Mid Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Mid Bedfordshire is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2005 by Nadine Dorries, of the Conservative Party.[n 2] Apart from four early years, the constituency has returned a Conservative since its creation in 1918.

Mid Bedfordshire
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of Mid Bedfordshire in Bedfordshire
Location of Bedfordshire within England
CountyBedfordshire
Electorate84,212 (2018)[1]
Major settlementsAmpthill, Flitwick
Current constituency
Created1918
Member of ParliamentNadine Dorries (Conservative)
Number of membersOne
Created fromLuton and Biggleswade

History

Mid Bedfordshire was created under the Representation of the People Act 1918.

It has elected Conservative MPs since 1931. It was held from 1983 to 1997 by the Attorney General (for the English, Welsh and Northern Irish aspects of the legal system and as advisor to HM Government) Sir Nicholas Lyell, who then transferred to the newly created seat of North East Bedfordshire; his old seat was won by Jonathan Sayeed, a former MP in Bristol. Sayeed was forced to retire in 2005 due to ill health, following a row over allegations he had profited from his private educational tours of Parliament and a resulting deselection attempt by the constituency party. Nadine Dorries has held the seat since, but the Conservative whip was withdrawn from her in 2012 and returned six months later, after appearing on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.[2] For the 2005 and 2010 elections the most successful opposition party candidate was a Liberal Democrat. However following their nationwide retreat in 2015, Labour once more occupies this position.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1918–1950: The constituency was created as a Division of Bedfordshire by the Representation of the People Act 1918, comprising the Urban Districts of Ampthill, Biggleswade, and Leighton Buzzard, and the Rural Districts of Ampthill, Biggleswade, and Eaton Bray.[3]

Ampthill and Biggleswade had been part of the abolished Biggleswade Division, and Leighton Buzzard was transferred from the Luton Division.

1950–1974: The Urban Districts of Ampthill, Biggleswade, and Sandy1, the Rural Districts of Ampthill and Biggleswade, and part of the Rural District of Bedford.[3]

1Created as an Urban District from the Rural District of Biggleswade in 1927.[4]

Gained southern and eastern rural areas of the County Constituency of Bedford.  Leighton Buzzard and surrounding rural areas (equivalent to the abolished Rural District of Eaton Bray, which had been absorbed by the Rural District of Luton) transferred to the new County Constituency of South Bedfordshire.

1974–1983: As above, apart from changes to the Rural District of Bedford.[3]

The village of Eaton Socon had been absorbed by the Urban District of St Neots in Huntingdonshire and was transferred to the County Constituency thereof.

1983–1997: The District of Mid Bedfordshire wards of Ampthill, Arlesey, Biggleswade Ivel, Biggleswade Stratton, Blunham, Campton and Meppershall, Clifton and Henlow, Clophill, Haynes and Houghton Conquest, Langford, Maulden, Northill, Old Warden and Southill, Potton, Sandy All Saints, Sandy St Swithun's, Shefford, Shillington and Stondon, Stotfold, Wensley, and Wrest, and the Borough of North Bedfordshire wards of Eastcotts, Great Barford, Kempston East, Kempston Rural, Kempston West, Wilshamstead, and Wootton.[5]

Kempston transferred from the abolished County Constituency of Bedford.  Parts included in the new County Constituencies of North Bedfordshire (far north-eastern area), South West Bedfordshire (south-western parts) and North Luton (including Flitwick).

1997–2010: The Borough of Bedford wards of Kempston Rural, Wilshamstead, and Wootton; the District of Mid Bedfordshire wards of Ampthill, Aspley Guise, Campton and Meppershall, Cranfield, Clifton and Henlow, Clophill, Flitton and Pulloxhill, Flitwick East, Flitwick West, Harlington, Haynes and Houghton Conquest, Marston, Maulden, Shefford, Shillington and Stondon, Westoning, Woburn, and Wrest; and the District of South Bedfordshire wards of Barton-le-Clay, Streatley, and Toddington.[6]

Wholesale changes, with eastern parts, comprising about half of the electorate, including Biggleswade and Sandy, being transferred to the new County Constituency of North East Bedfordshire. Kempston was transferred back to the re-established Borough Constituency of Bedford. Regained parts of the District of Mid Bedfordshire previously transferred to South West Bedfordshire and North Luton (including Flitwick), together with the parts of the District of South Bedfordshire previously in North Luton.

2010–present: The Borough of Bedford wards of Turvey, Wilshamstead, and Wootton; the District of Mid Bedfordshire wards of Ampthill, Aspley Guise, Clifton and Meppershall, Cranfield, Flitton, Greenfield and Pulloxhill, Flitwick East, Flitwick West, Harlington, Houghton, Haynes, Southill and Old Warden, Marston, Maulden and Clophill, Shefford, Campton and Gravenhurst, Shillington, Stondon and Henlow Camp, Silsoe, Westoning and Tingrith, and Woburn; and the District of South Bedfordshire wards of Barton-le-Clay, Streatley, and Toddington.[7]

Marginal changes due to revision of local authority wards.

Members of Parliament
ElectionMember[8] Party
1918 Max Townley Conservative
1922 Frederick Linfield Liberal
1924 William Warner Conservative
1929 Milner Gray Liberal
1931 Alan Lennox-Boyd Conservative
1960 by-election Stephen Hastings Conservative
1983 Sir Nicholas Lyell Conservative
1997 Jonathan Sayeed Conservative
2005 Nadine Dorries Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s
General election 2019: Mid Bedfordshire[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nadine Dorries 38,692 59.8 -1.9
Labour Rhiannon Meades 14,028 21.7 -6.8
Liberal Democrats Rachel McGann 8,171 12.6 +6.6
Green Gareth Ellis 2,478 3.8 +1.0
Independent Alan Victor 812 1.3 +1.3
Monster Raving Loony Ann Kelly 536 0.8 -0.2
Majority 24,664 38.1 +4.9
Turnout 64,717 73.7 -1.3
Conservative hold Swing +2.4
General election 2017: Mid Bedfordshire[10][11][12][13][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nadine Dorries 38,936 61.6 +5.6
Labour Rhianon Meades 17,953 28.4 +12.6
Liberal Democrats Lisa French 3,798 6.0 -1.2
Green Gareth Ellis 1,794 2.8 -1.4
Monster Raving Loony Ann Kelly 667 1.1 +0.6
Majority 20,983 33.2 -6.9
Turnout 63,148 76.7 +5.1
Conservative hold Swing -3.5
General election 2015: Mid Bedfordshire[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nadine Dorries 32,544 56.1 +3.6
Labour Charlynne Pullen 9,217 15.9 +1.1
UKIP Nigel Wickens 8,966 15.4 +10.3
Liberal Democrats Linda Jack 4,193 7.2 -17.7
Green Gareth Ellis 2,462 4.2 +2.8
Independent Tim Ireland 384 0.7 N/A
Monster Raving Loony Ann Kelly 294 0.5 N/A
Majority 23,327 40.2 +12.6
Turnout 58,060 71.6 -0.6
Conservative hold Swing +1.3

In June 2015 the independent candidate, Tim Ireland, lodged an unsuccessful election petition accusing Nadine Dorries of breaches of section 106 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 by making false statements about his character.[23][24] The petition was dismissed by the courts on 30 July 2015.[25]

General election 2010: Mid Bedfordshire[26][27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nadine Dorries 28,815 52.5 +5.9
Liberal Democrats Linda Jack 13,663 24.9 +1.4
Labour David Reeves 8,108 14.8 -7.7
UKIP Bill Hall 2,826 5.1 +2.4
Green Malcolm Bailey 773 1.4 -1.2
English Democrat John Cooper 712 1.3 N/A
Majority 15,152 27.6 +5.1
Turnout 54,897 72.2 +3.5
Conservative hold Swing +2.3

Elections in the 2000s
General election 2005: Mid Bedfordshire[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nadine Dorries 23,345 46.3 −1.1
Liberal Democrats Mark Chapman 11,990 23.8 +4.1
Labour Martin Lindsay 11,351 22.5 −7.6
UKIP Richard Joselyn 1,372 2.7 0.0
Green Ben Foley 1,292 2.6 N/A
Veritas Howard Martin 769 1.5 N/A
Independent Saqhib Ali 301 0.6 N/A
Majority 11,355 22.5 +5.2
Turnout 50,420 68.3 +2.4
Conservative hold Swing −2.6
General election 2001: Mid Bedfordshire[29][30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jonathan Sayeed 22,109 47.4 +1.4
Labour James Valentine 14,043 30.1 −2.4
Liberal Democrats Graham Mabbutt 9,205 19.7 +2.9
UKIP Chris Laurence 1,281 2.7 N/A
Majority 8,066 17.3 +3.8
Turnout 46,638 65.9 −13.1
Conservative hold Swing 1.9

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1997: Mid Bedfordshire[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jonathan Sayeed 24,176 46.0 −16.4
Labour Neil Mallett 17,086 32.5 +12.7
Liberal Democrats Tim J. Hill 8,823 16.8 +1.0
Referendum Shirley C. Marler 2,257 4.3 N/A
Natural Law Marek J. Lorys 174 0.3 N/A
Majority 7,090 14.0 -22.4
Turnout 52,534 78.9 -5.5
Conservative hold Swing -14.6[32]
General election 1992: Mid Bedfordshire[33][34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicholas Lyell 40,230 58.2 -0.8
Labour Richard A. Clayton 15,092 21.8 +3.8
Liberal Democrats Nikolas Hills 11,957 17.3 -5.7
Liberal Phil Cottier 1,582 2.3 +2.3
Natural Law Marek J. Lorys 279 0.4 +0.4
Majority 25,138 36.4 +0.3
Turnout 69,140 84.4 +5.7
Conservative hold Swing -2.3

Elections in the 1980s
General election 1987: Mid Bedfordshire[35]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicholas Lyell 37,411 58.98
SDP Nikolas Hills 14,560 22.95
Labour John Heywood 11,463 18.07
Majority 22,851 36.02
Turnout 78.63
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1983: Mid Bedfordshire[36]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicholas Lyell 33,042 56.85
Liberal M. Howes 15,661 26.94
Labour J. Tizard 9,420 16.21
Majority 17,381 29.90
Turnout 76.93
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1979: Mid Bedfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Hastings 37,724 56.87
Labour F.G. Peacock 17,140 25.84
Liberal C.A.P. Smout 11,467 17.29
Majority 20,584 31.03
Turnout 81.32
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Mid Bedfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Hastings 26,885 45.70
Labour J.E. Crow 17,559 29.85
Liberal P.W. Meyer 14,388 24.46
Majority 9,326 15.85
Turnout 78.26
Conservative hold Swing
General election February 1974: Mid Bedfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Hastings 28,973 45.28
Labour David F. Harrowell 17,862 27.92
Liberal P.W. Meyer 17,151 26.80
Majority 11,111 17.36
Turnout 85.87
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1970: Mid Bedfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Hastings 29,670 52.51
Labour David F Harrowell 19,035 33.69
Liberal John P. Christian 7,799 13.80
Majority 10,635 18.82
Turnout 77.28
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1966: Mid Bedfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Hastings 23,477 46.02
Labour C. Trevor Bell 20,369 39.98
Liberal Paul L. Rose 7,138 14.01
Majority 3,078 6.04
Turnout 82.29
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1964: Mid Bedfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Hastings 22,414 46.03
Labour C. Trevor Bell 17,096 35.11
Liberal Wilfred G. Matthews 9,184 18.86
Majority 5,318 10.92
Turnout 48,694 83.04
Conservative hold Swing
1960 Mid Bedfordshire by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Hastings 17,503 45.38 -1.41
Labour Bryan Magee 11,281 29.25 -6.17
Liberal Wilfred G. Matthews 9,550 24.76 +6.97
New Conservative C. F. H. Gilliard 235 0.61 N/A
Majority 6,222 16.13 +4.77
Turnout 38,569 71.1
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1959: Mid Bedfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Lennox-Boyd 21,301 46.79
Labour Bryan Magee 16,127 35.42
Liberal Wilfred G. Matthews 8,099 17.79 n/a
Majority 5,174 11.36
Turnout 84.48
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Mid Bedfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Lennox-Boyd 23,012 54.71
Labour Thomas Skeffington-Lodge 19,048 45.29
Majority 3,964 9.42
Turnout 81.36
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1951: Mid Bedfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Lennox-Boyd 19,681 45.39
Labour T.L. 'Addy' Taylor 17,818 41.09
Liberal Donald Tweddle 5,863 13.52
Majority 1,863 4.30
Turnout 85.34
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1950: Mid Bedfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Lennox-Boyd 17,671 41.39
Labour W. Howell 15,512 36.33
Liberal Ewart Kenneth Martell 9,511 22.28
Majority 2,159 5.06
Turnout 86.22
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s
General election 1945: Bedfordshire Mid
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Lennox-Boyd 13,954 37.0
Labour W Howell 12,073 32.1
Liberal Ewart Kenneth Martell 11,641 30.9
Majority 1,881 5.0
Turnout 37,668 73.19
Conservative hold Swing

General Election 1939/40: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

Election in the 1930s
General election 1935: Bedfordshire Mid
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Lennox-Boyd 16,054 50.3 +2.9
Liberal Milner Gray 11,623 36.4 -6.4
Labour Thomas Henry Knight 4,224 13.2 +3.4
Majority 4,431 13.89
Turnout 76.29
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1931: Bedfordshire Mid
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Lennox-Boyd 15,213 47.4
Liberal Milner Gray 13,726 42.8
Labour Henry William Fenner 3,156 9.8
Majority 1,487 4.63
Turnout 79.14
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing

Election in the 1920s
General election 30 May 1929: Bedfordshire Mid
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Milner Gray 14,595 46.9 -1.1
Unionist William Warner 12,682 40.7 -11.2
Labour Henry William Fenner 3,853 12.4 n/a
Majority 1,913 6.2 10.1
Turnout 8,829
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +5.1
General election 29 October 1924: Bedfordshire Mid
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Warner 12,317 52.0
Liberal Frederick Linfield 11,356 48.0
Majority 961 4.0
Turnout 76.5
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing
General election 6 December 1923: Bedfordshire Mid [37]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Linfield 11,310 51.0
Unionist William Warner 9,287 41.9
Labour Robert Leonard Wigzell 1,567 7.1 n/a
Majority 2,023 9.1 -3.9
Turnout 72.6
Liberal hold Swing
General election 15 November 1922: Bedfordshire Mid [38]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Linfield 11,874 56.5 +11.7
Unionist Max Townley 9,137 43.5
Majority 2,737 13.0
Turnout 70.1 +15.3
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +11.7

Election in the 1910s
General election 14 December 1918: Bedfordshire Mid [38]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Max Townley 9,073 55.2 n/a
Liberal Arthur Black 7,352 44.8 n/a
Majority 1,721 10.4 n/a
Turnout 54.8 n/a
Unionist win (new seat)
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

See also

Notes and references
Notes
  1. A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
References
  1. "England Parliamentary electorates 2010-2018". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  2. Nadine Dorries suspended as Tory MP in I'm a Celebrity row, 6 November 2012
  3. Craig, F. W. S. (1972). Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0-900178-09-4.
  4. "Sandy UD through time | Census tables with data for the Local Government District". www.visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  5. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  6. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  7. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  8. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 2)
  9. "Bedfordshire Mid Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  10. "General election: 8 June, 2017, Results of the 2017 general election for Central Bedfordshire", www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk, retrieved 28 November 2017
  11. Kirk, Ashley (8 June 2017), "General Election 2017: Full results, Constituency finder: Bedfordshire Mid", The Telegraph, retrieved 28 November 2017
  12. Bloom, Dan (7 June 2017), "General election candidates 2017: Full list of who is standing in all 650 seats in plain text format", Daily Mirror
  13. "Statement of persons nominated, notice of poll and situation of polling stations for Mid Bedfordshire" (PDF), www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk, Richard Carr, acting returning officer, 8 May 2017, retrieved 19 May 2017
  14. "Notice of election agents for Mid Bedfordshire" (PDF), www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk, Richard Carr, acting returning officer, 8 May 2017, retrieved 19 May 2017
  15. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. "Statement Of Persons Nominated And Notice Of Poll" (PDF). Acting Returning Officer. 9 April 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  17. "UK ELECTION RESULTS: BEDFORDSHIRE MID 2015".
  18. "nigelwickens.wordpress.com". Archived from the original on 2 February 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  19. "Central Bedfordshire Liberal Democrats". www.facebook.com.
  20. "Gareth Ellis selected as Green Party candidate for Mid Bedfordshire". 31 July 2019.
  21. "Tim Ireland: Prospective Independent Parliamentary Candidate for Mid Bedfordshire". 26 July 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  22. "Candidates". OMRLP. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  23. Perraudin, Frances (10 June 2015). "Nadine Dorries accused of making false claims about opponent during election". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  24. Green, Chris (10 June 2015). "Nadine Dorries faces challenge after general election smear campaign allegations". The Independent. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  25. Green,Chris (30 July 2015). "High Court rejects attempt to unseat Nadine Dorries after legal documents sent to wrong address". The Independent. London. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  26. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  27. Archived 25 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  28. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  29. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  30. "BBC NEWS | VOTE 2001 | RESULTS & CONSTITUENCIES | Bedfordshire Mid". news.bbc.co.uk.
  31. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  32. The swing was calculated by the BBC compared with a notional 1992 result. BBC Election '97
  33. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  34. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  35. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  36. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  37. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig, F.W.S.
  38. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
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