, whilst the rest of the constituency elected mostly Conservative councillors. An estimated 53% of voters in the constituency supported remaining in the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the nationwide figure of 48%.[6]
Boundaries and boundary changes
Historic
1885–1918
- The Sessional Divisions of Aldbury (except the parishes of Great Hadham and Little Hadham), Buntingford, Hitchin, Odsey, Stevenage, and Welwyn; and
- The parish of Braughing.[8]
The constituency was established by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (which followed on from the Third Reform Act) as one of four Divisions of the abolished three-member Parliamentary County of Hertfordshire, and was formally named as the Northern or Hitchin Division of Hertfordshire. It included the towns/villages of Hitchin, Stevenage, Welwyn, Baldock and Royston.
1918–1945
- The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Royston, and Stevenage;
- The Rural Districts of Ashwell, Buntingford, Hitchin, and Welwyn; and
- The Rural District of Hertford parishes of Aston, Bennington, Datchworth, Sacombe, Walkern, and Watton-at-Stone.[9]
Minor changes only to reflect local authority boundaries.
1945–1950
- The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, Royston, and Stevenage;
- The Rural Districts of Hitchin, and Welwyn; and
- Parts of the Rural Districts of Braughing and Hertford.[10]
The constituency had included a part of the Urban District of Welwyn Garden City, which had been formed as a separate local authority in 1927, and this was now transferred to St Albans. Other nominal changes as a result of the reorganisation of local authorities.
1950–1955
- The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, Royston, and Stevenage;
- The Rural District of Hitchin;
- The Rural District of Braughing parishes of Anstey, Ardeley, Aspenden, Broadfield, Buckland, Buntingford, Cottered, Hormead, Meesden, Throcking, Westmilll, and Wyddiall; and
- The Rural District of Hertford parishes of Aston, Bennington, Datchworth, Sacombe, Walkern, and Watton-at-Stone.[11]
The Rural District of Welwyn was transferred to St Albans.
1955–1974
- The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, Royston, and Stevenage; and
- The Rural District of Hitchin.[10]
The part of the Rural District of Braughing was transferred to the new constituency of East Hertfordshire, and the part of the Rural District of Hertford was transferred to Hertford.
1974–1983
- The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, and Royston; and
- The Rural District of Hitchin.[10][12]
The Urban District of Stevenage formed the majority of the new County Constituency of Hertford and Stevenage.
The constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election and was replaced by the new constituency of North Hertfordshire, with the exception of a small part in the south-east which was included in the new constituency of Stevenage (Codicote and Knebworth).
Current
Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the re-established constituency was defined as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
- The District of Central Bedfordshire wards of Arlesey; Shefford; and Stotfold and Langford - transferred partly from North East Bedfordshire and partly from Mid Bedfordshire.
- The District of North Hertfordshire wards of: Cadwell; Chesfield; Hitchin Bearton; Hitchin Highbury; Hitchin Oughton; Hitchin Priory; Hitchin Walsworth; Hitchwood, Offa and Hoo; and Kimpton - transferred from the abolished constituency of Hitchin and Harpenden.[13]
Following local government boundary reviews in Central Bedfordshire[14] and North Hertfordshire[15] which came into effect in May 2023 and May 2024 respectively, the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:
- The District of Central Bedfordshire wards or part wards of: Arlesey & Fairfield; Clifton, Henlow & Langfield; Meppershall & Shillington (Meppershall parish); Shefford; Stotfold.
- The District of North Hertfordshire wards or part wards of: Cadwell; Codicote & Kimpton (Kimpton parish); Graveley, St Ippolyts & Wymondley; Great Ashby; Hitchin Bearton; Hitchin Highbury; Hitchin Oughton; Hitchin Priory; Hitchin Walsworth; Hitchwood; Offa.[16]
Members of Parliament
MPs 1885-1983
North Hertfordshire and Stevenage prior to 1885
| Election | Member | Party | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | Baron Robert Dimsdalea | Conservative | Member for Hertford (1866–1874) | |
| 1892 | George Hudson | Conservative | ||
| 1906 | Julius Bertram | Liberal | ||
| January 1910 | Alfred Hillier | Conservative | Died October 1911 | |
| 1911 by-election | Lord Robert Cecilb | Conservative | Member for Marylebone East (1906–1910) | |
| 1923 | Guy Kindersley | Conservative | ||
| 1931 | Viscount Knebworth | Conservative | Died May 1933 | |
| 1933 by-election | Arnold Wilson | Conservative | Died May 1940 | |
| 1941 by-election | Seymour Berry | Conservative | ||
| 1945 | Philip Asterley Jones | Labour | ||
| 1950 | Nigel Fisher | Conservative | Contested Surbiton following redistribution | |
| 1955 | Martin Maddan | Conservative | ||
| 1964 | Shirley Williams | Labour | Contested Hertford and Stevenage following redistribution | |
| February 1974 | Ian Stewart | Conservative | Contested North Hertfordshire following redistribution | |
| 1983 | Constituency abolished: see North Hertfordshire | |||
Notes:-
- a Dimsdale was a Baron of the Russian Empire.
MPs since 2024
Hitchin & Harpenden prior to 2024
| Election | Member | Party | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Alistair Strathern | Labour | Member for Mid Bedfordshire (2023–2024) | |
Election results
Elections in the 2020s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Alistair Strathern[a] | 23,067 | 44.8 | +17.7 | |
| Conservative | Bim Afolami[b] | 14,958 | 28.5 | –18.5 | |
| Reform | Charles Bunker | 6,760 | 12.9 | N/A | |
| Liberal Democrats | Chris Lucas | 4,913 | 9.4 | –14.3 | |
| Green | Will Lavin | 2,631 | 5.0 | +3.5 | |
| CPA | Sid Cordle | 181 | 0.3 | –0.2 | |
| Majority | 8,109 | 15.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 52,696 | 69.4 | –5.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 75,877 | ||||
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |  18.1 |
|||
Elections in the 2010s
The Hitchin parliamentary constituency did not exist when the 2019 general election was held. The following is a projection of what the result of the 2019 general election might have looked like in the Hitchin parliamentary constituency if it had existed.
| 2019 notional result[19] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Vote | % | |
| Conservative | 25,419 | 47.0 | |
| Labour | 14,155 | 26.2 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 12,798 | 23.7 | |
| Others | 871 | 1.6 | |
| Green | 818 | 1.5 | |
| Turnout | 54,061 | 75.0 | |
| Electorate | 72,112 | ||
Elections in the 1970s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Ian Stewart | 33,169 | 52.5 | +8.0 | |
| Labour | Denis O'Flynn | 19,940 | 31.6 | –7.5 | |
| Liberal | Eric Dix | 8,224 | 13.0 | –3.3 | |
| Ecology | Brian Goodale | 911 | 1.4 | New | |
| National Front | Victor Logan | 881 | 1.4 | New | |
| Majority | 13,229 | 21.0 | +15.5 | ||
| Turnout | 63,125 | 82.2 | +2.6 | ||
| Registered electors | 76,807 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +7.7 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Ian Stewart | 25,842 | 44.6 | +0.5 | |
| Labour | Ann Mallalieu | 22,656 | 39.1 | +1.5 | |
| Liberal | Eric Dix | 9,454 | 16.3 | –1.2 | |
| Majority | 3,186 | 5.5 | –1.0 | ||
| Turnout | 57,952 | 79.6 | –6.0 | ||
| Registered electors | 72,815 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | –0.5 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Ian Stewart | 27,222 | 44.1 | –8.2 | |
| Labour | Ann Mallalieu | 23,204 | 37.6 | –2.7 | |
| Liberal | D Beavan | 10,824 | 17.5 | +10.2 | |
| Independent | P Bianchi | 467 | 0.8 | New | |
| Majority | 4,018 | 6.5 | –5.5 | ||
| Turnout | 61,717 | 85.6 | +8.9 | ||
| Registered electors | 72,126 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | –2.8 | |||
| 1970 notional result[20] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Vote | % | |
| Conservative | 27,800 | 52.4 | |
| Labour | 21,400 | 40.3 | |
| Liberal | 3,900 | 7.3 | |
| Turnout | 53,100 | 76.6 | |
| Electorate | 69,283 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Shirley Williams | 40,932 | 48.53 | ||
| Conservative | Richard Luce | 37,258 | 44.18 | ||
| Liberal | Thomas Willis | 6,148 | 7.29 | New | |
| Majority | 3,674 | 4.35 | |||
| Turnout | 84,338 | 76.88 | |||
| Registered electors | 109,704 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1960s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Shirley Williams | 42,233 | 56.52 | ||
| Conservative | John Stokes | 32,483 | 43.48 | ||
| Majority | 9,750 | 13.04 | |||
| Turnout | 74,716 | 65.54 | |||
| Registered electors | 90,840 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Shirley Williams | 34,034 | 45.84 | ||
| Conservative | Martin Maddan | 30,649 | 41.28 | ||
| Liberal | Elma Dangerfield | 9,564 | 12.88 | ||
| Majority | 3,385 | 4.56 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 74,247 | 84.54 | |||
| Registered electors | 87,825 | ||||
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1950s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Martin Maddan | 30,193 | 46.82 | ||
| Labour | Peter Benenson | 25,818 | 40.03 | ||
| Liberal | Robert Glenton | 8,481 | 13.15 | New | |
| Majority | 4,375 | 6.79 | |||
| Turnout | 64,492 | 85.43 | |||
| Registered electors | 75,493 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Martin Maddan | 26,371 | 50.93 | ||
| Labour | Peter Benenson | 25,406 | 49.07 | ||
| Majority | 965 | 1.86 | |||
| Turnout | 51,777 | 83.17 | |||
| Registered electors | 62,258 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Nigel Fisher | 27,719 | 52.64 | ||
| Labour | Peter Benenson | 24,941 | 47.36 | ||
| Majority | 2,778 | 5.28 | |||
| Turnout | 52,660 | 84.98 | |||
| Registered electors | 61,966 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Nigel Fisher | 23,580 | 45.11 | ||
| Labour | Philip Jones | 21,829 | 41.76 | ||
| Liberal | Frank Haigh | 6,863 | 13.13 | ||
| Majority | 1,751 | 3.35 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 52,272 | 85.78 | |||
| Registered electors | 60,936 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1940s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Philip Jones | 20,779 | 42.64 | ||
| Conservative | Seymour Berry | 20,433 | 41.93 | ||
| Liberal | Thomas Darling | 7,515 | 15.42 | New | |
| Majority | 346 | 0.71 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 48,727 | 72.44 | |||
| Registered electors | 67,266 | ||||
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Seymour Berry | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
General Election 1939–40: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
- Conservative: Arnold Wilson
- Labour: George Lindgren
Elections in the 1930s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Arnold Wilson | 21,452 | 63.34 | ||
| Labour | George Lindgren | 12,417 | 36.66 | ||
| Majority | 9,035 | 26.68 | |||
| Turnout | 33,869 | 66.44 | |||
| Registered electors | 50,975 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Arnold Wilson | 14,569 | 58.4 | −17.3 | |
| Labour | William Bennett | 10,362 | 41.6 | +17.3 | |
| Majority | 4,207 | 16.8 | −34.6 | ||
| Turnout | 24,931 | 51.3 | −19.8 | ||
| Registered electors | 48,580 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | -17.3 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Viscount Knebworth | 25,841 | 75.7 | +30.9 | |
| Labour | Dermot Freyer | 8,312 | 24.3 | −2.6 | |
| Majority | 17,529 | 51.4 | +34.9 | ||
| Turnout | 34,153 | 71.1 | −2.3 | ||
| Registered electors | 48,003 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Elections in the 1920s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Guy Kindersley | 14,786 | 44.8 | −14.4 | |
| Liberal | Enid Lapthorn | 9,325 | 28.3 | +11.9 | |
| Labour | Richard Gifford | 8,880 | 26.9 | +2.5 | |
| Majority | 5,461 | 16.5 | −18.3 | ||
| Turnout | 32,991 | 73.4 | +3.9 | ||
| Registered electors | 44,967 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | −9.2 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Guy Kindersley | 14,019 | 59.2 | +9.5 | |
| Labour | Julian Athelstan Tayler | 5,773 | 24.4 | −1.9 | |
| Liberal | Dugald Macfadyen | 3,881 | 16.4 | −7.6 | |
| Majority | 8,246 | 34.8 | +11.4 | ||
| Turnout | 23,673 | 69.5 | +1.8 | ||
| Registered electors | 34,060 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | +5.7 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Guy Kindersley | 11,157 | 49.7 | −12.3 | |
| Labour | Skene Mackay | 5,913 | 26.3 | −11.7 | |
| Liberal | Dugald Macfadyen | 5,390 | 24.0 | New | |
| Majority | 5,244 | 23.4 | −0.6 | ||
| Turnout | 22,460 | 67.7 | +1.5 | ||
| Registered electors | 33,197 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | −0.3 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Lord Robert Cecil | 13,124 | 62.0 | +1.4 | |
| Labour | Skene Mackay | 8,049 | 38.0 | +3.1 | |
| Majority | 5,075 | 24.0 | −1.7 | ||
| Turnout | 21,173 | 66.2 | +7.8 | ||
| Registered electors | 32,005 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | −0.9 | |||
Elections in the 1910s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Unionist | Lord Robert Cecil | 9,828 | 60.6 | +3.6 |
| Labour | Robert Green | 5,661 | 34.9 | New | |
| NFDDSS | George Humm | 722 | 4.5 | New | |
| Majority | 4,167 | 25.7 | +11.7 | ||
| Turnout | 16,211 | 54.4 | −29.9 | ||
| Registered electors | 29,820 | ||||
| Unionist hold | Swing | ||||
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. | |||||
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
- Unionist: Lord Robert Cecil
- Liberal:
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Lord Robert Cecil | 5,542 | 58.6 | +1.6 | |
| Liberal | Thomas Tylston Greg | 3,909 | 41.4 | −1.6 | |
| Majority | 1,633 | 17.2 | +3.2 | ||
| Turnout | 9,451 | 84.8 | +0.5 | ||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +1.6 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Alfred Hillier | 5,233 | 57.0 | −2.8 | |
| Liberal | Thomas Tylston Greg | 3,942 | 43.0 | +2.8 | |
| Majority | 1,291 | 14.0 | −5.6 | ||
| Turnout | 9,175 | 84.3 | −4.2 | ||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | −2.8 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Alfred Hillier | 5,761 | 59.8 | +10.3 | |
| Liberal | Julius Bertram | 3,877 | 40.2 | −10.3 | |
| Majority | 1,884 | 19.6 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 9,638 | 88.5 | +4.6 | ||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +10.3 | |||
Elections in the 1900s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Julius Bertram | 4,157 | 50.5 | New | |
| Conservative | J J W Miller | 4,081 | 49.5 | N/A | |
| Majority | 76 | 1.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 8,238 | 83.9 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 9,820 | ||||
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | George Bickersteth Hudson | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
Elections in the 1890s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | George Bickersteth Hudson | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | George Bickersteth Hudson | 4,187 | 60.5 | N/A | |
| Liberal | John Wattridge | 2,728 | 39.5 | New | |
| Majority | 1,459 | 21.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 6,915 | 77.0 | N/A | ||
| Registered electors | 8,982 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |||
Elections in the 1880s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Robert Dimsdale | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Robert Dimsdale | 4,419 | 60.6 | |
| Liberal | Henry Fordham | 2,869 | 39.4 | |
| Majority | 1,550 | 21.2 | ||
| Turnout | 7,288 | 81.0 | ||
| Registered electors | 8,996 | |||
| Conservative win (new seat) | ||||
See also
Notes
- Served as MP for Mid Bedfordshire from 2023 to 2024
- Served as MP for Hitchin and Harpenden from 2017 to 2024