Bury St Edmunds was a constituency in Suffolk from 1621 to 2024, most recently represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 2015 to 2024 by Jo Churchill, a Conservative.

Under the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was subject to moderate boundary changes and was abolished for the 2024 general election, with the bulk of the electorate being included in the new constituency of Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket.

Constituency profile The constituency covered Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket and smaller settlements on the A14 corridor. Residents' wealth was around average for the UK.Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Bury+St+Edmunds

History The constituency was created as a Parliamentary Borough in 1614, returning two MPs to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then to the House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and from 1800 to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. By the mid eighteenth century the seat was seen as heavily influenced by the Earl of Bristol and the Duke of Grafton.Pages 144 and 145, Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition – London: St Martin's Press, 1957) Its representation was reduced to one seat under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. Under the Representation of the People Act 1918, it was abolished as a borough and reconstituted as a division of the Parliamentary County of West Suffolk. As well as the abolished borough, the expanded seat comprised most of the abolished Stowmarket Division, except for the town of Stowmarket itself. From 1950, it has been classified as a county constituency in terms of election expenses and type of returning officer.

The electorate has elected Conservative Party candidates at the general elections and two by-elections since a Liberal victory in 1880. The closest contest since that year was in 1997 when the Labour Party candidate fell 368 votes, less than 1%, short of winning the seat in 1997 during Tony Blair's first landslide result.

Boundaries and boundary changes 1918–1950 The Borough of Bury St Edmunds; The Urban District of Newmarket; The Rural Districts of Brandon, Mildenhall, and Thedwastre; and Parts of the Rural Districts of Moulton and Thingoe.

1950–1983 The Borough of Bury St Edmunds: The Urban Districts of Haverhill and Newmarket; and The Rural Districts of Clare, Mildenhall, Thedwastre, and Thingoe.

Extended to the south-west, gaining western and northern parts of the abolished Sudbury Division of West Suffolk, including Haverhill.

1983–1997 The Borough of St Edmundsbury wards of Abbeygate, Barningham, Barrow, Chevington, Eastgate, Fornham, Great Barton, Honington, Horringer, Ixworth, Northgate, Pakenham, Risby, Risbygate, Rougham, St Olave's, Sextons, Southgate, Stanton, Westgate, and Whelnetham; and The District of Forest Heath.

Southern areas, including Haverhill, were transferred to the new constituency of South Suffolk. The easternmost area, equivalent to the former Rural District of Thedwastre, was transferred to the new constituency of Central Suffolk.

1997–2010 The Borough of St Edmundsbury wards of Abbeygate, Eastgate, Fornham, Great Barton, Horringer Court, Northgate, Pakenham, Risbygate, Rougham, St Olave's, Sextons, Southgate, Westgate, and Whelnetham; and The District of Mid Suffolk wards of Badwell Ash, Elmswell, Gislingham, Haughley and Wetherden, Needham Market, Norton, Onehouse, Rattlesden, Rickinghall, Ringshall, Stowmarket Central, Stowmarket North, Stowmarket South, Stowupland, Thurston, Walsham-le-Willows, and Woolpit.

Major reconfiguration, with the majority of the constituency, including Newmarket, forming the basis of the new County Constituency of West Suffolk. Extended eastwards, gaining western half of Central Suffolk, including Stowmarket.

2010–2024

The Borough of St Edmundsbury wards of Abbeygate, Eastgate, Fornham, Great Barton, Horringer and Whelnetham, Minden, Moreton Hall, Northgate, Pakenham, Risbygate, Rougham, St Olave's, Southgate, and Westgate; and The District of Mid Suffolk wards of Bacton and Old Newton, Badwell Ash, Elmswell and Norton, Gislingham, Haughley and Wetherden, Needham Market, Onehouse, Rattlesden, Rickinghall and Walsham, Ringshall, Stowmarket Central, Stowmarket North, Stowmarket South, Stowupland, Thurston and Hessett, and Woolpit.

Marginal changes due to revision of local authority wards.

The constituency contained the towns of Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket and Needham Market. Its boundaries did not match those of the former borough of St Edmundsbury, which included Haverhill (part of West Suffolk constituency), and excludes Stowmarket and Needham Market.

Members of Parliament MPs 1621–1660 ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1621 Sir Thomas Jermyn John Woodford 1624 Sir Thomas Jermyn Anthony Crofts 1625 Sir Thomas Jermyn Sir William Spring 1626 Sir Thomas Jermyn Emanuel Gifford 1628 Sir Thomas Jermyn Sir William Hervey 1629–1640No Parliaments summoned 1640 April Sir Thomas Jermyn John Godbolt 1640 November Thomas Jermyn, disabled on 14 February 1644 Henry Jermyn, ennobled 6 September 1643 1645 Sir Thomas Barnardiston Sir William Spring, excluded in Pride's Purge in 1648 1653 Bury St Edmunds not represented in Barebones Parliament 1654 Samuel Moody John Clarke 1656 Samuel Moody John Clarke 1659 John Clarke Thomas Chaplin 1659 Restored Rump Parliament Sir Thomas BarnardistonNo second member

MPs 1660–1885 Two Members YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party1660A double return was made, Thomas Chaplin and John Clarke were subsequently declared not duly elected. Sir Henry Crofts Sir John Duncombe 1661 Sir Edmund Poley 1673 William Duncombe 1679 Sir Thomas Hervey Thomas Jermyn 1685 William Crofts 1689 Sir Robert Davers, Bt Tory 1690 Henry Goldwell 1694 John HerveyWhig1701 Sir Thomas Felton, Bt Whig1703 Sir Robert Davers, BtAt the general election in May 1705, Davers was also returned for Suffolk, for which he chose to sit. Tory Dec. 1705 Aubrey Porter 1709 Joseph Weld 1712 Samuel Batteley 1713 Lord Hervey 1717 James Reynolds 1722 Sir Jermyn Davers, Bt Tory1725 Lord Hervey 1727 Thomas Norton 1733 Thomas Hervey 1747 Felton HerveyHon. Augustus John Hervey was also declared elected in April 1754, he and his uncle Felton having an equal number of votes. This election was declared void. At the subsequent by-election held on 9 December 1754, Felton Hervey was returned. Viscount Petersham 1756 The Earl of Euston 1757 Hon. Augustus Hervey 1761 Hon. Charles Fitzroy 1763 William Hervey 1768 Hon. Augustus Hervey 1774 Sir Charles Davers, Bt 1775 Henry Seymour Conway Whig 1784 Hon. George FitzRoy 1787 Lord Charles FitzRoy 1796 Lord Hervey 1802 Lord Charles FitzRoy 1803 The Lord Templetown 1812 Frederick FosterWhig 1818 The Earl of Euston Whig Hon. Arthur Upton Whig 1820 Lord John FitzRoy Whig1826 Earl Jermyn Tory Earl of Euston Whig 1831 Charles Augustus FitzRoy Whig1832 Lord Charles FitzRoy Whig 1834 Conservative1847 Edward Bunbury Whig1852 John Stuart ConservativeDec 1852 by-election James Oakes Conservative1857 Joseph Hardcastle Whig1859 by-election Lord Alfred Hervey Peelite1859 Liberal1865 Edward Greene Conservative1874 Lord Francis Hervey Conservative1880 Joseph Hardcastle Liberal 1885 representation reduced to one memberhttps://archive.org/stream/publicgeneralac01walegoog#page/n131/mode/2up Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Second Schedule; Statutes of the Realm, Eyre & Spottiswoode (1884, London) at p. 123

MPs since 1885 Year Member Party Notes 1885 Lord Francis Hervey Conservative 1892 by-election Henry Cadogan 1900 Edward Greene 1906 Frederick Hervey Succeeded to the peerage as 4th Marquess of Bristol 1907 by-election Walter Guinness Constituency merged with majority of the abolished Stowmarket 1918 Walter Guinness Conservative Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries (1925–1929) 1931 Frank Heilgers Died January 1944 1944 by-election Edgar Keatinge 1945 Geoffrey Clifton-Brown 1950 William Aitken Died January 1964 1964 by-election Eldon Griffiths Minister for Sport (1970–1974) 1992 Richard SpringContested West Suffolk following redistribution Constituency split, majority renamed West Suffolk, minority merged with parts of the abolished Central Suffolk 1997 David Ruffley Conservative 2015 Jo Churchill Minister of State for Employment (2023–2024)

Election results 1997–2024 2020s - 2010s – 2000s – 1990s – 1980s – 1970s – 1960s – 1950s – 1940s – 1930s – 1920s – 1910s – 1900s – 1890s – 1880s – 1870s – 1860s– 1850s– 1840s– Back to Top

Elections in the 2010s

Note: Independent politician St Edmundsbury Borough Councillor and Bury St Edmunds Town Councillor Paul Hopfensperger submitted a valid nomination but this was subsequently withdrawn. Because of the timing of the withdrawal, his name appears in the Statement of Persons Nominated for this election.

Elections in the 2000s 2020s - 2010s – 2000s – 1990s – 1980s – 1970s – 1960s – 1950s – 1940s – 1930s – 1920s – 1910s – 1900s – 1890s – 1880s – 1870s – 1860s– 1850s– 1840s– Back to Top

Elections in the 1990s 2020s - 2010s – 2000s – 1990s – 1980s – 1970s – 1960s – 1950s – 1940s – 1930s – 1920s – 1910s – 1900s – 1890s – 1880s – 1870s – 1860s– 1850s– 1840s– Back to Top

Election results 1918–1997 Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s 2020s - 2010s – 2000s – 1990s – 1980s – 1970s – 1960s – 1950s – 1940s – 1930s – 1920s – 1910s – 1900s – 1890s – 1880s – 1870s – 1860s– 1850s– 1840s– Back to Top

Elections in the 1970s 2020s - 2010s – 2000s – 1990s – 1980s – 1970s – 1960s – 1950s – 1940s – 1930s – 1920s – 1910s – 1900s – 1890s – 1880s – 1870s – 1860s– 1850s– 1840s– Back to Top

Elections in the 1960s 2020s - 2010s – 2000s – 1990s – 1980s – 1970s – 1960s – 1950s – 1940s – 1930s – 1920s – 1910s – 1900s – 1890s – 1880s – 1870s – 1860s– 1850s– 1840s– Back to Top

Elections in the 1950s 2020s - 2010s – 2000s – 1990s – 1980s – 1970s – 1960s – 1950s – 1940s – 1930s – 1920s – 1910s – 1900s – 1890s – 1880s – 1870s – 1860s– 1850s– 1840s– Back to Top

Elections in the 1940s 2020s - 2010s – 2000s – 1990s – 1980s – 1970s – 1960s – 1950s – 1940s – 1930s – 1920s – 1910s – 1900s – 1890s – 1880s – 1870s – 1860s– 1850s– 1840s– Back to Top

Following the death of Frank Heilgers on 16 January 1944 a by-election was held on 29 February 1944.

Elections in the 1930s 2020s - 2010s – 2000s – 1990s – 1980s – 1970s – 1960s – 1950s – 1940s – 1930s – 1920s – 1910s – 1900s – 1890s – 1880s – 1870s – 1860s– 1850s– 1840s– Back to Top

Elections in the 1920s 2020s - 2010s – 2000s – 1990s – 1980s – 1970s – 1960s – 1950s – 1940s – 1930s – 1920s – 1910s – 1900s – 1890s – 1880s – 1870s – 1860s– 1850s– 1840s– Back to Top

On Guinness's nomination as Minister of Agriculture a by-election in 1925 was required under the electoral law of the time, which he won.

Elections in the 1910s 2020s - 2010s – 2000s – 1990s – 1980s – 1970s – 1960s – 1950s – 1940s – 1930s – 1920s – 1910s – 1900s – 1890s – 1880s – 1870s – 1860s– 1850s– 1840s– Back to Top

Election results 1885–1918 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 July 1914, the following candidates had been selected; Unionist: Walter Guinness Liberal:

Elections in the 1900s 2020s - 2010s – 2000s – 1990s – 1980s – 1970s – 1960s – 1950s – 1940s – 1930s – 1920s – 1910s – 1900s – 1890s – 1880s – 1870s – 1860s– 1850s– 1840s– Back to Top

Elections in the 1890s 2020s - 2010s – 2000s – 1990s – 1980s – 1970s – 1960s – 1950s – 1940s – 1930s – 1920s – 1910s – 1900s – 1890s – 1880s – 1870s – 1860s– 1850s– 1840s– Back to Top

Elections in the 1880s 2020s - 2010s – 2000s – 1990s – 1980s – 1970s – 1960s – 1950s – 1940s – 1930s – 1920s – 1910s – 1900s – 1890s – 1880s – 1870s – 1860s– 1850s– 1840s– Back to Top

Election results Before 1885 Elections in the 1880s