The ceremonial county of Bedfordshire (which comprises Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton unitary authorities) is split into 7 seats – 2 borough and 5 county constituencies.Hitchin is a cross-county boundary constituency, mostly covering areas of northern Hertfordshire but also containing electoral wards in Central Bedfordshire.
Constituencies
NameBC denotes borough constituency, CC denotes county constituency.ElectorateMajorityThe majority is the number of votes the winning candidate receives more than their nearest rival.Member of ParliamentNearest oppositionElectoral wardsBoundary Commission for England pp. 1004–1007MapBedford BC70,0689,430 Mohammad Yasin ‡ Pinder Chauhan †Bedford Borough Council: Brickhill, Castle, Cauldwell, De Parys, Goldington, Harpur, Kempston Central and East, Kempston North, Kempston South, Kempston West, Kingsbrook, Newnham, Putnoe, Queen's Park.Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard CC74,069667 Alex Mayer ‡ Andrew Selous †Central Bedfordshire Council: Dunstable Central, Dunstable-Icknield, Dunstable-Manshead, Dunstable-Northfields, Dunstable-Watling, Heath and Reach, Houghton Hall, Leighton Buzzard North, Leighton Buzzard South, Linslade, Parkside, Tithe Farm.Hitchin CCHitchin is a cross-county boundary constituency, mostly covering areas of northern Hertfordshire but also containing electoral wards in Central Bedfordshire. 72,1127,109 Alistair Strathern ‡ Bim Afolami †Central Bedfordshire Council: Arlesey, Shefford, Stotfold and Langford. North Hertfordshire District Council: Cadwell, Chesfield, Hitchin Bearton, Hitchin Highbury, Hitchin Oughton, Hitchin Priory, Hitchin Walsworth, Hitchwood, Offa and Hoo, Kimpton.Luton North BC73,2667,510 Sarah Owen ‡ Jilleane Brown †Luton Borough Council: Barnfield, Bramingham, Challney, Ickfield, Leagrave, Lewsey, Limbury, Northwell, Saints, Stopsley, Sundon Park.Luton South and South Bedfordshire CC70,197 6,858 Rachel Hopkins ‡ Mark Versallion †Central Bedfordshire Council: Caddington, Eaton Bay. Luton Borough Council: Biscot, Crawley, Dallow, Farley, High Town, Round Green, South, Wigmore.Mid Bedfordshire CC71,7481,321 Blake Stephenson † Maahwish Mirza ‡Bedford Borough Council: Elstow and Stewartby, Wilshamstead, Wootton. Central Bedfordshire Council: Ampthill, Aspley and Woburn, Barton-le-Clay, Cranfield and Marston Moretaine, Flitwick, Houghton Conquest and Haynes, Silsoe and Shillington, Toddington, Westoning, Flitton and Greenfield.North Bedfordshire CC76,3195,414 Richard Fuller † Uday Nagaraju ‡Bedford Borough Council: Bromham and Biddenham, Clapham, Eastcotts, Great Barford, Harrold, Kempston Rural, Oakley, Riseley, Sharnbrook, Wyboston. Central Bedfordshire Council: Biggleswade North, Biggleswade South, Northill, Potton, Sandy.
Boundary changes 2024
For the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which redrew the constituency map ahead of the 2024 United Kingdom general election, the Boundary Commission for England opted to combine Bedfordshire with Hertfordshire as a sub-region of the East of England region, with the creation of the cross-county boundary constituency of Hitchin. As a result of the changes, Luton South was renamed Luton South and South Bedfordshire, North East Bedfordshire renamed North Bedfordshire, and South West Bedfordshire renamed Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard.
Former nameBoundaries 2010-2024Current nameBoundaries 2024–presentBedford BC Luton North BC Luton South BC Mid Bedfordshire CC North East Bedfordshire CC South West Bedfordshire CCBedford BC Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard CC Hitchin CC Luton North BC Luton South and South Bedfordshire CC Mid Bedfordshire CC North Bedfordshire CC
2010 Under the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the Boundary Commission for England decided to retain Bedfordshire's constituencies for the 2010 election, making minor changes to realign constituency boundaries with the boundaries of current local government wards, and to reduce the electoral disparity between constituencies.
NameBoundaries 1997-2010Boundaries 2010–presentBedford BC Luton North BC Luton South BC Mid Bedfordshire CC North East Bedfordshire CC South West Bedfordshire CC
Results history Primary data source: House of Commons research briefing – General election results from 1918 to 2019
2024 The number of votes cast for each political party who fielded candidates in constituencies comprising Bedfordshire in the 2024 general election were as follows:It should be acknowledged that as Hitchin is a cross-county constituency between Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, and the results of UK elections on sub-constituency levels are not disclosed, the following vote shares include parts of the Hitchin constituency located in Hertfordshire PartyVotes%Change from 2019SeatsChange from 2019Labour114,81336.8%2.6%52Conservative88,79428.0%21.8%21Reform UK45,83114.4%13.2%00Liberal Democrats29,3469.2%0.2%00Greens17,0925.4%2.5%00Others13,4474.2%1.2%00Workers Party of Britain8,0202.5%New0NewTotal317,343100.07
2019 The number of votes cast for each political party who fielded candidates in constituencies comprising Bedfordshire in the 2019 general election were as follows: PartyVotes%Change from 2017SeatsChange from 2017Conservative156,97349.8%0.5%30Labour107,59134.2%7.8%30Liberal Democrats28,2769.0%4.4%00Greens9,1262.9%1.0%00Brexit3,7121.2%new00Others9,3183.0%1.7%00Total314,996100.06
Percentage votes Election year19501951195519591964196619701974 (Feb)1974 (Oct)197919831987199219972001200520102015201720192024Labour42.445.344.738.843.945.640.934.037.332.922.624.230.344.042.834.227.129.542.034.236.2Conservative144.549.753.549.947.843.850.539.740.451.351.054.253.238.639.440.644.747.250.349.828.0Reform UK2 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1.2 14.4Liberal Democrat313.04.91.811.28.010.38.426.222.214.826.321.114.812.814.820.320.35.64.69.09.2Green Party – – – – – – – – – – –*****0.73.61.92.95.4UKIP – – – – – – – – – – – – –***3.813.50.8**Workers Party of Britain – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -2.5Other0.1 – – –0.30.30.20.10.11.00.10.41.74.63.14.93.50.60.42.94.2 1 Includes National Liberal Party up to 1966
2 2019: as the Brexit Party –
3 1950-1979 - Liberal ; 1983 & 1987 – SDP-Liberal Alliance
* Included in Other
Seats Election year19501951195519591964196619701974 (Feb)1974 (Oct)197919831987199219972001200520102015201720192024Conservative1344431433555533344332Labour100013022000033322335Total444444455555566666667 1Includes National Liberal Party up to 1966
Maps 1885-1910
1918-1945
1950-1979
1983-present
Timeline
Constituency1295–18851885–19181918–19501950–19741974–19831983–19971997–20242024–presentBedfordshire1295–1885Bedford1295–19831997–presentNorth Bedfordshire1983–19972024–presentNorth East Bedfordshire1997–2024Biggleswade1885–1918Mid Bedfordshire1918–presentSouth Bedfordshire1950–1983South West Bedfordshire1983–2024 Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard2024-presentLuton1885–1974Luton East1974–1983Luton West1974–1983Luton North1983–presentLuton South1983–2024 Luton South and South Bedfordshire2024–present
Historical representation by party A cell marked → (with a different colour background to the preceding cell) indicates that the previous MP continued to sit under a new party name.
1802 to 1837
Constituency180218061807181215181818201826183018311832341835 Bedford Antonie G. Russell Polhill Crawley S. Whitbread Waldegrave W. Whitbread Polhill Bedfordshire Osborn FitzPatrick F. Russell C. Russell St John Pym Osborn Pym Macqueen Stuart Payne Stuart → Egerton
1837 to 1885
Constituency1837381841471847511852541857185918651868721874751880 Bedford Stuart Crawley H. Stuart W. Stuart Barnard W. Stuart Howard Polhill-Turner Magniac Polhill Verney Whitbread → Bedfordshire C. Russell Astell C. Russell F. Russell → Bassett G. Russell Egerton Gilpin Howard
1885 to 1918
Constituency18851886189292189519001906Jan 1910Dec 191011BedfordWhitbreadPymBarlowAttenboroughKellawayBiggleswade MagniacBaringRussellComptonBlackLutonFlowerWhitbreadAshtonHarmsworth
1918 to 1974
Constituency191819221923192419293119311935194519501951195519596063196419661970BedfordKellawayWellsSkeffington-LodgeSoamesParkynSkeetBedfordshire MidTownleyLinfieldWarnerGrayLennox-BoydHastingsBedfordshire SouthMoeranCole→RobertsMadelLutonHarmsworthHewettHowardO'ConnorBurgin→WarbeyHillHowieSimeons
1974 to 1997
ConstituencyFeb 1974Oct 19741979198319871992Bedford / North Bedfordshire (1983)SkeetBedfordshire MidHastingsLyellBedfordshire South / South West Bedfordshire (1983)MadelLuton East / Luton South (1983)ClemitsonBrightLuton West / Luton North (1983)SedgemoreCarlisle
1997 to present
Constituency19972001200520102015201717192019232024BedfordHallFullerYasinBedfordshire MidSayeedDorriesStrathern StephensonNorth East Bedfordshire / N Bedfordshire (2024)LyellBurtFullerSW Bedfordshire / Dunstable & Leighton Buzzard (2024)MadelSelous MayerLuton South / Luton S & S Bedfordshire (2024)MoranShuker→→R. HopkinsLuton NorthK. Hopkins→Owen
See also List of parliamentary constituencies in the East of England (region) History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Bedfordshire
Notes
References