North Bedfordshire is a county constituency in Bedfordshire. It returns one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system. It has been represented by Richard Fuller of the Conservative Party since the constituency was re-established under the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies for the 2024 general election. Fuller was MP for the predecessor constituency of North East Bedfordshire from 2019 to 2024 and represented Bedford from 2010 to 2017. The seat had originally been created for the 1983 general election and abolished for the 1997 general election.
Constituency profile North Bedfordshire is a constituency in Bedfordshire, covering the towns and villages surrounding the large town of Bedford. Its largest settlement is the historic market town of Biggleswade, which has a population of around 23,000. Other settlements include the towns of Sandy and Potton and the villages of Shortstown, Clapham, Bromham, Biddenham and Great Denham.
This is a mostly rural constituency with many small villages. It is generally affluent with low levels of deprivation, especially so in the villages on the western edge of Bedford. Many of the towns and villages have new housing developments. House prices are similar to the rest of the East of England and the average price is higher than the national average.
Residents of North Bedfordshire have a similar age profile to the rest of the country, but with a lower proportion of young adults. Residents have high levels of education and homeownership. Household income is high and the rate of child poverty is low. A high proportion of residents work in professional occupations, particularly in the retail sector, and a low proportion claim unemployment benefits. White people made up 90% of the population at the 2021 census.
At the local council level, the eastern towns of Biggleswade, Sandy and Potton are mostly represented by independent councillors. The rest of the constituency elected Conservatives with some Liberal Democrats in the villages close to Bedford. An estimated 54% of voters in North Bedfordshire supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, similar to the UK-wide figure of 52%.
History This safe Conservative seat was originally held for its entire initial existence by Trevor Skeet who had been the MP for Bedford since 1970. On its re-establishment in 2024, it was won by Richard Fuller who was MP for Bedford from 2010 to 2017 and for North East Bedfordshire from 2019 to 2024.
Boundaries
1983–1997 The Borough of North Bedfordshire wards of Brickhill, Bromham, Carlton, Castle, Cauldwell, Clapham, De Parys, Felmersham, Goldington, Harpur, Harrold, Kingsbrook, Newnham, Oakley, Putnoe, Queens Park, Renhold, Riseley, Roxton, and Sharnbrook.
The territory the seat covered was virtually the same as Bedford which it replaced. This included the town of Bedford itself, but not the adjoining community of Kempston. In 1997, the constituency was abolished, being dispersed on a roughly seven to three ratio between a re-established Bedford and the new constituency of Bedfordshire North East, with 17 electors being transferred to Huntingdon."Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies", BBC/ITN/PA News/Sky, 1995, p. 191.
Current The re-established constituency was defined as comprising the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
The Borough of Bedford wards of: Bromham and Biddenham; Clapham; Eastcotts; Great Barford; Harrold; Kempston Rural; Oakley; Riseley; Sharnbrook; Wyboston. The District of Central Bedfordshire wards of: Biggleswade North; Biggleswade South; Northill; Potton; Sandy.
Subject to minor changes due to the revision of local authority ward boundaries, the constituency is the successor to North East Bedfordshire – except south eastern areas, including the communities of Arlesey, Langford and Stotfold, which were included in the re-established, cross-county boundary, constituency of Hitchin.
Following further local government boundary reviews in Bedford and Central Bedfordshire which came into effect in May 2023, the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:
The Borough of Bedford wards of: Biddenham; Brickhill (small part); Bromham; Clapham & Oakley; Great Barford; Great Denham; Harrold; Kempston West (part); Renhold & Ravensden (most); Riseley; Sharnbrook; Shortstown; Wootton & Kempston Rural (Kempston Rural parish); Wyboston; and a very small part of Harpur. The District of Central Bedfordshire wards of: Biggleswade East; Biggleswade West; Northill; Potton; Sandy.
Members of Parliament MPs 1983–1997
Bedford prior to 1983
ElectionMemberParty 1983 Trevor Skeet Conservative1997 constituency abolished
MPs since 2024
Bedfordshire North East prior to 2024
ElectionMemberParty 2024 Richard Fuller Conservative
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
Elections in the 2010s
2019 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 34,360 61.1 Labour 10,729 19.1 Liberal Democrats 7,403 13.2 Others 2,023 3.6 Green 1,585 2.8 Brexit Party 102 0.2Turnout56,20273.6Electorate76,319
Election results 1983–1997 Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1990s
See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Bedfordshire List of parliamentary constituencies in the East of England (region) North East Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Notes and references
External links North Bedfordshire UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK