South West Hertfordshire is a constituency in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament, represented since 2019 by Gagan Mohindra, a Conservative.
Constituency profile
South West Hertfordshire is a constituency in Hertfordshire in the East of England, covering the Three Rivers district and part of the Dacorum district. Its largest settlement is the town of Rickmansworth, which has a population of around 27,000. Other settlements include the villages of South Oxhey, Moor Park, Chorleywood, Abbots Langley and Kings Langley.
This constituency covers the suburban settlements surrounding the large town of Watford. This area is considered part of the London commuter belt and is located around north-west of the centre of the capital. Rickmansworth forms part of Metro-land, an area of early-20th-century residential development triggered by the extension of the Metropolitan Railway. Moor Park is a prestigious private estate with some of the country's most expensive properties. Most of this constituency is highly-affluent, containing Green Belt land and numerous golf courses. The constituency's average house price is nearly double the UK average.
South West Hertfordshire has a low proportion of young adults and an above-average population of middle-aged adults with families. Residents have high levels of income and homeownership and the child poverty rate is less than half the overall UK figure. They are generally well-educated and a high proportion work in the construction and science sectors. The percentage claiming unemployment benefits is low. White people made up 78% of the population at the 2021 census. Asians, mostly of Indian origin, were 15% of residents and were mostly concentrated in Moor Park, where they made up nearly half the population.
At the local council level, Abbots Langley and Chorleywood are represented by Liberal Democrats whilst Rickmansworth and the other villages elected Conservatives. An estimated 51% of voters in South West Hertfordshire supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, similar to the UK-wide figure of 52%.
Boundaries and boundary changes
Historic
1950–1974 The Urban Districts of Bushey, Chorleywood, and Rickmansworth; and The Rural District of Watford.
The constituency was formed from the Watford Division of Hertfordshire, excluding the part comprising the Municipal Borough of Watford. It also included the parishes of Abbots Langley and Sarratt, transferred from Hemel Hempstead.
1974–1983 The Urban Districts of Bushey, Chorleywood, and Rickmansworth; and The Rural District of Watford civil parishes of Abbots Langley, Sarratt, and Watford Rural.
The parish of Aldenham in the Rural District of Watford was transferred to the new constituency of South Hertfordshire.
1983–1997 The District of Three Rivers wards of Ashridge, Bedmond, Carpenders Park, Chorleywood, Chorleywood West, Croxley Green, Croxley Green North, Croxley Green South, Hayling, Langleybury, Maple Cross and West Hyde, Mill End, Money Hill, Moor Park, Northwood, Oxhey Hall, Rickmansworth, and Sarratt; and The District of Dacorum wards of Berkhamsted Central, Berkhamsted East, Berkhamsted West, Bovingdon and Flaunden, Chipperfield, Kings Langley, and Northchurch.
The parts of the District of Dacorum, including Berkhamsted, were transferred from the abolished constituency of Hemel Hempstead. Abbots Langley was transferred to Watford and Bushey to the new constituency of Hertsmere.
1997–2010 The District of Three Rivers wards of Ashridge, Chorleywood, Chorleywood West, Croxley Green, Croxley Green North, Croxley Green South, Hayling, Maple Cross and West Hyde, Mill End, Money Hill, Moor Park, Northwood, Rickmansworth, and Sarratt; and The District of Dacorum wards of Aldbury and Wigginton, Berkhamsted Central, Berkhamsted East, Berkhamsted West, Bovingdon and Flaunden, Chipperfield, Northchurch, Tring Central, Tring East, and Tring West. Gained Tring from the abolished constituency of West Hertfordshire. Kings Langley transferred to a re-established Hemel Hempstead, Bedmond to St Albans, and three further wards in the Three Rivers District to Watford.
2010–2024 The District of Three Rivers wards of Chorleywood East, Chorleywood West, Croxley Green, Croxley Green North, Croxley Green South, Hayling, Maple Cross and Mill End, Moor Park and Eastbury, Northwood, Penn, Rickmansworth, Rickmansworth West, and Sarratt; and The District of Dacorum wards of Aldbury and Wigginton, Berkhamsted Castle, Berkhamsted East, Berkhamsted West, Bovingdon, Flaunden and Chipperfield, Northchurch, Tring Central, Tring East, and Tring West.
Minor gain from Hemel Hempstead following revision of local authority wards.
Current Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency is as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
The Borough of Dacorum ward of Kings Langley. The entire District of Three Rivers.
The constituency saw major changes with only 55% of the electorate remaining in the redrawn seat, and only 63% of the redrawn seat's electorate coming from the previous version of the constituency.. The bulk of the area in the Borough of Dacorum, including the towns of Berkhamsted and Tring, formed part of the newly created constituency of Harpenden and Berkhamsted. The Bovingdon, Flaunden and Chipperfield ward went to Hemel Hempstead in exchange for the Kings Langley ward. The parts of the District of Three Rivers not previously within the constituency were transferred primarily from Watford, with a small area from St Albans.
Members of Parliament
Watford prior to 1950
ElectionMemberParty 1950 Gilbert Longden Conservative Feb 1974 Geoffrey Dodsworth Conservative 1979 by-election Richard Page Conservative 2005 David Gauke ConservativeSeptember 2019 Independent December 2019 Gagan Mohindra Conservative
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
Elections in the 2010s
2019 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 26,548 52.2 Others 8,925 17.5 Labour 8,182 16.1 Liberal Democrats 6,460 12.7 Green 763 1.5Turnout50,87871.1Electorate71,552
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1970s
Note: ACMFT stands for the Anti Common Market and Free Trade Party. Resignation of Dodsworth 24 October 1979
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Hertfordshire List of parliamentary constituencies in the East of England (region) 1979 South West Hertfordshire by-election
Notes
References
External links South West Hertfordshire UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK South West Hertfordshire UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK South West Hertfordshire UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK