South Suffolk (UK Parliament constituency)

South Suffolk
County constituency
for the House of Commons

Boundary of South Suffolk in Suffolk.

Location of Suffolk within England.
County Suffolk
Electorate 72,965 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlements Sudbury and Hadleigh
Current constituency
Created 1983 (1983)
Member of Parliament Tim Yeo (Conservative)
Number of members One
Created from Sudbury and Woodbridge
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency East of England

South Suffolk is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Contents

Boundaries

Boundary review

Following their review of parliamentary representation in Suffolk, the Boundary Commission for England recommended minor alterations to the existing constituency arrangement. The electoral wards used in the creation of this seat are:

These boundaries were first used in 2010.

History

South Suffolk is one of seven constituencies in the county of Suffolk and was created by boundary changes during the early 1980s. It has been a constituency in the general election since 1983. In every election the Conservative candidate, Tim Yeo, has been elected or re-elected. Prior to 1983, at least some of the constituency was represented as Sudbury and Woodbridge. Between 1559 and 1844 the constituency of Sudbury represented at least some of the area, but this constituency was disenfranchised for corruption in 1844.

In 2003 it was proposed by the Boundary Commission for England that the parishes of Clare and Cavendish be moved from South Suffolk into West Suffolk and South Suffolk be renamed Babergh, as the Parliamentary constituency would then concord with the district boundary. However, a general review of borders within Suffolk by Fenners Chambers, Cambridge rejected these change on the basis of the close ties between Clare and Cavendish with Sudbury, the most populous town in the constituency.[2]

Constituency Profile

South Suffolk is a large and predominantly rural seat, sharing a long border with the county of Essex but retaining a rather different identity and character - distinctly East Anglian rather than Home Counties.

The largest settlements, Sudbury and Hadleigh, are small, quiet towns, somewhat off the beaten track, and the only other significantly built-up area in the seat is the Ipswich suburb of Pinewood where there are lots of new developments. There is still some industry in Brantham, close to the Essex border, but most of the seat is traditional agriculture, sitting alongside remote commuter bases for those working in London, Ipswich or Colchester.

Members of Parliament

Election Member [3] Party
1983 Tim Yeo Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2010: South Suffolk [4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tim Yeo 24,550 47.7 +5.7
Liberal Democrat Nigel Bennett 15,861 30.8 +2.4
Labour Emma Bishton 7,368 14.3 -10.1
UKIP David Campbell Bannerman 3,637 7.1 +2.0
Majority 8,689 16.9 +3.3
Turnout 51,416 70.9 +2.1
Conservative hold Swing +1.6

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: South Suffolk
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tim Yeo 20,471 42.0 +0.6
Liberal Democrat Kathy Pollard 13,865 28.5 +3.6
Labour Kevin Craig 11,917 24.5 -5.7
UKIP James Carver 2,454 5.0 +1.5
Majority 6,606 13.6 +2.4
Turnout 48,707 71.8 +5.6
Conservative hold Swing -4.7
General Election 2001: South Suffolk
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tim Yeo 18,748 41.4 +4.1
Labour Marc Young 13,667 30.2 +0.9
Liberal Democrat Tessa Munt 11,296 24.9 -2.8
UKIP Derek Allen 1,582 3.5 N/A
Majority 5,081 11.2 3.2
Turnout 45,293 66.2 -11.0
Conservative hold Swing +3.5

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: South Suffolk
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tim Yeo 19,402 37.3 -12.9
Labour P Bishop 15,227 29.3 +5.3
Liberal Democrat Kathy Pollard 14,395 27.7 +2.5
Referendum Party S de Chair 2,740 3.5 N/A
Natural Law A Holland 211 0.4 -0.2
Majority 4,175 8.0 -25.0
Turnout 51,976 77.2 -4.5
Conservative hold Swing −9.1
General Election 1992: South Suffolk[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tim Yeo 34,793 50.2 -3.2
Liberal Democrat Kathy Pollard 17,504 25.2 -2.7
Labour Stephen Hesford 16,623 24.0 +5.3
Natural Law James Carver 420 0.6 +0.6
Majority 17,289 25.0 -0.5
Turnout 69,340 81.7 +4.1
Conservative hold Swing -4.3

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: South Suffolk
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tim Yeo 33,972 53.4 +2.8
SDP–Liberal Alliance C. Bradford 17,729 27.9 -3.4
Labour A. Bavington 11,876 18.7 -0.6
Majority 16,243 25.5 +6.2
Turnout 81,954 77.6 +1.3
Conservative hold Swing +3.1
General Election 1983: South Suffolk
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tim Yeo 29,469 50.6 N/A
SDP–Liberal Alliance Richard Kemp 18,200 31.3 N/A
Labour S. Billcliffe 10,516 18.1 N/A
Majority 11,269 19.3 N/A
Turnout 76,209 76.3 N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. http://www.boundarycommissionforengland.org.uk/electoral-figures/electoral-figures.htm. Retrieved 13 March 2011. 
  2. ^ http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pbc/review_areas/downloads/ACR_Suffolk.doc
  3. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 6)
  4. ^ South Suffolk, UKPollingReport
  5. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/ge92index.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-06. 
Constituencies in the East of England (58)
Conservative (52)
Liberal Democrats (4)
Labour (2)