Parliamentary constituencies in Hertfordshire

A small county slightly to the south and east of the centre of the country, and completely bounded by other counties.
The county of Hertfordshire in relation to England

The county of Hertfordshire in England is divided into twelve[nb 1] parliamentary constituencies. Each of the twelve elects a Member of Parliament (MP) to represent it at the United Kingdom (UK) Parliament in Westminster. As of the 2024 general election, seven of Hertfordshire's MPs are from the Labour Party, three are Conservatives, and two are Liberal Democrats. The county currently has one urban borough constituency (BC) – Watford - while the other eleven are classed as more rural county constituencies (CC).

Constituencies

Further information: 2024 United Kingdom general election
Context of the 2024 result. The county elected 7 Labour MPs, 3 Conservatives and 2 Liberal Democrats. Dem. MP.

Boundaries of the seats were amended by the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies carried out by the Boundary Commission for England, which came into effect from the 2024 general election. Each constituency is made up of whole or partial local government wards, which elect councillors at English local elections. Eleven are designated as county constituencies (in which candidates can spend more per head than their borough counterparts). One is a borough constituency.

[1]   Conservative †   Labour ‡   Liberal Democrat ¤

Name[nb 2] Electorate[2] Majority[3][nb 3] Member of Parliament[3] Nearest opposition[3] Map
Broxbourne CC 75,454 2,858   Lewis Cocking †   Catherine Deakin ‡
A fairly small constituency located in the south-east of the county.
Harpenden and Berkhamsted CC 71,635 10,708 Victoria Collins ¤ Nigel Gardner †
A medium-to-large-sized constituency, stretching from the west to the central areas of the county.
Hemel Hempstead CC 70,496 4,857 David Taylor ‡ Andrew Williams †
A medium-sized constituency located in the east of the county.
Hertford and Stortford CC 75,396 4,748 Josh Dean ‡ Julie Marson †
A small to medium-sized constituency. Long and thin in shape, it covers the eastern areas of the county.
Hertsmere CC 73,256 7,992 Oliver Dowden † Josh Tapper ‡
A medium-sized constituency in the south of the constituency.
Hitchin CC 72,112 7,109 Alistair Strathern ‡ Bim Afolami †
A large cross-county constituency, covering northern parts of the county and also containing electoral wards in central Bedfordshire.
North East Hertfordshire CC 76,849 1,923 Chris Hinchliff ‡ Nikki da Costa †
The largest constituency in the county, located in the north and east. Its northernmost parts are considerably further north than constituencies in the west.
South West Hertfordshire CC 71,552 4,456 Gagan Mohindra † Sally Symington ¤
A medium-sized constituency located in the south-west of the county.
St Albans CC 70,881 19,834 Daisy Cooper ¤ James Spencer †
A medium-sized constituency located in the south of the county. It is bordered exclusively by other constituencies in the county.
Stevenage CC 70,370 6,618 Kevin Bonavia ‡ Alex Clarkson †
A small constituency, located in the north of the county and entirely surrounded by other constituencies within the county.
Watford BC 70,576 4,723 Matt Turmaine ‡ Dean Russell †
A small constituency, southwest of the centre of the county.
Welwyn Hatfield CC 74,535 3,799 Andrew Lewin ‡ Grant Shapps †
A medium sized-constituency at the centre of the county. It is entirely bounded by other constituencies in the county.

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 Hertfordshire with Bedfordshire as a sub-region of the East of England region, with the creation of the cross-county boundary constituency of Hitchin. As a result, Hitchin and Harpenden was abolished, with Harpenden being included in a new constituency named Harpenden and Berkhamsted, along with the towns of Berkhamsted and Tring, previously part of South West Hertfordshire - which in turn gained areas of Three Rivers District, primarily form Watford. These changes had knock-on effects in the rest of the county, with most of the rest of the constituencies undergoing relatively minor boundary changes, the only exceptions being North East Hertfordshire and Stevenage, which remained effectively unchanged (save minor realignments with new ward boundaries).[4][5][6]

Former name Boundaries 2010-2024 Current name Boundaries 2024–present
  1. Broxbourne BC
  2. Hemel Hempstead CC
  3. Hertford and Stortford CC
  4. Hertsmere CC
  5. Hitchin and Harpenden CC
  6. North East Hertfordshire CC
  7. South West Hertfordshire CC
  8. St Albans CC
  9. Stevenage CC
  10. Watford BC
  11. Welwyn Hatfield CC
2010-2024 constituencies in Hertfordshire
2010-2024 constituencies in Hertfordshire
  1. Broxbourne CC
  2. Harpenden and Berkhamsted CC
  3. Hemel Hempstead CC
  4. Hertford and Stortford CC
  5. Hertsmere CC
  6. Hitchin CC
  7. North East Hertfordshire CC
  8. South West Hertfordshire CC
  9. St Albans CC
  10. Stevenage CC
  11. Watford BC
  12. Welwyn Hatfield CC
Current constituencies in Hertfordshire
Current constituencies in Hertfordshire

2010

For the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect ahead of the 2010 general election, the Boundary Commission for England retained the same eleven Hertfordshire constituencies that had existed previously. It did however make slight boundary changes to reduce electoral disparity. The recommendations, which became law with the Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007, also ensured that local government wards in Hertfordshire would no longer be split between two Parliamentary constituencies.[7][8]

Name Boundaries 1997-2010 Boundaries 2010–present
1 Broxbourne BC
A map of a county, divided into eleven constituencies
The same map of a county. It is divided into eleven constituencies, some of which have slightly different boundaries.
2 Hemel Hempstead CC
3 Hertford and Stortford CC
4 Hertsmere CC
5 Hitchin and Harpenden CC
6 North East Hertfordshire CC
7 South West Hertfordshire CC
8 St Albans CC
9 Stevenage CC
10 Watford BC
11 Welwyn Hatfield CC

Results history

Primary data source: House of Commons research briefing - General election results from 1918 to 2019[9]

2024

The number of votes cast for each political party who fielded candidates in constituencies comprising Hertfordshire in the 2024 general election were as follows:

Party Votes % Change from 2019 Seats Change from 2019
Labour 177,658 30.5% Increase7.0% 7 Increase7
Conservative 177,264 30.4% Decrease22.3% 3 Decrease7
Liberal Democrats 108,704 18.6% Increase0.3% 2 Increase1
Reform UK 80,967 13.9% New 0 New
Green 33,850 5.8% Increase3.3% 0 0
Others 5,492 0.8% Decrease2.2% 0 0
Total 583,127 100.0 12

Percentage votes

Election year 1974

(Feb)

1974

(Oct)

1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019 2024
Labour 35.0 38.5 34.4 19.0 19.8 25.5 39.7 38.9 30.2 19.0 22.4 32.1 23.5 30.5
Conservative 40.4 41.3 51.1 50.3 52.0 53.3 40.6 41.8 44.8 50.4 52.6 54.3 52.7 30.4
Liberal Democrat1 24.4 19.8 13.2 30.2 27.8 20.3 16.0 16.9 21.4 24.0 8.7 9.9 18.3 18.6
Reform UK - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13.9
Green Party - - - - * * * * * 0.8 3.6 2.3 2.5 5.8
UKIP - - - - - - * * * 3.3 12.5 1.2 * *
Other 0.2 0.4 1.3 0.5 0.4 0.9 3.7 2.4 3.6 2.5 0.2 0.2 3.0 0.8

11974 & 1979 - Liberal Party; 1983 & 1987 - SDP-Liberal Alliance

* Included in Other

Seats

Election year 1974

(Feb)

1974

(Oct)

1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019 2024
Labour 2 4 0 0 0 0 5 5 2 0 0 0 0 7[a]
Conservative 7 5 9 10 10 10 6 6 9 11 11 11 10 3
Liberal Democrat1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
Total 9 9 9 10 10 10 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 12[a]

11974 & 1979 - Liberal Party; 1983 & 1987 - SDP-Liberal Alliance

  1. ^ a b Includes the constituency of Hitchin, which also lies partly in Bedfordshire.

Maps

1885-1910

  • 1885
    1885
  • 1886
    1886
  • 1892
    1892
  • 1895
    1895
  • 1900
    1900
  • 1906
    1906
  • Jan 1910
    Jan 1910
  • Dec 1910
    Dec 1910

1918-1945

  • 1918
    1918
  • 1922
    1922
  • 1923
    1923
  • 1924
    1924
  • 1929
    1929
  • 1931
    1931
  • 1935
    1935
  • 1945
    1945

1950-1970

  • 1950
    1950
  • 1951
    1951
  • 1955
    1955
  • 1959
    1959
  • 1964
    1964
  • 1966
    1966
  • 1970
    1970

1974-present

  • Feb 1974
    Feb 1974
  • Oct 1974
    Oct 1974
  • 1979
    1979
  • 1983
    1983
  • 1987
    1987
  • 1992
    1992
  • 1997
    1997
  • 2001
    2001
  • 2005
    2005
  • 2010
    2010
  • 2015
    2015
  • 2017
    2017
  • 2019
    2019
  • 2024
    2024

Timeline

See also: List of former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies
  Former constituency
  * Constituency for the 2024 United Kingdom general election
Constituency Years
1290–1298 1298–1307 1307–1852 1852–1885 1885–1918 1918–1945 1945–1950 1950–1955 1955–1974 1974–1983 1983–1997 1997–2024 2024-present*
Hertfordshire[10] 1290–1885  
Hertford[10][11]   1298–1974
St Albans[nb 4][10][11]   1307–1852   1885–*
Watford[11]   1885–*
Hitchin[11]   1885–1983 2024–*
Hemel Hempstead[12]   1918–1983 1997–*
Barnet   1945–1974 Transferred to Greater London
South West Hertfordshire[13][14]   1950–*
East Hertfordshire[15]   1955–1983
Hertford and Stevenage   1974–1983
South Hertfordshire   1974–1983
Welwyn Hatfield   1974–*
North Hertfordshire   1983–1997
West Hertfordshire   1983–1997
Broxbourne   1983–*
Hertford and Stortford   1983–*
Hertsmere   1983–*
Stevenage 1983–*
Hitchin and Harpenden   1997–2024
North East Hertfordshire   1997–*
Harpenden and Berkhamsted   2024–*

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.

1885 to 1918

  Conservative   Independent   Liberal

Constituency 1885 1886 1892 1895 98 1900 04 1906 Jan 10 Dec 10 11 16
Hertford A. Smith E. Cecil A. H. Smith Rolleston Billing
Hitchin Dimsdale Hudson Bertram Hillier R. Cecil
St Albans J. W. Grimston Gibbs Slack Carlile
Watford Halsey Micklem Ward

1918 to 1955

  Anti-Waste League   Conservative   Independent   Labour   Liberal   Silver Badge

Constituency 1918 19 20 21 1922 1923 1924 1929 1931 33 1935 37 41 43 1945 1950 1951
Hertford Billing Sueter → Walker-Smith
Hitchin R. Cecil Kindersley Knebworth Wilson Berry Jones Fisher
St Albans Carlile Fremantle J. Grimston Dumpleton J. Grimston
Watford Herbert Freeman
Hemel Hempstead Talbot J. Davidson Dunn J. Davidson F. Davidson
Barnet Taylor Maudling
Hertfordshire SW Longden

1955 to 1983

  Conservative   Labour

Constituency 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 Feb 1974 Oct 1974 1979 79
Barnet Maudling Transferred to Greater London
Hemel Hempstead Davidson Allason Corbett Lyell
Hertford / Hertford & Stevenage (1974) Lindsay Williams Wells
Hitchin Maddan Williams Stewart
St Albans Grimston Goodhew
Watford Farey-Jones Tuck Garel-Jones
Hertfordshire SW Longden Dodsworth Page
Hertfordshire East Walker-Smith
Hertfordshire South Parkinson
Welwyn and Hatfield Lindsay Hayman Murphy

1983 to present

  Conservative   Independent   Labour   Liberal Democrats

Constituency 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 19 2019 2024
Broxbourne Roe Walker Cocking
Harpenden and Berkhamsted Collins
West Herts / Hemel Hempstead (1997) Jones McWalter Penning Taylor
Hertford & Stortford Wells Prisk Marson Dean
North Herts / NE Herts (1997) Stewart Heald Hinchliff
Hertfordshire SW Page Gauke → Mohindra
Hertsmere Parkinson Clappison Dowden
Hitchin & Harpenden / Hitchin (2024)1 Lilley Afolami Strathern
St Albans Lilley Pollard Main Cooper
Stevenage Wood Follett McPartland Bonavia
Watford Garel-Jones Ward Harrington Russell Turmaine
Welwyn and Hatfield Murphy Evans Johnson Shapps Lewin

1includes an area of Bedfordshire

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Hitchin is a cross-county constituency, mostly covering areas of northern Hertfordshire but also containing electoral wards in Central Bedfordshire.
  2. ^ BC denotes borough constituency, CC denotes county constituency.
  3. ^ The majority is the number of votes the winning candidate receives more than their nearest rival.
  4. ^ St Albans was abolished in 1852, but re-established in 1885.

References

General
  • "Boundary Commission for England: Fifth Periodical Report" (PDF). Boundary Commission for England. Crown Copyright. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
  • Craig, Frederick Walter Scott (1972). Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885–1972. Chichester, Sussex: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
  • Robinson, Gwennah (1978). Barracuda Guide to County History, Vol III: Hertfordshire. Barracuda Books. ISBN 0-86023-030-9.
  • Richard Hacker (13 February 2001). "Report on a local inquiry into the Parliamentary constituency boundaries for the county of Hertfordshire" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 January 2007. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
Specific
  1. ^ "Variation of election expenses limits for candidates at UK Parliamentary and local government elections" (PDF). The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 26 November 2009.
  2. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England - Volume two: Constituency Names, designations and composition - Eastern". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "UK Constituencies A-Z". BBC News. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Boundary proposals reveal brand new constituency - so is your MP changing?". Watford Observer. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  5. ^ Adams, Matt (8 June 2021). "Harpenden constituency to go under proposed boundary changes". Herts Advertiser. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  6. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report | Boundary Commission for England". paras 207-234. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  7. ^ Boundary Commission for England pp. 346–350.
  8. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". Office of Public Sector Information. Crown copyright. 13 June 2007. Archived from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  9. ^ Watson, Christopher; Uberoi, Elise; Loft, Philip (17 April 2020), "General election results from 1918 to 2019", House of Commons Library
  10. ^ a b c David Boothroyd. "Parliamentary Constituencies in the unreformed House". David Boothroyd. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
  11. ^ a b c d "Historic maps". David Rumsey Historical Map Collection. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
  12. ^ "Full text of "The Representation of the people act, 1918 : with explanatory notes"". Internet Archive. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
  13. ^ "UK General Election results July 1945". politicsresources.net. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
  14. ^ "UK General Election results February 1950". politicsresources.net. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
  15. ^ "UK General Election results May 1955". politicsresources.net. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2009.