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.
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, 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 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. 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. House prices are higher than the national average.
Residents of the constituency have high levels of education and income. A high proportion of residents work in the construction and defence industries. White people made up 88% of the population at the 2021 census. 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%.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. Following local government boundary reviews in Central Bedfordshire and North Hertfordshire 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.
Members of Parliament MPs 1885-1983 North Hertfordshire and Stevenage prior to 1885
ElectionMemberPartyNotes 1885 Baron Robert Dimsdalea ConservativeMember 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 ConservativeMember 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
ElectionMemberPartyNotes 2024 Alistair Strathern LabourMember for Mid Bedfordshire (2023–2024)
Election results Elections in the 2020s
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 Party Vote % Conservative 25,419 47.0 Labour 14,155 26.2 Liberal Democrats 12,798 23.7 Others 871 1.6 Green 818 1.5Turnout54,06175.0Electorate72,112
Elections in the 1970s
1970 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 27,800 52.4 Labour 21,400 40.3 Liberal 3,900 7.3 Turnout53,10076.6Electorate69,283
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1940s
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
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
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:
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1880s
See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Hertfordshire List of parliamentary constituencies in the East of England (region)
Notes
References
External links
Hitchin UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK