Mid Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)

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Mid Bedfordshire
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Mid Bedfordshire in Bedfordshire.
120px
Location of Bedfordshire within England.
County Bedfordshire
Electorate 76,381 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlements Ampthill, Flitwick, Shefford, Turvey, Toddington and Woburn
Current constituency
Created 1918
Member of parliament Nadine Dorries (Conservative)
Number of members One
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency East of England

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

Boundaries

1918-1950: The Urban Districts of Ampthill, Biggleswade, and Leighton Buzzard, and the Rural Districts of Ampthill, Biggleswade, and Eaton Bray.

1950-1974: The Urban Districts of Ampthill, Biggleswade, and Sandy, the Rural Districts of Ampthill and Biggleswade, and in the Rural District of Bedford the civil parishes of Cardington, Colmworth, Cople, Eaton Socon, Eastcotts, Elstow, Great Barford, Kempston Rural, Little Barford, Renhold, Roxton, Stagsden, Stewartby, Wilden, Willington, Wilshamstead, and Wootton.

1974-1983: The Urban Districts of Ampthill, Biggleswade, and Sandy, the Rural Districts of Ampthill and Biggleswade, and in the Rural District of Bedford the civil parishes of Cardington, Colmworth, Cople, Eastcotts, Elstow, Great Barford, Kempston Rural, Little Barford, Renhold, Roxton, Stagsden, Staploe, Stewartby, Wilden, Willington, Wilshamstead, and Wootton.

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.

1997-2010: The District of Mid Bedfordshire wards of Ampthill, Aspley, Campton and Meppershall, Clifton and Henlow, Clophill, Cranfield, Flitton and Pulloxhill, Flitwick East, Flitwick West, Harlington, Haynes and Houghton Conquest, Marston, Maulden, Shefford, Shillington and Stondon, Westoning, Woburn, and Wrest, and the Borough of Bedford wards of Kempston Rural, Wilshamstead, and Wootton.

2010-present: 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, the Borough of Bedford wards of Turvey, Wilshamstead, and Wootton, and the District of South Bedfordshire wards of Barton-le-Clay, Streatley, and Toddington.

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.

Members of Parliament

Election Member[3] Party
1918 Maximilian 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 significant boundary changes
1983 Nicholas Lyell Conservative
1997 significant boundary changes
1997 Jonathan Sayeed Conservative
2005 Nadine Dorries Conservative
2012 Independent
2013 Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Mid Bedfordshire[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nadine Dorries [6] 32,544 56.1 +3.6
Labour Charlynne Pullen [6] 9,217 15.9 +1.1
UKIP Nigel Wickens[7] 8,966 15.4 +10.3
Liberal Democrat Linda Jack [8] 4,193 7.2 -17.7
Green Gareth Ellis [9] 2,462 4.2 +2.8
Independent Tim Ireland[10] 384 0.7 +0.7
Monster Raving Loony Ann Kelly[11] 294 0.5 +0.5
Majority 23,327 40.2 +12.6
Turnout 71.6 -0.6
Conservative hold Swing

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.[12][13] The petition was dismissed by the courts on 30 July 2015.[14]

General Election 2010: Mid Bedfordshire[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nadine Dorries 28,815 52.5 +5.9
Liberal Democrat 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 Democrats John Cooper 712 1.3 N/A
Majority 15,152 27.6
Turnout 54,897 72.2 +3.5
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Mid Bedfordshire[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nadine Dorries 23,345 46.3 −1.1
Liberal Democrat 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
Turnout 50,420 68.3 +2.4
Conservative hold Swing −2.6
General Election 2001: Mid Bedfordshire[18][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jonathan Sayeed 22,109 47.4 +1.4
Labour James Valentine 14,043 30.1 −2.4
Liberal Democrat Graham Mabbutt 9,205 19.7 +2.9
UKIP Chris Laurence 1,281 2.7 N/A
Majority 8,066 17.3
Turnout 46,638 65.9 −13.1
Conservative hold Swing 1.9

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Mid Bedfordshire[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jonathan Sayeed 24,176 46.0 −16.4
Labour Neil Mallett 17,086 32.5 +12.7
Liberal Democrat Tim J. Hill 8,823 16.8 +1.0
Referendum Mrs. Shirley C. Marler 2,257 4.3 N/A
Natural Law Marek J. Lorys 174 0.3
Turnout 52,534 78.9
Conservative hold Swing -14.6%[21]
General Election 1992: Mid Bedfordshire[22][23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicholas Lyell 40,230 58.2 -0.8
Labour Richard A. Clayton 15,092 21.8 +3.8
Liberal Democrat Nikolas Charles 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[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicholas Lyell 37,411 58.98
Social Democratic Nikolas Charles 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[25]
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 Lewis Edmonstone 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 Lewis Edmonstone 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 Lewis Edmonstone 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 Electorate 73,116
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Lewis Edmonstone 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 Electorate 61,923
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Lewis Edmonstone 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 Electorate 58,640
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Lewis Edmonstone 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
Mid Bedfordshire by-election, 1960
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Lewis Edmonstone Hastings 17,503 45.4
Labour Bryan Edgar Magee 11,281 29.2
Liberal Wilfred G. Matthews 9,550 24.8
New Conservative C. F. H. Gilliard 235 0.6
Majority 6,222 16.2
Turnout 38,569 71.1
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Mid Bedfordshire Electorate 53,889
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Tindal Lennox-Boyd 21,301 46.79
Labour Bryan Edgar 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 Electorate 51,699
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Tindal Lennox-Boyd 23,012 54.71
Labour Thomas Cecil Skeffington-Lodge 19,048 45.29
Majority 3,964 9.42
Turnout 81.36
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1951: Mid Bedfordshire Electorate 50,811
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Tindal 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 Tindal 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
Electorate 51,465
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Tindal 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 14 November 1935: Electorate 41,813
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Tindal Lennox-Boyd 16,054 50.3 +2.9
Liberal Milner Gray 11,623 36.4 -6.4
Labour T. H. Knight 4,224 13.2 +3.4
Majority 4,431 13.89
Turnout 76.29
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 27 October 1931: Electorate 40,555
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Tindal Lennox-Boyd 15,213 47.4
Liberal Milner Gray 13,726 42.8
Labour H 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 Ward 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 Ward Warner 12,317 52.0
Liberal Frederick Caesar Linfield 11,356 48.0
Majority 961 4.0
Turnout 76.5
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing
General Election 6 December 1923: Bedfordshire Mid [26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Caesar Linfield 11,310 51.0
Unionist William Ward 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
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick Caesar Linfield 11,874
Unionist Maximilian Gowran Townley 9,137
Majority 2,737
Turnout
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing

Election in the 1910s

General Election 14 December 1918: Electorate
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Maximilian Gowran Townley 9,073
Liberal Sir Arthur William Black 7,352
Majority 1,721
Turnout

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. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Nadine Dorries suspended as Tory MP in I'm a Celebrity row, 6 November 2012
  3. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 2)[self-published source][better source needed]
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://electionresults.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/bedfordshire-mid-2015.html
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/CentralBedfordshireLiberalDemocrats/photos/a.431226776936741.98038.420815354644550/820127744713307/?type=1
  9. ↑ http://lutonandbeds.greenparty.org.uk/news/2015/01/31/gareth-ellis-selected-as-green-party-candidate-for-mid-bedfordshire/
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ [1] Archived 25 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ BBC Vote 2001 Results
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ The swing was calculated by the BBC compared with a notional 1992 result. BBC Election '97
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig, F.W.S.
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