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West Suffolk (constituency)

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(Redirected from Western division of Suffolk)

West Suffolk
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Interactive map of boundaries since 2024
Map of constituency
Location within the East of England
CountySuffolk
Electorate76,243 (March 2020)[1]
Major settlementsNewmarket, Haverhill and Mildenhall
Current constituency
Created1997
Member of ParliamentNick Timothy (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created fromBury St Edmunds
South Suffolk
1832–1885
SeatsTwo
Type of constituencyCounty constituency
Created fromSuffolk
Replaced byBury St Edmunds
(also succeeded itself)
North-Western or 'Stowmarket' Division
South or 'Sudbury' Division

West Suffolk is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Nick Timothy, a Conservative.[n 2]

Between 1832 and 1885 (then formally the Western Division of Suffolk), it was represented by two Members of Parliament, elected by the bloc vote system.

Following the Boundary Commission's fourth periodic review of Westminster constituencies, it was re-established as a single-member seat for the 1997 general election.

Constituency profile

[edit]

This area includes a slightly older demographic profile than the national average, with a significant proportion of semi-detached and detached homes and a higher than average proportion of retired people.[2]

Major economic sectors include defence (RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath), agriculture/food (including for major products as well as regional specialities such as ales, Suffolk cider and cured meats), tourism and leisure (such as Newmarket racecourse) and particularly in Haverhill, a range of industries. These include chemicals (such as International Flavors and Fragrances), waste processing, transport, construction and pharmaceuticals.

Workless claimants who were registered jobseekers were in November 2012 lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 2.5% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[3]

History

[edit]

1832–1885

[edit]

The seat was created under the Reform Act 1832 as one of two divisions, together with the Eastern Division, of the Parliamentary County of Suffolk. This resulted in a more representative allocation, with a total of four MPs instead of two for the former entire county at large, which still allowed for double voting (or more) of those Forty Shilling Freeholders who also were householders or landlords of any particular boroughs within the county. This Act retained the four largest boroughs of the seven before 1832.

With two heirs to their title serving the seat, the Marquesses of Bristol, the Hervey family, were major landowners in the county. The modern seat is at Ickworth, with part of its grand house now being a luxury hotel.

Further sweeping changes took place as a result of the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 which saw the 2 two-member Suffolk divisions being replaced by five single-member constituencies. The Western Division was largely replaced by the North-Western or Stowmarket Division and the Southern or Sudbury Division. A small area in the east was included in the North-Eastern or Eye Division.

1997–present

[edit]
Political history

The seat has only been represented by the Conservative Party, with the narrowest majority having been 3.8% in 1997. Since then, the Conservative majority has gradually increased to a level suggesting a safe seat for the party.

For the 2010 general election, the transition was planned six months before, on 23 November 2009, when the incumbent announced he would not stand again.[4]

Prominent frontbenchers

Richard Spring[n 3] was an opposition spokesman for Foreign Affairs (2000-2004) (shadowing a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister) then Shadow Minister for the Treasury (2004-2005), before being a vice-chairman of his party and being elevated to the House of Lords as Lord Risby. Several of his ancestors had previously represented Suffolk in the House of Commons.

Matt Hancock, Spring's successor, became a government minister, serving under various positions from 2012 until the 2015 general election, when he was promoted to the Cabinet as Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office. After a short stint outside the Cabinet between 2016 and 2018, as a minister at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Hancock rejoined the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. He was promoted in July 2018, to serve as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care; this ended in 2021, when he resigned from this position following an affair with his aide Gina Coladangelo, which at the time breached COVID-19 social distancing rules.[5] As he had announced in December 2022, he stood down from parliament at the dissolution in advance of the 2024 United Kingdom general election.

Boundaries and boundary changes

[edit]

Historic

[edit]

1832–1885

[edit]
  • The Liberty of Bury St. Edmund's, and the Hundreds of Hartesmere, and Stow.[6]

1997–2010

[edit]
  • The District of Forest Heath; and
  • The Borough of St Edmundsbury wards of Barningham, Barrow, Cangle, Castle, Chalkstone, Chevington, Clements, Honington, Horringer, Hundon, Ixworth, Kedington, Risby, St Mary's and Helions, Stanton, Wickhambrook, and Withersfield.[7]

The re-established constituency was formed primarily from the majority (including Newmarket) of the constituency of Bury St Edmunds, which was reconfigured. It was extended southwards, incorporating westernmost areas of South Suffolk, including Haverhill.

Map
Map of boundaries 2010–2024

2010–2024

[edit]
  • The District of Forest Heath; and
  • The Borough of St Edmundsbury wards of Bardwell, Barningham, Barrow, Chedburgh, Haverhill East, Haverhill North, Haverhill South, Haverhill West, Hundon, Ixworth, Kedington, Risby, Stanton, Wickhambrook, and Withersfield.[8]

Marginal changes due to revision of local authority wards.

With effect from 1 April 2019, the District of Forest Heath and the Borough of St Edmundsbury were abolished and absorbed into the District of West Suffolk.[9]

Current

[edit]

Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency is as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):

  • The District of West Suffolk wards of: Barrow; Brandon Central; Brandon East; Brandon West; Chedburgh & Chevington; Clare, Hundon & Kedington; Exning; Haverhill Central; Haverhill East; Haverhill North; Haverhill South; Haverhill South East; Haverhill West; Horringer; Iceni; Kentford & Moulton; Lakenheath; Manor; Mildenhall Great Heath; Mildenhall Kingsway & Market; Mildenhall Queensway; Newmarket East; Newmarket North; Newmarket West; Risby; The Rows; Whepstead & Wickhambrook; Withersfield.[10]

The four wards (Bardwell, Barningham, Ixworth and Stanton) in the north-eastern corner of the seat were moved to the newly named constituency of Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, partly offset by small transfers in from Bury St Edmunds and South Suffolk.

The constituency includes the town of Newmarket, a global centre of horse racing, as well as the towns of Haverhill and Mildenhall, with a farmed landscape, interspersed with patches of forest[n 4] and small villages.

Members of Parliament

[edit]

MPs 1832–1885

[edit]
ElectionMember[11] PartyMemberParty [12]
1832 Charles Tyrell Whig[13] Sir Hyde Parker, Bt Whig[13]
1835 Henry Wilson Whig[13][14] Robert Rushbrooke Conservative[13]
1837 Robert Hart Logan Conservative[13]
1838 by-election Harry Spencer Waddington Conservative[13]
1845 by-election Philip Bennet Conservative
1859 Frederick Hervey[n 5] Conservative William Parker Conservative
1864 by-election Lord Augustus Hervey Conservative
June 1875 by-election Fuller Maitland Wilson Conservative
October 1875 by-election Thomas Thornhill Conservative
1880 William Biddell Conservative
1885 constituency abolished

MPs from 1997

[edit]

Bury St Edmunds and South Suffolk prior to 1997

Election Member[11] Party
1997 Richard Spring Conservative
2010 Matt Hancock Conservative
2022 Independent[15]
2024 Conservative
2024 Nick Timothy Conservative

Elections results since 1997

[edit]
Election results 1997–2024

Elections in the 2020s

[edit]
General election 2024: West Suffolk[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nick Timothy 15,814 34.3 −30.0
Labour Rebecca Denness 12,567 27.2 +5.0
Reform David Bull 9,623 20.8 N/A
Liberal Democrats Henry Batchelor 4,284 9.3 +0.3
Green Mark Ereira-Guyer 2,910 6.3 +1.8
Independent Katie Parker 485 1.1 N/A
Independent Luke O'Brien 345 0.7 N/A
SDP Ivan Kinsman 133 0.3 N/A
Majority 3,247 7.1 −35.1
Turnout 46,161 59.8 −4.6
Registered electors 77,149
Conservative hold Swing −17.5

Elections in the 2010s

[edit]
2019 notional result[17]
Party Vote %
Conservative31,73864.3
Labour10,94122.2
Liberal Democrats4,4629.0
Green2,1994.5
Turnout 49,340 64.7
Electorate 76,243
General election 2019: West Suffolk[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Matt Hancock 33,842 65.8 +4.6
Labour Claire Unwin 10,648 20.7 −7.5
Liberal Democrats Elfreda Tealby-Watson 4,685 9.1 +4.9
Green Donald Allwright 2,262 4.4 +2.6
Majority 23,194 45.1 +12.1
Turnout 51,437 64.1 −2.8
Registered electors 80,192 +3.7
Conservative hold Swing +6.1
General election 2017: West Suffolk[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Matt Hancock 31,649 61.2 +9.0
Labour Michael Jefferys 14,586 28.2 +10.7
UKIP Julian Flood 2,396 4.6 −17.1
Liberal Democrats Elfreda Tealby-Watson 2,180 4.2 −0.8
Green Donald Allwright 935 1.8 −1.8
Majority 17,063 33.0 +2.5
Turnout 51,746 66.9 +2.3
Registered electors 77,348
Conservative hold Swing −0.9
General election 2015: West Suffolk[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Matt Hancock 25,684 52.2 +1.6
UKIP Julian Flood[21] 10,700 21.7 +15.3
Labour Michael Jefferys 8,604 17.5 +2.8
Liberal Democrats Elfreda Tealby-Watson[22] 2,465 5.0 −18.4
Green Niall Pettitt[23] 1,779 3.6 N/A
Majority 14,984 30.5 +3.3
Turnout 49,232 64.6 −0.1
Conservative hold Swing −6.9
General election 2010: West Suffolk[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Matt Hancock 24,312 50.6 +1.7
Liberal Democrats Belinda Brooks-Gordon 11,262 23.4 +6.2
Labour Ohid Ahmed 7,089 14.7 −14.2
UKIP Ian Smith 3,085 6.4 +1.5
BNP Ramon Johns 1,428 3.0 N/A
Independent Andrew Appleby 540 1.1 N/A
CPA Colin Young 373 0.8 N/A
Majority 13,050 27.2 +7.0
Turnout 48,089 64.7 +3.9
Conservative hold Swing −2.3

Elections in the 2000s

[edit]
General election 2005: West Suffolk[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Spring 21,682 49.0 +1.4
Labour Michael Jeffreys 12,773 28.9 −8.6
Liberal Democrats Adrian Graves 7,573 17.1 +5.3
UKIP Ian Smith 2,177 4.9 +1.8
Majority 8,909 20.1 +10.0
Turnout 44,205 60.7 +0.2
Conservative hold Swing +5.0
General election 2001: West Suffolk[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Spring 20,201 47.6 +6.7
Labour Michael Jefferys 15,906 37.5 +0.4
Liberal Democrats Robin Martlew 5,017 11.8 −2.2
UKIP Will Burrows 1,321 3.1 N/A
Majority 4,295 10.1 +6.3
Turnout 42,445 60.5 −11.0
Conservative hold Swing +3.1

Elections in the 1990s

[edit]
General election 1997: West Suffolk[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Spring 20,081 40.9
Labour Michael Jefferys 18,214 37.1
Liberal Democrats Adrian Graves 6,892 14.0
Referendum James Carver 3,724 7.6
Natural Law Alistair Shearer 171 0.3
Majority 1,867 3.8
Turnout 49,082 71.5
Conservative win (new seat)

Election results 1832–1885

[edit]

Elections in the 1830s

[edit]
General election 1832: West Suffolk[28][13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Charles Tyrell 1,832 38.4
Whig Hyde Parker 1,664 34.9
Tory Harry Spencer Waddington 1,272 26.7
Majority 392 8.2
Turnout 2,920 87.8
Registered electors 3,326
Whig win (new seat)
Whig win (new seat)
General election 1835: West Suffolk[28][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Henry Wilson 1,723 27.6 −10.8
Conservative Robert Rushbrooke 1,655 26.5 +13.2
Conservative Robert Hart Logan 1,509 24.2 +10.9
Whig John Turner Hales 1,350 21.6 −13.3
Turnout 3,256 87.3 −0.5
Registered electors 3,731
Majority 68 1.1 −7.1
Whig hold Swing −11.4
Majority 146 2.3 N/A
Conservative gain from Whig Swing +12.6
General election 1837: West Suffolk[28][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Hart Logan 2,217 29.7 +5.5
Conservative Robert Rushbrooke 2,173 29.1 +2.6
Whig Henry Bunbury 1,560 20.9 −0.7
Whig Henry Wilson 1,505 20.2 −7.4
Majority 613 8.2 +5.9
Turnout 3,810 76.8 −10.5
Registered electors 4,959
Conservative hold Swing +4.8
Conservative gain from Whig Swing +3.3

Logan's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 7 May 1838: West Suffolk[28][13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Harry Spencer Waddington Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s

[edit]
General election 1841: West Suffolk[28][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Harry Spencer Waddington Unopposed
Conservative Robert Rushbrooke Unopposed
Registered electors 5,091
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Rushbrooke's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 7 July 1845: West Suffolk[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Bennet Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1847: West Suffolk[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Harry Spencer Waddington Unopposed
Conservative Philip Bennet Unopposed
Registered electors 4,913
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1850s

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General election 1852: West Suffolk[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Harry Spencer Waddington Unopposed
Conservative Philip Bennet Unopposed
Registered electors 4,379
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
General election 1857: West Suffolk[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Harry Spencer Waddington Unopposed
Conservative Philip Bennet Unopposed
Registered electors 4,084
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
General election 1859: West Suffolk[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederick Hervey 1,958 42.2 N/A
Conservative William Parker 1,379 29.7 N/A
Conservative Philip Bennet 1,300 28.0 N/A
Majority 79 1.7 N/A
Turnout 2,319 (est) 55.6 (est) N/A
Registered electors 4,172
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s

[edit]

Hervey succeeded to the peerage, becoming 3rd Marquess of Bristol and causing a by-election.

By-election, 8 December 1864: West Suffolk[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Augustus Hervey Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1865: West Suffolk[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Augustus Hervey Unopposed
Conservative William Parker Unopposed
Registered electors 4,269
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
General election 1868: West Suffolk[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Parker 2,500 37.9 N/A
Conservative Augustus Hervey 2,389 36.2 N/A
Liberal Charles Lamport[29] 1,705 25.9 New
Majority 684 10.3 N/A
Turnout 4,150 (est) 74.3 (est) N/A
Registered electors 5,583
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1870s

[edit]
General election 1874: West Suffolk[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Augustus Hervey Unopposed
Conservative William Parker Unopposed
Registered electors 5,949
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Hervey's death caused a by-election.

June 1875 West Suffolk by-election[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Fuller Maitland Wilson 2,780 72.4 N/A
Liberal Charles Easton[30] 1,061 27.6 New
Majority 1,719 44.8 N/A
Turnout 3,841 66.1 N/A
Registered electors 5,811
Conservative hold

Wilson's death caused a by-election.

October 1875 West Suffolk by-election[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Thornhill Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1880s

[edit]
General election 1880: West Suffolk[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Biddell Unopposed
Conservative Thomas Thornhill Unopposed
Registered electors 5,700
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  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.
  3. ↑ Previously MP for the Bury St Edmunds seat
  4. ↑ For example Thetford Forest, synonymous with Breckland.
  5. ↑ This is the courtesy title given to the eldest son of the Marquess of Bristol as his main subsidiary title.

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – Eastern". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  2. ↑ "Local statistics". Office for National Statistics.
  3. ↑ Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  4. ↑ So Long and Farewell Archived 15 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine, Richard Spring Blog
  5. ↑ Lawrence, Felicity (1 December 2021). "Pressure on Hancock over pub landlord's Covid deal". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  6. ↑ "The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. LXIV. An Act to settle and describe the Divisions of Counties, and the Limits of Cities and Boroughs, in England and Wales, in so far as respects the Election of Members to serve in Parliament". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1832. pp. 300–383. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  7. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  8. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  9. ↑ "The West Suffolk (Local Government Changes) Order 2018".
  10. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region.
  11. 1 2 Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 6)
  12. ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 464–364. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. p. 53. Retrieved 28 May 2019 – via Google Books.
  14. ↑ Churton, Edward (1836). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1836. pp. 185–186. Retrieved 28 May 2019 – via Google Books.
  15. ↑ "Matt Hancock suspended as Tory MP for joining I'm a Celeb cast". BBC News. November 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  16. ↑ "West Suffolk - General Election Results". BBC News. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  17. ↑ "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  18. ↑ "Suffolk West Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  19. ↑ "West Suffolk - 2017 Election Results - General Elections Online". electionresults.parliament.uk. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  20. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  21. ↑ "Haverhill councillor reveals hopes for West Suffolk following selection as constituency candidate". Cambridge News. Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  22. ↑ "General Election 2015 Candidates - Liberal Democrats". Archived from the original on 13 April 2014.
  23. ↑ "Green Party announces a full slate of seven parliamentary candidates for Suffolk". midsuffolk.greenparty.org.uk.
  24. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  25. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  26. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  27. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 463–464. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  29. ↑ "West Suffolk Election". Bury Free Press. 14 November 1868. p. 5. Retrieved 18 March 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  30. ↑ "Election News". Bradford Observer. 8 June 1875. p. 3. Retrieved 21 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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52°15′N 0°32′E / 52.25°N 0.54°E / 52.25; 0.54

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