Stevenage (UK Parliament constituency)

Stevenage is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Stephen McPartland, a Conservative.[n 2]

Stevenage
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of Stevenage in Hertfordshire
Location of Hertfordshire within England
CountyHertfordshire
Electorate69,357 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsKnebworth, Stevenage
Current constituency
Created1983
Member of ParliamentStephen McPartland (Conservative)
Number of membersOne
Created fromHertford & Stevenage, Hitchin, and East Hertfordshire

History

The constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the seats of Hertford and Stevenage, Hitchin, and East Hertfordshire. A Southern England new town seat with volatile voting patterns, it was Conservative held between 1983 and 1997 until Labour easily gained it, but their winning margin in 2005 was small and the Conservatives gained the seat at the 2010 election.

Its main predecessor, named first, was also a bellwether of the national result. Shirley Williams has been the most prominent member, in fact the second frontbencher since 1974. She held it when she was a Secretary of State in government from 1974 until 1979, Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection and then Paymaster General. Barbara Follett achieved two ministerial roles from 2007 until 2010.

Constituency profile

The main town is known for its fast rail links to London and proximity to Luton Airport which accompanies a few headquarters of global businesses based in the seat. Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 higher than the national average of 3.8%, and eastern regional average of 3.2%, at 4.0% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[2]

Boundaries and boundary changes

1983–1997: The Borough of Stevenage, the District of North Hertfordshire wards of Codicote and Knebworth, and the District of East Hertfordshire wards of Cottered, Datchworth, Mundern, Walkern, and Watton-at-Stone.[3]

The constituency was formed from the majority of the abolished County Constituency of Hertford and Stevenage, except for the wards of Codicote and Knebworth, transferred from the abolished County Constituency of Hitchin, and the wards of Cottered and Mundern, transferred from the abolished County Constituency of East Hertfordshire.

1997–2010: The Borough of Stevenage, the District of North Hertfordshire wards of Codicote and Knebworth, and the District of East Hertfordshire wards of Datchworth and Walkern.[4]

The District of East Hertfordshire wards of Cottered, Mundern and Watton-at-Stone were transferred to the new County Constituency of North East Hertfordshire.

2010–present: The Borough of Stevenage, the District of North Hertfordshire wards of Codicote and Knebworth, and the District of East Hertfordshire ward of Datchworth and Aston.[5]

Walkern ward transferred to North East Hertfordshire.

The constituency covers the Borough of Stevenage, as well as the villages of Codicote and Knebworth to the south and Aston and Datchworth to the east.[6]

Members of Parliament
ElectionMember[7] Party
1983 Tim Wood Conservative
1997 Barbara Follett Labour
2010 Stephen McPartland Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s
General election 2019: Stevenage[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen McPartland 25,328 53.1 +2.8
Labour Jill Borcherds 16,766 35.2 -8.2
Liberal Democrats Lisa Nash 4,132 8.7 +4.5
Green Victoria Snelling 1,457 3.1 +0.9
Majority 8,562 17.9 +11.0
Turnout 47,683 66.6 -3.1
Conservative hold Swing +5.5
General election 2017: Stevenage[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen McPartland 24,798 50.3 5.7
Labour Co-op Sharon Taylor 21,414 43.4 9.2
Liberal Democrats Barbara Gibson 2,032 4.1 0.8
Green Victoria Snelling 1,085 2.2 0.7
Majority 3,384 6.9 3.5
Turnout 49,329 69.7 2.0
Conservative hold Swing 1.8
See also: Opinion polling in United Kingdom constituencies, 2010–15 § Stevenage
General election 2015: Stevenage[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen McPartland 21,291 44.5 +3.1
Labour Co-op Sharon Taylor 16,336 34.2 +0.8
UKIP David Collins 6,864 14.4 +9.9
Liberal Democrats Susan Van De Ven 1,582 3.3 −13.3
Green Graham White 1,369 2.9 N/A
TUSC Trevor Palmer 175 0.4 N/A
English Democrat Charles Vickers 115 0.2 −0.6
Independent David Cox 67 0.1 −0.1
Majority 4,955 10.3 +2.3
Turnout 47,799 67.7 +2.9
Conservative hold Swing +1.2
General election 2010: Stevenage[12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen McPartland 18,491 41.4 +6.0
Labour Co-op Sharon Taylor 14,913 33.4 −9.7
Liberal Democrats Julia Davies 7,432 16.6 −1.7
UKIP Marion Mason 2,004 4.5 +1.4
BNP Michael Green 1,007 2.3 N/A
English Democrat Charles Vickers 366 0.8 N/A
NCDMV! Stephen Phillips 327 0.7 N/A
Independent David Cox 80 0.2 N/A
Your Right To Democracy Party Ltd. Andrew Ralph 31 0.1 N/A
Majority 3,578 8.0 N/A
Turnout 44,651 64.8 +2.1
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +8.0

Elections in the 2000s
General election 2005: Stevenage[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Barbara Follett 18,003 42.9 −9.0
Conservative George William Freeman 14,864 35.4 +3.7
Liberal Democrats Julia Davies 7,610 18.1 +3.9
UKIP Victoria Peebles 1,305 3.1 N/A
Independent Antal Losonczi 152 0.4 −0.4
Majority 3,139 7.5 -13.3
Turnout 41,934 62.7 +2.0
Labour hold Swing −6.4
General election 2001: Stevenage[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Barbara Follett 22,025 51.9 −3.5
Conservative Graeme Brian Quar 13,459 31.7 −1.1
Liberal Democrats Harold Davies 6,027 14.2 +5.3
Socialist Alliance Stephen William Glennon 449 1.1 N/A
Independent Antal Losonczi 320 0.8 N/A
ProLife Alliance Mrs. Sarah Teresa Anne Bell 173 0.4 N/A
Majority 8,566 20.2 -2.4
Turnout 42,453 60.7 −15.9
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1997: Stevenage[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Barbara Follett 28,440 55.4 +16.8
Conservative Timothy Wood 16,858 32.8 −11.1
Liberal Democrats Alexander Iain Cameron Wilcock 4,588 8.9 −8.2
Referendum Jeffery Michael Coburn 1,194 2.3 N/A
ProLife Alliance David William Bundy 196 0.4 N/A
Natural Law Andrew Brinley Michael Calcraft 110 0.2 −0.2
Majority 11,582 22.6 N/A
Turnout 51,386 76.6 -6.4
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +14.0
General election 1992: Stevenage[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Timothy Wood 26,652 45.7 +3.6
Labour Judith Church 21,764 37.3 +11.9
Liberal Democrats Andrew Anthony Reilly 9,668 16.6 −15.9
Natural Law Andrew Brinley Michael Calcraft 233 0.4 N/A
Majority 4,888 8.4 −1.2
Turnout 58,317 83.0 +2.5
Conservative hold Swing −4.1

Elections in the 1980s
General election 1987: Stevenage[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Timothy Wood 23,541 42.1 +2.7
SDP Ben Stoneham 18,201 32.5 −3.6
Labour Malcolm Robert Crawford Withers 14,229 25.4 +1.4
Majority 5,340 9.4 +6.1
Turnout 55,971 80.5 +2.6
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1983: Stevenage[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Timothy Wood 20,787 39.4 N/A
SDP Ben Stoneham 19,032 36.1 N/A
Labour Mrs. Susan Ann Reeves 12,673 24.0 N/A
BNP David Robert Bowmaker 236 0.5 N/A
Majority 1,755 3.3 N/A
Turnout 52,728 77.9 N/A
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

Notes and references
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. "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on November 6, 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  3. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  4. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  5. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  6. 2010 post-revision map non-metropolitan areas and unitary authorities of England
  7. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 5)
  8. "Stevenage Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  9. "Stevenage parliamentary constituency - Election 2017 - BBC News". BBC Online. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  10. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  11. "Stevenage parliamentary constituency - Election 2015 - BBC News". BBC Online. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  12. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. "Stevenage". BBC Online (BBC). 7 May 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  14. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
  19. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

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