Luton North is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Sarah Owen, of the Labour Party.
Constituency profile Luton North is a mostly suburban constituency located in Bedfordshire. It covers the northern neighbourhoods of the large town of Luton, including Stopsley, Bramingham, Limbury, Sundon Park, Leagrave, Marsh Farm, Lewsey and Challney. Luton has an industrial history; the town was an important centre for the manufacturing of hats and cars. The neighbourhoods of Luton North were developed in the 1950s and 1960s, largely as council housing, to accommodate industrial workers and overspill from London. The constituency has high levels of deprivation, mostly in its west, whilst the eastern areas are more affluent. House prices are lower than the East of England and nationwide averages.
In general, residents of Luton North are young and have low rates of education and professional employment. Household income is similar to the national average. A high proportion of residents work in the health and education sectors, and the percentage of residents claiming unemployment benefits is high. The child poverty rate is higher than the rest of the country and almost double the regional rate. White people made up 44% of the population at the 2021 census, including large Irish, Polish and Romanian communities. Asians, most of whom are of Pakistani origin, were 38% of the population and Black people were 11%. At the local borough council, most of the constituency is represented by Labour Party councillors with some Conservatives and Liberal Democrats elected in the constituency's wealthier east. An estimated 58% of voters in Luton North supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the nationwide figure of 52%.
History At creation, Luton North included eight wards from the neighbouring districts of Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire; these made it a much safer seat for the Conservatives than Luton South, which included only one ward from outside the Borough of Luton. Boundary changes in 1997 reduced the Conservative majority from 13,094 to 7,357, and it was 81st on Labour's list of target seats; Labour duly gained it on a 17.1% swing, and since then the party has held the seat with comfortable majorities.
From 2005 to 2015, Luton North was Labour's safest seat in the East of England by both vote and vote share majority; in 2017 it was overtaken in the former count by Norwich South, but the percentage margin in Luton North (30.8% compared to 30.4% in Norwich South) is slightly higher.
Boundaries and boundary changes
Historic
1983–1997 The Borough of Luton wards of Bramingham, Challney, Icknield, Leagrave, Lewsey, Limbury, and Sundon Park; The District of Mid Bedfordshire wards of Flitton and Pulloxhill, Flitwick East, Flitwick West, Harlington, and Westoning; and The District of South Bedfordshire wards of Barton-le-Clay, Streatley, and Toddington.
Created as a county constituency formally named North Luton, incorporating the bulk of the abolished borough constituency of Luton West. Extended northwards to include part of the abolished constituency of South Bedfordshire as well as Flitwick, transferred from Mid Bedfordshire.
1997–2010
The Borough of Luton wards of Bramingham, Challney, Icknield, Leagrave, Lewsey, Limbury, Saints, and Sundon Park.
Redesignated as the borough constituency of Luton North. The parts of the Districts of Mid Bedfordshire (including Flitwick) and South Bedfordshire transferred to Mid Bedfordshire. Gained the Saints ward of the Borough of Luton from Luton South.
2010–2024 The Borough of Luton wards of Barnfield, Bramingham, Challney, Icknield, Leagrave, Lewsey, Limbury, Northwell, Saints, and Sundon Park.
Marginal changes due to 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 was expanded with the transfer of the Luton Borough ward of Stopsley (as it existed on 1 December 2020) from Luton South.
Following a local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023, the constituency now comprises the following wards of the Borough of Luton from the 2024 general election:
Barnfield (nearly all); Beech Hill (part); Bramingham; Challney (nearly all); Leagrave; Lewsey; Limbury; Northwell; Poets; Saints (nearly all); Sundon Park; Stopsley (majority).
Members of Parliament
Luton West, Luton East, Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire prior to 1983
ElectionMemberParty1983John Carlisle Conservative1997Kelvin Hopkins Labour2017Independent2019Sarah Owen Labour
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
Elections in the 2010s
2019 notional result Party Vote % Labour 24,015 53.9 Conservative 15,275 34.3 Liberal Democrats 2,063 4.6 Brexit Party 1,319 3.0 Others 1,086 2.4 Green 832 1.9Turnout44,59060.9Electorate73,266
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Bedfordshire List of parliamentary constituencies in the East of England (region) Politics in Luton
Notes
References
External links Luton North UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK Luton North UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK Luton North UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK