Berwick-upon-Tweed () was a parliamentary constituency in Northumberland represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 2015 until its abolition for the 2024 general election by Conservative Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

It was a parliamentary borough in the county of Northumberland, of the House of Commons of England from 1512 to 1706, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It returned two Members of Parliament (MPs), elected by the bloc vote system. It was a county constituency from 1885, electing one MP under the first-past-the-post system.

Under the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was expanded and renamed North Northumberland to reflect the inclusion of the town of Morpeth from the abolished constituency of Wansbeck.

Profile The constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed was in the county of Northumberland. It included as its northernmost point the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed and stretched south to include the towns of Alnwick and Amble — the Northumberland coast formed its long eastern boundary. Its length was roughly and its area .

Predominantly rural in character, this constituency is the most northerly in England and is relatively sparsely populated.

History Berwick had been intermittently represented in Scottish Parliaments but it is thought that it was first enfranchised as an English borough between 1491 and 1512.

It was unaffected by the Reform Act 1832 and continued to elect two MPs until it was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. The 1885 Act re-constituted the constituency as one of four divisions of Northumberland, each electing one MP.

Boundaries 1832–1885 The contents of the parliamentary borough, as defined by the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832, were:The Parish of Berwick, and the Respective Townships of Tweedmouth and Spittal.

1885–1918 The contents of the county division, as defined by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, were:The Sessional Divisions of Bamburgh, Coquetdale East (part), Coquetdale North, Glendale, and Norhamshire and Islandshire; and the Municipal Borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

1918–1950 the Municipal Borough of Berwick upon Tweed the Urban Districts of Alnwick, Amble and Rothbury the Rural Districts of Alnwick, Belford, Glendale, Norham and Islandshires, and Rothbury.

Gained small areas to south from Wansbeck (Amble) and Hexham (Rothbury).

1950–1983 the Municipal Borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed; the Urban Districts of Alnwick and Amble; the Rural Districts of Alnwick, Belford, Glendale, Norham and Islandshires, and Rothbury.

No change (the Urban District of Rothbury had been absorbed into the Rural District).

1983–2024

the District of Alnwick the Borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed in the Borough of Castle Morpeth, the wards of Chevington, Ellington, Hartburn, Longhorsley, Lynemouth and Ulgham.

Contents changed following reorganisation of local authorities in 1974. The seat was expanded southwards, adding the (rural) wards in Castle Morpeth Borough, previously part of the abolished constituency of Morpeth.

2007 boundary review In the fifth periodic boundary review of parliamentary representation in Northumberland, which came into effect for the 2010 general election, the contents of the existing Berwick constituency were unchanged and the Boundary Commission for England made only minor changes to take account of ward boundary changes. A proposal to rename the historic seat "Berwick-upon-Tweed and Mid Northumberland" was rejected: whilst it is geographically accurate, it was thought unwieldy.

In 2009, a further government reorganisation resulted in the abolition of all local government boroughs and districts in Northumberland and the establishment of the county as a unitary authority. However, this did not affect the constituency boundaries.

2023 boundary review In the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency was abolished and replaced by re-established North Northumberland constituency.

Political history Rural in nature, sparse of population and with agriculture as a major source of employment, Berwick-upon-Tweed never elected a Labour candidate, one of two constituencies in the north-east of England not to have done so. The closest Labour came to winning the seat was at the 1966 general election, where they finished just 4,373 votes behind incumbent Conservative MP Antony Lambton.

The area was notable for its Liberal traditions, with politicians such as Sir William Beveridge (influential in the formation of the National Health Service) and Edward Grey (Foreign Secretary at the beginning of World War I, best remembered for the "lamps are going out all over Europe...." remark) have served this constituency.

It was represented by Liberal Democrat Sir Alan Beith from 1973 (formerly Liberal) until his retirement in 2015, when it was gained by the Conservative candidate Anne-Marie Trevelyan. Beith was first elected at a by-election, required as a result of the resignation of the then incumbent MP Antony Lambton (Conservative), who had been caught up in a scandal involving call girls, marijuana and a tabloid newspaper.

In 1923, Mabel Philipson, a former music hall actress, took over the seat as a Conservative, when her husband was forced to resign. In doing so she became only the third female MP to sit in the House of Commons since female members became legal five years previously.

Members of Parliament The seat has sent members to Parliament since its enfranchisement by Henry VIII. It initially sent two members; this was reduced to one in 1885.

MPs before 1660 ParliamentFirst memberSecond member 1510–1523No names known 1529 John Martin John Cooper, died and replaced after 1532 by ?John Uvedale 1536 ? 1539 Odinel Selby ? 1542 ? 1545 ? 1547 Odinel Selby John Watson 1553 (Mar) ? 1553 (Oct) ? 1554 (Apr) George Browne Odinel Selby 1554 (Nov) ? 1555 Thomas Bradford Charles Wharton 1558 ? 1562–3 Anthony Temple Thomas Norton 1571 Sir Valentine Browne Henry Carey 1572 Martin Garnett Robert Newdigate 1584 William Morton Thomas Parkinson 1586 (Oct) Sir Valentine Browne 1589 (Jan) William Morton William Selby 1593 William Morton William Selby 1597 (Oct) William Selby Thomas Parkinson 1601 William Selby David Waterhouse 1604 Sir William Selby Christopher Parkinson 1614 Sir John Selby Meredith Morgan 1621 Sir John Selby Sir Robert Jackson 1624 Sir Robert Jackson Edward Lively 1625 Sir Robert Jackson Sir John Selby 1626 Sir Robert Jackson Richard Lowther 1628 Sir Edmund Sawyer Edward Liveley 1629–1640 No Parliaments convened 1640 (Apr) Sir Thomas Widdrington Hugh Potter 1640 (Nov) Sir Thomas Widdrington Robert Scawen 1645 Sir Thomas Widdrington Robert Scawen 1648 Sir Thomas Widdrington Robert Scawen 1653Berwick not represented in Barebones Parliament 1654 George Fenwick Only one representative in 1st Protectorate Parliament 1656 George Fenwick, died 1657 and replaced by John Rushworth Only one representative in 2nd Protectorate Parliament 1659 John Rushworth George Payler

MPs 1660–1885 YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond partyApril 1660 Sir Thomas Widdrington John Rushworth June 1660 Edward Grey 1661 Sir Thomas Widdrington 1665 Daniel Collingwood 1677 Viscount Osborne 1679 Ralph Grey Whig John Rushworth Whig 1685 Philip Bickerstaffe Tory Ralph Widdrington Tory 1689 Francis Blake Whig Philip Babington Whig 1690 Samuel Ogle 1695 Ralph Grey Whig 1698 Sir Francis Blake WhigJanuary 1701 Ralph Grey WhigDecember 1701 Sir Francis Blake Whig 1702 Jonathan Hutchinson 1710 William Kerr 1711 Richard Hampden 1713 William Orde 1715 Grey Neville Whig John BarringtonCreated The Viscount Barrington (in the Peerage of Ireland), 1720 March 1723 Henry Grey WhigMay 1723 William Kerr 1727 George Liddell Joseph Sabine 1734 Viscount Polwarth March 1740 The Viscount Barrington November 1740 Thomas Watson Tory 1754 John Delaval Tory 1761 Col. John Craufurd January 1765 Sir John Delaval, BtCreated The Lord Delaval (in the Peerage of Ireland), 1783 December 1765 Wilmot VaughanSucceeded as The 4th Viscount Lisburne (in the Peerage of Ireland), January 1766 1768 Robert Paris Taylor 1774 Jacob Wilkinson Tory John VaughanMajor-General 1776, Lieutenant-General 1782, knighted (KB) 1792 Tory 1780 Sir John Delaval, Bt Tory 1787 Sir Gilbert Elliot, Bt Whig 1790 Charles Carpenter Tory 1795 John Callender Tory 1796 The Earl of Tyrconnel Tory 1802On petition, Fordyce and Hall were adjudged not to have been duly elected and the election result was reversed Thomas Hall Tory John Fordyce Tory 1803 Francis Sitwell Tory Alexander Allan Tory 1806 Sir John Callender, Bt Tory Alexander Tower Whig 1807 Alexander Allan Tory Sir Alexander Lockhart, Bt Tory 1812 Henry St Paul ToryMarch 1820 Viscount Ossulston Whig Sir David Milne ToryJuly 1820 Henry St Paul ToryDecember 1820 Sir Francis Blake, Bt Whig 1823 Sir John Beresford, Bt Tory 1826 Marcus Beresford Tory John Gladstone Tory 1827 Sir Francis Blake, Bt Whig 1832 Sir Rufane Shaw Donkin Whig 1835 James Bradshaw Conservative 1837 Richard Hodgson Conservative William Holmes Conservative 1841 Matthew Forster Whig 1847 John Campbell Renton Conservative 1852 John Stapleton Radical 1853 Dudley Marjoribanks Whig John Forster Whig 1857 John Stapleton RadicalMay 1859 Charles William Gordon Conservative Ralph Earle ConservativeAugust 1859 Dudley Marjoribanks Liberal 1863 William Cargill Conservative 1865 Alexander Mitchell Liberal 1868 Viscount Bury Liberal John Stapleton Liberal 1874 Dudley Marjoribanks Liberal David Milne Home Conservative 1880 Henry Strutt Liberal 1880 by-election David Milne Home Conservative 1881 by-election Hubert Jerningham Liberal 1885Redistribution of Seats Act: membership reduced to one

MPs since 1885 ElectionMemberParty 1885 Edward Grey Liberal 1916 by-electionFrancis Blake Liberal Dec 1916 Coalition Liberal Jan 1922 National Liberal Nov 1922 Hilton Philipson National Liberal 1923 by-election Mabel Philipson Conservative 1929 Alfred Todd Conservative 1935 Hugh Seely Liberal 1941 by-election George Grey Liberal 1944 by-election William Beveridge Liberal 1945 Robert Thorp Conservative 1951 Antony Lambton Conservative 1973 by-election Sir Alan Beith Liberal 1988 Liberal Democrats 2015 Anne-Marie Trevelyan Conservative 2024 constituency abolished: see North Northumberland

Elections 2010s – 2000s – 1990s – 1980s – 1970s – 1960s – 1950s – 1940s – 1930s – 1920s – 1910s – 1900s – 1890s – 1880s – 1832 to 1880

Elections in the 2010s

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Elections in the 2000s

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Elections in the 1990s

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Elections in the 1980s

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Elections in the 1970s

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Elections in the 1960s

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Elections in the 1950s

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Elections in the 1940s

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Elections in the 1930s

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Elections in the 1920s

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Elections in the 1910s

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Elections in the 1900s

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Elections in the 1890s

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Elections in the 1880s

Caused by Marjoribanks elevation to the peerage, becoming Lord Tweedmouth.

Caused by Strutt's elevation to the peerage, becoming Lord Belper.

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Elections from 1832 to 1880

Caused by Gordon's death.

Caused by Earle's resignation.

Caused by the 1852 election being declared void on petition, due to bribery.

Caused by Donkin's appointment as Surveyor-General of the Ordnance

Elections before 1832

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See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Northumberland History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Northumberland

Notes

References

Sources