West Suffolk (UK Parliament constituency)
West Suffolk | |
---|---|
County constituency | |
Created from | Suffolk |
Replaced by | Bury St Edmunds (also succeeded itself) North-Western or 'Stowmarket' Division South or 'Sudbury' Division |
West Suffolk is a
Between 1832 and 1885 there had also been a constituency, the Western Division of Suffolk, also known as West Suffolk, although on different boundaries.
Constituency profile
This area includes a slightly older demographic profile than the national average, with a significant proportion of semi-detached and detached homes and a higher than average proportion of retired people.[2]
Major economic sectors include defence (
Workless claimants who were registered jobseekers were in November 2012 lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 2.5% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[3]
History
The seat's current version was created with Parliamentary approval of the
- Political history
The seat at this time has only been represented by Conservatives with the narrowest majority having been that of 1997 at only 3.8% of the vote, since which the majority has gradually increased to a level seen most commonly in safe seats.
For the 2010 general election, the transition was planned six months before, on 23 November 2009, when the incumbent announced he would not stand again.[4]
- Prominent frontbenchers
Richard Spring[n 3] was an opposition spokesman for Foreign Affairs (2000-2004) (shadowing a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister) then Shadow Minister for the Treasury (2004-2005) before being a vice-chairman of his party and being elevated to the House of Lords as Lord Risby. Several of his ancestors had previously represented Suffolk in the House of Commons.
Boundaries and boundary changes
1997–2010
- The District of Forest Heath; and
- The Borough of St Edmundsbury wards of Barningham, Barrow, Cangle, Castle, Chalkstone, Chevington, Clements, Honington, Horringer, Hundon, Ixworth, Kedington, Risby, St Mary's and Helions, Stanton, Wickhambrook, and Withersfield.[7]
The new county constituency was formed primarily from the majority (including Newmarket) of the constituency of Bury St Edmunds, which was reconfigured. It was extended southwards, incorporating westernmost areas of South Suffolk, including Haverhill.
2010–present
- The District of Forest Heath; and
- The Borough of St Edmundsbury wards of Bardwell, Barningham, Barrow, Chedburgh, Haverhill East, Haverhill North, Haverhill South, Haverhill West, Hundon, Ixworth, Kedington, Risby, Stanton, Wickhambrook, and Withersfield.[8]
Marginal changes due to revision of local authority wards.
The constituency includes the town of Newmarket, a global centre of horse racing, as well as the towns of Haverhill and Mildenhall, with a farmed landscape, interspersed with patches of forest[n 4] and small villages.
Proposed
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the next general election, due by January 2025, the constituency will be composed of the following wards of the District of West Suffolk (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
Barrow; Brandon Central; Brandon East; Brandon West; Chedburgh & Chevington; Clare, Hundon & Kedington; Exning; Haverhill Central; Haverhill East; Haverhill North; Haverhill South; Haverhill South East; Haverhill West; Horringer; Iceni; Kentford & Moulton; Lakenheath; Manor; Mildenhall Great Heath; Mildenhall Kingsway & Market; Mildenhall Queensway; Newmarket East; Newmarket North; Newmarket West; Risby; The Rows; Whepstead & Wickhambrook; Withersfield.[9]
The four wards (Bardwell, Barningham, Ixworth and Stanton) in the north east corner of the seat will be moved to the newly named constituency of Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, partly offset by small transfers in from Bury St Edmunds and South Suffolk.
Members of Parliament
Election | Member[10] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | Richard Spring | Conservative | |
2010 | Matt Hancock | Conservative | |
2022 | Independent[11] |
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Rebecca Denness[12] | ||||
Liberal Democrats | Henry Batchelor[13] | ||||
Green | Mark Ereira-Guyer[14] | ||||
SDP | Ivan Kinsman[15] | ||||
Conservative | Nick Timothy[16] | ||||
Reform UK | Peter Hopper[17] | ||||
Majority | |||||
Turnout | |||||
Registered electors | |||||
Swing |
Elections in the 2010s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Matt Hancock | 33,842 | 65.8 | +4.6 | |
Labour | Claire Unwin | 10,648 | 20.7 | ―7.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | Elfreda Tealby-Watson | 4,685 | 9.1 | +4.9 | |
Green | Donald Allwright | 2,262 | 4.4 | +2.6 | |
Majority | 23,194 | 45.1 | +12.1 | ||
Turnout | 51,437 | 64.1 | ―2.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +6.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Matt Hancock | 31,649 | 61.2 | +9.0 | |
Labour | Michael Jefferys | 14,586 | 28.2 | +10.7 | |
UKIP | Julian Flood | 2,396 | 4.6 | ―17.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Elfreda Tealby-Watson | 2,180 | 4.2 | ―0.8 | |
Green | Donald Allwright | 935 | 1.8 | ―1.8 | |
Majority | 17,063 | 33.0 | +2.5 | ||
Turnout | 51,746 | 66.9 | +2.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ―0.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Matt Hancock | 25,684 | 52.2 | +1.6 | |
UKIP | Julian Flood[21] | 10,700 | 21.7 | +15.3 | |
Labour | Michael Jefferys | 8,604 | 17.5 | +2.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Elfreda Tealby-Watson[22] | 2,465 | 5.0 | ―18.4 | |
Green | Niall Pettitt[23] | 1,779 | 3.6 | New | |
Majority | 14,984 | 30.5 | +3.3 | ||
Turnout | 49,232 | 64.6 | ―0.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ―6.9 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Matt Hancock | 24,312 | 50.6 | +1.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Belinda Brooks-Gordon | 11,262 | 23.4 | +6.2 | |
Labour | Ohid Ahmed | 7,089 | 14.7 | ―14.2 | |
UKIP | Ian Smith | 3,085 | 6.4 | +1.5 | |
BNP | Ramon Johns | 1,428 | 3.0 | New | |
Independent
|
Andrew Appleby | 540 | 1.1 | New | |
CPA | Colin Young | 373 | 0.8 | New | |
Majority | 13,050 | 27.2 | +7.0 | ||
Turnout | 48,089 | 64.7 | +3.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ―2.3 |
Elections in the 2000s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Spring | 21,682 | 49.0 | +1.4 | |
Labour | Michael Jeffreys | 12,773 | 28.9 | ―8.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Adrian Graves | 7,573 | 17.1 | +5.3 | |
UKIP | Ian Smith | 2,177 | 4.9 | +1.8 | |
Majority | 8,909 | 20.1 | +10.0 | ||
Turnout | 44,205 | 60.7 | +0.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +5.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Spring | 20,201 | 47.6 | +6.7 | |
Labour | Michael Jefferys | 15,906 | 37.5 | +0.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Robin Martlew | 5,017 | 11.8 | ―2.2 | |
UKIP | Will Burrows | 1,321 | 3.1 | New | |
Majority | 4,295 | 10.1 | +6.3 | ||
Turnout | 42,445 | 60.5 | ―11.0 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | +3.1 |
Elections in the 1990s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Richard Spring | 20,081 | 40.9 | ||
Labour | Michael Jefferys | 18,214 | 37.1 | ||
Liberal Democrats | Adrian Graves | 6,892 | 14.0 | ||
Referendum | James J.T. Carver | 3,724 | 7.6 | ||
Natural Law | Alistair J.M. Shearer | 171 | 0.3 | ||
Majority | 1,867 | 3.8 | |||
Turnout | 49,082 | 71.5 | |||
Conservative win (new seat) |
See also
Notes
- county constituency(for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
- first past the postsystem of election at least every five years.
- ^ Previously MP for the Bury St Edmunds seat
- ^ For example Thetford Forest, synonymous with Breckland.
References
- ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ^ "Local statistics - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk.
- ^ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
- ^ So Long and Farewell, Richard Spring Blog
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- ^ Bright, Sam (10 February 2021). "Friend of Matt Hancock Wins £14.4 Million PPE Contract". Byline Times. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region.
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 6)
- ^ "Matt Hancock suspended as Tory MP for joining I'm a Celeb cast". BBC News. November 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
- ^ https://twitter.com/EofELabour/status/1770123994823332370. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ "West Suffolk Liberal Democrats". West Suffolk Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
- ^ "Full list of all Green Party candidates at the next general election". Bright Green. 17 September 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
- ^ "Ivan Kinsman selected as SDP candidate for West Suffolk".
- ^ "West Suffolk Conservatives select Nick Timothy to fight next election". West Suffolk Conservatives. 31 July 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ "West Suffolk Constituency". Reform UK. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Suffolk West Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
- ^ "West Suffolk - 2017 Election Results - General Elections Online". electionresults.parliament.uk. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
- ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Haverhill councillor reveals hopes for West Suffolk following selection as constituency candidate | Cambridge News". Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ "General Election 2015 Candidates - Liberal Democrats". Archived from the original on 13 April 2014.
- ^ "Green Party announces a full slate of seven parliamentary candidates for Suffolk". midsuffolk.greenparty.org.uk.
- ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.