Hitchin and Harpenden | |
---|---|
County constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | Hertfordshire |
Electorate | 74,189 (December 2010)[1] |
Major settlements | Hitchin, Harpenden, Wheathampstead, Redbourn |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1997 |
Member of Parliament | Bim Afolami (Conservative) |
Seats | One |
Created from | North Hertfordshire St Albans Welwyn Hatfield |
Hitchin and Harpenden is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Bim Afolami, a Conservative.[n 2]
The seat is due to be abolished for the next general election.[2]
History
The constituency was created for the 1997 general election from parts of several former Hertfordshire seats. Prior to 1997, Hitchin was included in the abolished North Hertfordshire constituency and Harpenden in the St Albans constituency, while the village of Wheathampstead was part of the Welwyn Hatfield constituency.
The seat's first MP was Peter Lilley, a former Secretary of State for various government departments in the Major ministry in the 1990s, who had previously represented St Albans from 1983 to 1997. He announced he would not contest the seat at the 2017 general election.[3] He was succeeded in 2017 by Bim Afolami of the Conservatives, who retained it at the 2019 general election, albeit with a reduced majority.
Boundaries and boundary changes
1997–2010
- The District of North Hertfordshire wards of Ashbrook, Bearton, Cadwell, Highbury, Hitchwood, Hoo, Kimpton, Offa, Oughton, Priory, and Walsworth; and
- The City of St Albans wards of Harpenden East, Harpenden North, Harpenden South, Harpenden West, Redbourn, Sandridge, and Wheathampstead.[4]
2010–present
- The District of North Hertfordshire wards of Cadwell, Graveley and Wymondley, Hitchin Bearton, Hitchin Highbury, Hitchin Oughton, Hitchin Priory, Hitchin Walsworth, Hitchwood, Hoo, Kimpton, and Offa; and
- The City of St Albans wards of Harpenden East, Harpenden North, Harpenden South, Harpenden West, Redbourn, Sandridge, and Wheathampstead.[5]
Minor gain from North East Hertfordshire due to revision of local authority wards.
Proposed abolition
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be abolished for the next general election, with its contents distributed to two new constituencies:[2]
- Parts in the District of North Hertfordshire, including Hitchin, to be incorporated into the re-established constituency of Hitchin, which will form a cross-county boundary seat including parts of Central Bedfordshire
- Parts in the City of St Albans, including Harpenden, to be incorporated into the newly created seat of Harpenden and Berkhamsted
Members of Parliament
Election | Member[6] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | Peter Lilley | Conservative | |
2017 | Bim Afolami | Conservative |
Election results
Elections in the 2010s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Bim Afolami | 27,719 | 47.1 | –6.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Sam Collins | 20,824 | 35.4 | +24.8 | |
Labour | Kay Tart | 9,959 | 16.9 | –15.7 | |
CPA | Sid Cordle | 268 | 0.5 | +0.1 | |
Advance | Peter Marshall | 101 | 0.2 | New | |
Majority | 6,895 | 11.7 | –8.8 | ||
Turnout | 58,921 | 77.1 | –0.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | –15.4 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Bim Afolami[10] | 31,189 | 53.1 | –3.8 | |
Labour | John Hayes[11] | 19,158 | 32.6 | +12.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Hugh Annand[12] | 6,236 | 10.6 | +2.5 | |
Green | Richard Cano[13] | 1,329 | 2.3 | –3.2 | |
Independent | Ray Blake[14] | 629 | 1.1 | New | |
CPA | Sid Cordle[14] | 242 | 0.4 | New | |
Majority | 12,031 | 20.5 | –15.8 | ||
Turnout | 58,783 | 77.4 | +8.5 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | –7.9 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Lilley | 31,488 | 56.9 | +2.3 | |
Labour | Rachel Burgin | 11,433 | 20.6 | +7.0 | |
UKIP | John Stocker | 4,917 | 8.9 | +5.9 | |
Liberal Democrats | Pauline Pearce | 4,484 | 8.1 | –18.6 | |
Green | Richard Wise | 3,053 | 5.5 | +4.0 | |
Majority | 20,055 | 36.3 | +8.4 | ||
Turnout | 55,375 | 68.9 | –5.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.3 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Lilley | 29,869 | 54.6 | +4.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Nigel Quinton | 14,598 | 26.7 | +0.9 | |
Labour | Oliver de Botton | 7,413 | 13.6 | −8.8 | |
UKIP | Graham Wilkinson | 1,633 | 3.0 | +1.3 | |
Green | Richard Wise | 807 | 1.5 | New | |
Independent | Margaret Henderson | 109 | 0.2 | New | |
Citizens for Undead Rights and Equality | Simon Byron | 108 | 0.2 | New | |
Your Right to Democracy | Eric Hannah | 90 | 0.2 | New | |
Independent | Peter Rigby | 50 | 0.1 | -0.3 | |
Majority | 15,271 | 27.9 | +3.9 | ||
Turnout | 54,707 | 74.1 | +5.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +2.5 | |||
Elections in the 2000s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Lilley | 23,627 | 49.9 | +2.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Hannah Hedges | 12,234 | 25.8 | +7.8 | |
Labour | Paul Orrett | 10,499 | 22.2 | −10.3 | |
UKIP | John Saunders | 828 | 1.7 | +0.4 | |
Independent | Peter Rigby | 199 | 0.4 | -0.4 | |
Majority | 11,393 | 24.1 | +9.3 | ||
Turnout | 47,387 | 70.5 | +3.6 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | -2.6 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Lilley | 21,271 | 47.3 | +1.4 | |
Labour | Alan Amos | 14,608 | 32.5 | −0.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | John Murphy | 8,076 | 18.0 | −2.1 | |
UKIP | John Saunders | 606 | 1.3 | New | |
Independent | Peter Rigby | 363 | 0.8 | New | |
Majority | 6,663 | 14.8 | +2.0 | ||
Turnout | 44,924 | 66.9 | −11.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +1.0 | |||
Elections in the 1990s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Peter Lilley | 24,038 | 45.9 | ||
Labour | Rosemary Sanderson | 17,367 | 33.1 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Chris J. White | 10,515 | 20.1 | ||
Natural Law | David R.H. Cooke | 290 | 0.6 | ||
Socialist Alternative | Jim D.O. Horton | 217 | 0.4 | ||
Majority | 6,671 | 12.8 | |||
Turnout | 52,427 | 78.0 | |||
Conservative win (new seat) |
See also
Notes
- ↑ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
- ↑ 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
- ↑ "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- 1 2 "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – Eastern | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- ↑ "Hitchin MP announces his decision to stand down after 34 years". 26 April 2017.
- ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 3)
- ↑ "Hitchin & Harpenden Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
- ↑ "UK Parliamentary General Election 8 June 2017". St Albans City and District Council. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ↑ "BBC News: Hitchin and Harpenden Parliamentary Constituency". St Albans City and District Council. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ↑ "General Election 2017: Conservatives name parliamentary candidate for Hitchin and Harpenden". The Herts Advertiser. 6 May 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
- ↑ "General Election 2017 – Candidate List – (A – M)". labour.org.uk. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- ↑ "Hitchin and Harpenden Liberal Democrat candidate hopes to win 'enormous pro-remain' area". Hertfordshire Mercury. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
- ↑ "Lets create 'shock wave of hope' says Hitchin Green candidate". 4 May 2017.
- 1 2 https://www.north-herts.gov.uk/sites/northherts-cms/files/Statement%20of%20Persons%20Nominated%20%26%20Notice%20of%20Poll%20H%26H.PDF
- ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ↑ "Harpenden & Hitching parliamentary constituency – Election 2015 – BBC news". bbc.co.uk.
- ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ↑ "Hitchin and Harpenden". Election 2010. BBC News. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2010.