Enfield Southgate was a constituency in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was created in 1950 as Southgate.

In the 1997 general election, it returned a memorable result when prominent Conservative Michael Portillo lost the previously safe seat to Stephen Twigg of the Labour Party.

Further to the completion of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, the majority of the seat was incorporated into the new constituency of Southgate and Wood Green.

History From 1950 to the 1983 general election, this constituency was known as Southgate. The prefix of the seat's London Borough was added to some parts of the legislation, but not others, in 1974. In 1984, Conservative MP Anthony Berry who represented Enfield Southgate was killed in the Brighton hotel bombing by the Provisional IRA, triggering a by-election.

It was regarded as a safe seat for the Conservative party, but it gained national attention in the 1997 general election when Michael Portillo, Secretary of State for Defence was unexpectedly defeated on a massive swing – the 'Portillo moment'. Portillo had been widely expected to contest the Conservative leadership and his defeat the media took to epitomise the Labour landslide victory. The victorious candidate, Stephen Twigg, increased his majority at the following election. In the 2005 general election, Twigg's majority was the largest overturned, with a swing of 8.7% to the Conservative candidate David Burrowes.

The 2015 result gave the seat the 60th most marginal majority of the Conservative Party's 331 seats by percentage of majority, with Labour gaining the seat in the 2017 general election on a substantial 9.7% swing. Enfield Southgate is one of five constituencies, the others being Croydon Central, Leeds North West, Peterborough and Reading East, which elected Labour MPs in 2017 having not done so since 2001. Charalambous became the first Labour MP for Enfield Southgate to be re-elected with a reduced share of the vote.

Constituency profile This constituency is located in the western parts of the London Borough of Enfield. Less out-of-work benefits (7.4%) are claimed here than the average for London (8.4%, which compares to 6.4% nationally in April 2021) and among those aged 18 to 24 the percentage is 10.4% in the seat during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the year 2020, 71.3% of employees fell into the top three occupation groups of nine assessed by government, which is above the London and national average. It has significant Jewish, Muslim and Cypriot communities.

In recent years, the south-eastern and southern wards of the constituency, including Bowes and Palmers Green have returned Labour local councillors, with some councillors also in Southgate Green and Winchmore Hill. These wards tend to give the bulk of the Labour vote. The remaining wards generally elect Conservative councillors.

To the north, the seat is semi-rural taking in Trent Park and the former campus of Middlesex University, and the Cockfosters terminus of the Piccadilly line, stretching into the wealthy Hadley Wood area. Some areas (smaller than local government wards) in the south of the constituency have middle rankings of deprivation when placed in a complete list of wards (such as the 2000 Index of Multiple Deprivation), however all other output areas lack any significant deprivation.

Boundaries

1950–1974: The Municipal Borough of Southgate.

1974–1983: The London Borough of Enfield wards of Arnos, Bowes, Cockfosters, Grange, Highfield, Oakwood, Palmers Green, Southgate Green, West, and Winchmore Hill.

1983–2010: The London Borough of Enfield wards of Arnos, Bowes, Grange, Grovelands, Highfield, Merryhills, Oakwood, Palmers Green, Southgate Green, Trent, and Winchmore Hill.

2010–2024: The London Borough of Enfield wards of Bowes, Cockfosters, Grange, Palmers Green, Southgate, Southgate Green, and Winchmore Hill.

2007 boundary review

The Boundary Commission for England recommended changes to the seat, which were approved and effective from 2010. Part of Highlands ward went to Enfield North; part of Grange ward came in reverse. Parts of Grange; Bowes; and Palmers Green wards were added to the seat from Edmonton. Part of wards: Bush Hill Park and Upper Edmonton supplemented Edmonton.

Members of Parliament ElectionMember Party Notes 1950 Beverley Baxter Member for Wood Green (1935–1950) 1964 Anthony Berry Deputy Chief Government Whip (1983)Died 1984 1984 by-election Michael Portillo Chief Secretary to the Treasury (1992–1994)Secretary of State for Employment (1994–1995)Secretary of State for Defence (1995–1997) 1997 Stephen Twigg Minister of State for School Standards (2004–2005) 2005 David Burrowes 2017Bambos Charalambous 2023 2024

Election results 2005–2024 Elections in the 2010s

2005 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 18,134 43.8 Labour 17,007 41.0 Liberal Democrats 4,611 11.1 Green 1,155 2.8 UKIP 526 1.3Turnout41,43363.5Electorate65,275

Election results 1983–2005 Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

1979 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 29,606 61.1 Labour 11,240 23.2 Liberal 6,725 13.9 Others 857 1.8Turnout48,428Electorate

Election results 1974–1983 Elections in the 1970s

1970 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 30,800 63.0 Labour 11,300 23.1 Liberal 6,800 13.9Turnout48,90067.9Electorate72,002

Election results 1950–1974 Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Graphical representation +1992 26.2% 11.2% 58.0% +1997 44.2% 10.7% 41.1% 2.9 +2001 51.8% 7.0% 38.6% +2005 2.6 40.5% 11.2% 44.6% +2010 32.2% 13.8% 49.4% +2015 3.7% 39.0% 3.3 49.4% 4.6% +2017 51.7% 4.0% 42.7% +2019 48.5% 9.2% 39.1%

See also parliamentary constituencies in London

Notes

References

External links Politics Resources (Election results from 1922 onwards) Electoral Calculus (Election results from 1955 onwards) Enfield, Southgate UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK Enfield, Southgate UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK