North Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)

North Bedfordshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
County Bedfordshire
Major settlements Bedford
1983–1997
Number of members One
Replaced by Bedford, Bedfordshire North East
Created from Bedford

North Bedfordshire was a county constituency in Bedfordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system.

The constituency was created for the 1983 general election, and abolished for the 1997 general election.

History

This safe Conservative seat was held for its entire existence by Trevor Skeet who had been the MP for Bedford since 1970.

Boundaries

The Borough of North Bedfordshire wards of Brickhill, Bromham, Carlton, Castle, Cauldwell, Clapham, De Parys, Felmersham, Goldington, Harpur, Harrold, Kingsbrook, Newnham, Oakley, Putnoe, Queens Park, Renhold, Riseley, Roxton, and Sharnbrook.

The territory the seat covered was virtually the same as the county constituency of Bedford which it replaced. This included the town of Bedford itself. In 1997, the constituency was abolished, being dispersed on a roughly seven to three ratio between the new constituencies of Bedford and Bedfordshire North East, with 17 electors being transferred to Huntingdon.[1]

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember[2]Party
1983 Trevor Skeet Conservative
1997 constituency abolished

Elections

Election in the 1990s

General Election 1992: North Bedfordshire [3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir Trevor Skeet 29,970 50.7 -1.9
Labour Patrick Hall 18,302 31.0 +7.8
Liberal Democrat Michael Smithson 10,014 16.9 -6.6
Green Ms. Louise Smith 643 1.1 +1.1
Natural Law Bernard H. Bence 178 0.3 +0.3
Majority 11,668 19.7 -9.3
Turnout 59,107 80.1 +2.9
Conservative hold Swing -4.8

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: North Bedfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir Trevor Skeet 29,845 52.58
Liberal JV Lennon 13,340 23.50
Labour CB Henderson 13,140 23.15
OOBPC CD Slee 435 0.77
Majority 16,505 29.08
Turnout 77.19
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1983: North Bedfordshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sir Trevor Skeet 27,969 52.03
Liberal BK Gibbons 14,120 26.27
Labour P Healy 11,323 21.06
Independent NJ Hughes 344 0.64
Majority 13,849 25.76
Turnout 75.19
Conservative hold Swing

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ "Media Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies", BBC/ITN/PA News/Sky, 1995, p. 191.
  2. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 2)
  3. ↑ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.