St Albans (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 51°44′24″N 0°20′13″W / 51.740°N 0.337°W / 51.740; -0.337

St Albans
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of St Albans in Hertfordshire.
Location of Hertfordshire within England.
County	Hertfordshire
Electorate	70,298 (December 2010)[1]
Current constituency
Created	1885
Member of parliament	Anne Main (Conservative)
Number of members	One
Created from	Hertfordshire
1554–1852
Number of members	Two
Type of constituency	Borough constituency
Replaced by	Hertfordshire
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency	East of England

St Albans is a constituency^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2005 by Anne Main, a Conservative.^{[n 2]}

This article also describes the parliamentary borough (1554-1852) of the same name, consisting only of the city of St Albans, which elected two MPs by the bloc vote system.

Boundaries

The seat is in Hertfordshire, England. Specifically, it comprises the cathedral city of St Albans and some of the surrounding countryside, mainly to the south of the city.

1885-1918

When the constituency was created in 1885 as the Mid or St Albans Division of Hertfordshire, it included the historic city as well as High Barnet (an area now in Greater London), Borehamwood, Elstree, Welwyn, Wheathampstead, and Harpenden.

It was defined as comprising:^[2]

• The Municipal Borough of St. Albans,
• The Sessional Divisions of Barnet and St. Albans,
• Parts of the Sessional Divisions of Hertford (3 parishes) and Watford (1 parish)
• Part of the Sessional Division of Dacorum (4 entire parishes and those parts of 3 parishes that were in Hertfordshire)

The constituency contained the following civil parishes:^[3]

• Aldenham, Bishop's Hatfield, Part of Caddington (remainder of parish was in Bedfordshire), Chipping Barnet, East Barnet, Elstree, Essendon, Flamstead, Great Gaddesden, Harpenden, Kensworth, Little Gaddesden, North Mimms, Redbourn, Ridge, St Albans: St Albans, St Albans: St Michael, St Albans: St Peter, St Stephen, Sandridge, Shenley, Part of South Mimms (the remainder of the parish was in Middlesex), part of Studham (the remainder of the parish was in Bedfordshire), Totteridge, Wheathampstead and part of Whipsnade (the reminder of the parish was in Bedfordshire).

1918-1945

The next redrawing of parliamentary constituencies was carried out prior to the 1918 general election. The Representation of the People Act 1918 redefined constituencies in terms of the urban and Rural districts created by the Local Government Act 1894. The St Albans Division of Hertfordshire was defined as comprising:^[3][4]

• Barnet Rural District
• Hatfield Rural District
• Part of St Albans Rural District: the parishes of St Michael Rural, St Peter Rural, St Stephen and Sandridge Rural (the remainder was included in Hemel Hempstead Division.)
• The Municipal Borough of St. Albans
• The urban districts of Barnet and East Barnet Valley.

1945-1950

The House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1944 allowed for the creation of new constituencies in areas where there had been a large increase in population, with the new boundaries coming into force at the next election, which was held 1945. The number of constituencies in Hertfordshire was increased from five to six. The St Albans seat, which had an electorate of over 100,000 as effectively divided into two: a new Barnet Division was formed comprising East Barnet and Barnet Urban Districts and Elstree Rural District (the former Barnet Rural District had been renamed in 1941). At the 1945 general election the St Albans Division comprised:^[3][5]

• The Municipal Borough of St Albans
• Welwyn Garden City Urban District (the urban district, containing a new town, had been created in 1927.)
• Hatfield Rural District
• Part of St Albans Rural District: the parishes of St Michael, St Peter Rural, St Stephen and Sandridge.

1950-1974

The Representation of the People Act 1948 provided for a complete redistribution of parliamentary seats, replacing those that had created on a piecemeal basis in 1945. The Act also replaced the term "division" with "county constituency". The seats were first used at the 1950 general election and the revised St Albans County Constituency was defined as:^[6]

• The borough of St. Albans
• the urban district of Welwyn Garden City;
• the rural district of Welwyn and the rural district of St. Albans except the parishes of Harpenden Rural and Redbourn.

1974-1983

Under legislation passed in 1949 and 1958 there were regular periodic reviews of parliamentary constituencies. An order redrawing boundaries was made in 1970 reflecting the creation of Greater London and the London Borough of Barnet in 1965, which had changed the boundaries of Hertfordshire. The redefined seat, which was first contested at the February 1974 general election, was as follows:^[3][7]

• The Borough of St. Albans
• Six parishes in the rural district of St. Albans, namely, Colney Heath, London Colney, Sandridge Rural, St. Michael Rural, St. Stephen and Wheathampstead

1983-1997

Although local government was completely reorganised in April 1974, parliamentary boundaries were not changed until 1983. The constituencies created in 1983 were defined in terms of the non-metropolitan districts and their electoral wards introduced in 1974.

The local government legislation had created an enlarged City of St Albans including the old borough, most of the surrounding rural district and Harpenden Urban District.

The new St Albans County Constituency comprised 16 wards of the enlarged city: Ashley, Batchwood, Clarence, Colney Heath, Cunningham, Harpenden East, Harpenden North, Harpenden South, Harpenden West, Marshalswick North, Marshalswick South, Redbourn, St. Peters, Sandridge, Sopwell and Verulam.^[8]

The constituency was not coterminous with the local government district: St Albans wards also formed parts of the new neighbouring constituencies of Hertsmere, Watford and Welwyn Hatfield.

1997-2010

The next periodic review was completed in 1996 and took effect at the 1997 general election. Hertfordshire's parliamentary representation was increased from 10 to 11 seats. The St Albans County Constituency was redrawn, with areas passing to a new Hitchin and Harpenden constituency, other areas added from the neighbouring South West Hertfordshire seat and boundary changes to the wards of the city. The seat was defined as comprising:^[9]

1. The following wards of the City of St. Albans, namely, Ashley, Batchwood, Clarence, Colney Heath, Cunningham, London Colney, Marshalswick North, Marshalswick South, Park Street, St. Peter's, St. Stephen's, Sopwell and Verulam; and
2. The Bedmond ward of the District of Three Rivers.

2010-date

Constituencies were next redrawn in 2007, with the new boundaries first used at the 2010 general election. The Boundary Commission for England decided to retain the existing 11 seats in Hertfordshire, making relatively minor adjustments to bring the parliamentary boundaries in line with those of local government wards, which had changed since the 1995 review.^[10]

The seat now comprises the following electoral wards:^[11]

• Ashley, Batchwood, Clarence, Colney Heath, Cunningham, London Colney, Marshalwick North, Marshalwick South, Park Street, St Peters, St Stephen, Sopwell, and Verulam in the City of St Albans
• Bedmond and Primrose Hill in the Three Rivers District.

History

The constituency elected a borough representative for over 300 years, until it was disenfranchised as a result of electoral corruption in 1852.^[12] The constituency was re-established in an enlarged form in 1885 with an alternative pseudonym, the Mid Division of Hertfordshire. Both names were used in the Redistribution of Seats Act, which dovetailed with the Third Reform Act.

1885 to date

Political history

The constituency was until 1997 held by a Conservative with the exception of five years of the Attlee ministry and early 20th century opposition of Henry Campbell-Bannerman and the first part of his premiership which was when he was in a minority.

Following boundary changes in 1997, and the founding of the New Labour movement which sought public sector reform and investment with expansion based on economic growth, the seat stood the possibility of, on the expected national swing led by Tony Blair, a win by a Labour politician, which took place when it was won for the party for the first time since the 1945 election.

Prominent members

The noble and local landowning Grimston family have produced nine members throughout the seat's history. The three first heirs to the Earldom of Verulam have won election in the seat - the latest MP from the family was John Grimston who later became the 6th Earl.

Sir Hildred Carlile was a textiles entrepreneur and generous benefactor of Bedford College, University of London.

Francis Fremantle was chairman of the Parliamentary Medical Committee from 1923 to 1943.

Peter Lilley was a frontbench minister in government from 1992 until 1997, the Secretary of State for Social Security, after two years as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

Constituency profile

Workless claimants (registered jobseekers) were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 1.9% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.^[13]

Members of Parliament

MPs 1553–1640

Parliament	First member	Second member
1553 (Oct)	John Maynard	Thomas Johnson[14]
1554 (Apr)	Thomas Wendy	Oliver Starkey[14]
1554 (Nov)	John Maynard	Oliver Starkey[14]
1555	John Astley	Robert Stepneth[14]
1558	Henry Heydon	Francis Southwell[14]
1559 (Jan)	Christopher Smith	John Dodmer[15]
1562/3	Robert Wroth[16]	Roger Carew [15]
1571	William Skipwith	George Ferrers[15]
1572 (Apr)	Henry Cocke	Charles Smythe[15]
1584	Henry Maynard	Humphrey Coningsby[15]
1586 (Oct)	Henry Maynard	Humphrey Coningsby[15]
1588 (Oct)	Henry Maynard	Humphrey Coningsby[15]
1593	Henry Maynard	Humphrey Coningsby[15]
1597 (Oct)	Henry Maynard	Humphrey Coningsby[15]
1601	Francis Bacon, sat for Ipswich, replaced Nov 1601 by Henry Frowick	Adolph Carey[15]
1604	Francis Bacon, sat for Ipswich repl. by Tobie Matthew	Adolph Carey, died, repl. by Sir Thomas Parry[17]
1614	Robert Shute	?
1621	Sir Thomas Richardson	Robert Shute
1624	Robert Kirkham	Sir John Jennings
1625	Sir Charles Morrison, 1st Baronet	John Laken
1626	Sir Charles Morrison, 1st Baronet	Sir Edward Goring
1628	Sir John Jennings	Robert Kirkham
1629–1640	No Parliaments summoned

MPs 1640–1852

Year		First member	First party		Second member	Second party
April 1640		Richard Coningsby			Sir John Jennings	Parliamentarian
November 1640		Edward Wingate	Parliamentarian
1642					Richard Jennings	Parliamentarian
December 1648	Wingate and Jennings excluded in Pride's Purge - both seats vacant
1653	St Albans was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament
1654		Alban Cox		St Albans had only one seat in the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
1656
January 1659					Richard Jennings
May 1659	Not represented in the restored Rump
April 1660		William Foxwist			Richard Jennings
1661		Thomas Arris
1668					Samuel Grimston
February 1679		Sir Thomas Pope Blount			John Gape
August 1679					Samuel Grimston
1685		Captain George Churchill[18]			Thomas Docwra
1689					Sir Samuel Grimston
January 1701					Joshua Lomax
March 1701					John Gape
1705					Admiral Henry Killigrew
1708		John Gape			Joshua Lomax
1710					William Grimston[19]
1713		William Hale[20]
1714		John Gape
1715		William Hale
1717		Joshua Lomax
1722		William Gore			William Clayton
1727		The Viscount Grimston			Caleb Lomax
1730 by-election					Thomas Gape
1733 by-election					John Merrill
1734		Sir Thomas Aston			Thomas Ashby
1741		James West
1743 by-election					Hans Stanley
1747					Sir Peter Thompson
1754					Hon. James Grimston[21]
1761					Viscount Nuneham
1768		(Sir) Richard Sutton[22]			John Radcliffe
1780		William Charles Sloper
1783 by-election					The Viscount Grimston
1784					Hon. William Grimston
1790		Hon. Richard Bingham[23]	Tory		John Calvert
1796					Thomas Skip Dyot Bucknall	Tory
June 1800 by-election		William Stephen Poyntz	Whig
1802					Hon. James Grimston	Tory
1807		Joseph Thompson Halsey	Whig
1809 by-election					Daniel Giles	Whig
1812					Christopher Smith	Tory
February 1818 by-election		William Tierney Robarts	Whig
June 1818					Lord Charles Spencer-Churchill	Tory
1820					Christopher Smith	Tory
1821 by-election		Sir Henry Wright-Wilson	Tory
1826		John Easthope	Whig
1830		Viscount Grimston	Tory		Charles Tennant	Whig
1831		Sir Francis Vincent, Bt	Whig		Richard Godson	Whig
1832					Henry George Ward	Whig
1835		Hon. Edward Harbottle Grimston	Conservative
1837					George Alfred Muskett	Whig
February 1841 by-election		The Earl of Listowel	Whig
June 1841					George Repton	Conservative
1846 by-election		Benjamin Bond Cabbell	Conservative
1847		Alexander Raphael	Whig
1850 by-election		Jacob Bell	Whig
1852	Constituency disfranchised for corruption

MPs since 1885

Election	Member[24]		Party[25][26]
1885		Viscount Grimston	Conservative
1892		Vicary Gibbs	Conservative
1904 by-election		John Slack	Liberal
1906		Sir Hildred Carlile	Conservative
1919 by-election		Sir Francis Fremantle	Conservative
1943 by-election[27]		John Grimston	Conservative
1945		Cyril Dumpleton	Labour
1950		John Grimston	Conservative
1959		Sir Victor Goodhew	Conservative
1983		Peter Lilley	Conservative
1997		Kerry Pollard	Labour
2005		Anne Main	Conservative

Elections

General Election 2015: St Albans [28][29]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Green	Jack Easton
	Conservative	Anne Main
	Labour	Kerry Pollard
	Liberal Democrat	Sandy Walkington
	UKIP	Chris Wright[30]

Elections 1983–2010

Election	Political result		Candidate		Party	Votes	%	±%
General election, May 2010 [31][32] New boundaries Electorate: 70,058 Turnout: 52,835 (75.4%) +5.4		Conservative hold Majority: 2,305 (4.4%) +1.4 Swing: 3.74% from Con to Lib Dem		Anne Main	Conservative	21,533	40.8	+3.5
				Sandy Walkington	Liberal Democrat	19,228	36.4	+11.0
				Roma Mills	Labour	9,288	17.6	−16.7
				John Stocker	UKIP	2,028	3.8	+2.2
				Jack Easton	Green	758	1.4	N/A
General election, May 2005 [33] Electorate: 64,595 Turnout: 45,462 (70.0%) +3.7		Conservative gain from Labour Majority: 1,361 (3.0%) −7.2 Swing: 6.6% from Lab to Con		Anne Main	Conservative	16,953	37.3	+2.1
				Kerry Pollard	Labour	15,592	34.3	−11.1
				Michael Green	Liberal Democrat	11,561	25.4	+7.5
				Richard Evans	UKIP	707	1.6	+0.2
				Janet Girsman	St Albans Party	430	n/a	N/A
				Mark Reynolds	Independent	219	n/a	N/A
General election, June 2001 [34] Electorate: 66,040 Turnout: 43,761 (66.3%) −11.2		Labour hold Majority: 4,466 (10.2%) +1.4 Swing: 0.7% from Con to Lab		Kerry Pollard	Labour	19,889	45.4	+3.4
				Charles Elphicke	Conservative	15,423	35.2	+2.0
				Nick Rijke	Liberal Democrat	7,847	17.9	−3.1
				Chris Sherwin	UKIP	602	1.4	N/A
General election, May 1997 [35] New boundaries Electorate: 65,560 Turnout: 50,805 (77.5%) −6.0		Labour gain from Conservative Majority: 4,459 (8.8%) −17.7 Swing: 21.1% from Con to Lab		Kerry Pollard	Labour	21,338	42.0	+22.6
				David Rutley	Conservative	16,879	33.2	−19.6
				Anthony Rowlands	Liberal Democrat	10,692	21.0	−5.3
				Jim Warrilow	Referendum Party	1,619	3.2	N/A
				Sari Craigen	Rainbow Alliance	166	0.3	n/a
				Ian Docker	Natural Law	111	0.2	−0.1
General election, April 1992 [36] Electorate: 74,188 Turnout: 61,925 (83.5%) +3.3		Conservative hold Majority: 16,404 (26.5%) +8.5 Swing: 4.3% from Con to Lib Dem		Peter Lilley	Conservative	32,709	52.8	+0.3
				Monica Howes	Liberal Democrat	16,305	26.3	−8.2
				Kerry Pollard	Labour	12,016	19.4	+7.9
				Craig Simmons	Green	734	1.2	−0.1
				David Lucas	Natural Law	161	0.3	N/A
General election, June 1987 [37] Electorate: 75,281 Turnout: 60,391 (80.2%) +2.0		Conservative hold Majority: 10,881 (18.0%) +3.0 Swing: 1.5% from Lib to Con		Peter Lilley	Conservative	31,726	52.5	+0.5
				Alexander Stuart Burnett Walkington	Liberal	20,845	34.5	−2.5
				Tony McWalter	Labour	6,922	11.5	+0.6
				Elaine Valerie Field	Green	788	1.3	N/A
				William Henry Pass	CPRP	110	0.2	N/A
General election, June 1983 [38] New boundaries Electorate: 72,849 Turnout: 57,004 (78.3%) −2.1		Conservative hold Majority: 8,561 (15.0%) −14.2 Swing: 7.1% from Con to Lib		Peter Lilley	Conservative	29,676	52.1	−1.0
				Alexander Stuart Burnett Walkington	Liberal	21,115	37.0	+13.2
				R. Austin	Labour	6,213	10.9	−12.2

Elections 1950–1979

Election	Political result		Candidate		Party	Votes	%	±%
General election, May 1979 [39] Electorate: 73,339 Turnout: 58,996 (80.4%) +2.4		Conservative hold Majority: 17,244 (29.2%) +12.4 Swing: 5.6% from Lib to Con		Victor Goodhew	Conservative	31,301	53.1	+8.1
				D. Picton	Liberal	14,057	23.8	−3.1
				R. J. Greaves	Labour	13,638	23.1	−5.0
General election, October 1974 [40] Electorate: 69,693 Turnout: 54,351 (78.0%) −6.6		Conservative hold Majority: 9,135 (16.8%) +2.4 Swing: 1.8% from Con to Lab		Victor Goodhew	Conservative	24,436	45.0	−0.2
				E. Hudson	Labour	15,301	28.2	−3.8
				A. C. Shaw	Liberal	14,614	26.9	+4.0
General election, February 1974 [41] New boundaries Electorate: 68,954 Turnout: 58,346 (84.6%) +8.4		Conservative hold Majority: 8,421 (14.4%) −2.2 Swing: 11.8% from Con to Lib		Victor Goodhew	Conservative	26,345	45.2	−6.4
				A. C. Shaw	Liberal	17,924	30.7	+17.2
				D. L. Bernstein	Labour	14,077	24.1	−10.8
General election, June 1970 [42] Electorate: 62,417 Turnout: 47,571 (76.2%) −6.8		Conservative hold Majority: 7,874 (16.6%) +10.5 Swing: 5.3% from Lab to Con		Victor Goodhew	Conservative	24,503	51.5	+3.8
				C. H. Beaumont	Labour	16,629	35.0	−6.7
				C. A. Shaw	Liberal	6,439	13.5	+2.9
General election, March 1966 [43] Electorate: 56,247 Turnout: 46,665 (83.0%) +0.4		Conservative hold Majority: 2,832 (6.1%) −5.7 Swing: 2.8% from Con to Lab		Victor Goodhew	Conservative	22,260	47.7	−0.3
				Keith Kyle	Labour	19,428	41.6	+5.4
				J. J. Wates	Liberal	4,977	10.7	−5.1
General election, October 1964 [44] Electorate: 55,658 Turnout: 45,966 (82.6%) −0.2		Conservative hold Majority: 5,391 (11.7%) −7.7 Swing: 3.9% from Con to Lab		Victor Goodhew	Conservative	22,063	48.0	−4.9
				Bruce Douglas-Mann	Labour	16,672	36.3	+2.8
				W. G. Brown	Liberal	7,231	15.7	+2.1
General election, October 1959 [45] Electorate: 52,823 Turnout: 82.8% (+3.5)		Conservative hold Majority: 8,507 (19.4%) +4.4 Swing: 2.2% from Lab to Con		Victor Goodhew	Conservative	23,157	52.9	−4.6
				L. W. Carroll	Labour	14,650	33.5	−9.0
				W. A. N. Jones	Liberal	5,948	13.6	N/A
General election, May 1955 [46] Electorate: 47,827 Turnout: 37,935 (79.3%) −4.8		Conservative hold Majority: 5,721 (15.1%) +6.2 Swing: 3.9% from Lab to Con		John Grimston	Conservative	21,828	57.5	+3.0
				Renee Short	Labour	16,107	42.5	−3.0
General election, October 1951 [47] Electorate: 62,431 Turnout: 52,513 (84.1%) −0.8		Conservative hold Majority: 4,691 (8.9%) +4.4 Swing: 2.2% from Lab to Con		John Grimston	Conservative	28,602	54.5	+7.2
				J. McKnight	Labour	23,911	45.5	+2.9
General election, February 1950 [48] Electorate: 61,644 Turnout: 52,464 (85.0%) +12.4		Conservative gain from Labour Majority: 2,382 (4.6%) Swing: 4.1% from Lab to Con		John Grimston	Conservative	24,733	47.2	+4.4
				Cyril Dumpleton	Labour	22,351	42.7	−3.8
				Deryck Robert Endsleigh Abel	Liberal	5,280	10.1	−0.6

Elections 1918–1945

Election	Political result		Candidate		Party	Votes	%	±%
General election, July 1945 [26] See footnote on changes [49] Electorate: 71,893 Turnout: 72.6% (+10.0)		Labour gain from Conservative Majority: 1,879 (3.7%) Swing: 19.3% from Lab to Con		Cyril Dumpleton	Labour	22,421	46.5	+14.0
				John Grimston	Conservative	22,362	42.8	−24.7
				Enid Lakeman	Liberal	5,601	10.7	n/a
By-election, October 1943 [26] Death of Fremantle		Conservative hold		John Grimston	Conservative	unopposed
General election, November 1935 [26] Electorate: 79,885 Turnout: 49,976 (62.6%) −9.3		Conservative hold Majority: 17,510 (35.0%) −21.2 Swing: 10.6% from Con to Lab		Francis Edward Fremantle	Conservative	33,743	67.5	−10.6
				H. A. Franklin [50]	Labour	16,233	32.5	+10.6
General election, October 1931 [26] Electorate: 65,365 Turnout: 46,979 (71.9%) −0.7		Conservative hold Majority: 26,401 (56.2%) +35.7 Swing: 17.8% from Lab to Con		Francis Edward Fremantle	Conservative	36,690	78.1	+30.0
				Monica M Whately	Labour	10,289	21.9	−5.7
General election, May 1929 [26] First election with universal suffrage Electorate: 58,418 Turnout: 41,434 (72.6%) +2.3		Conservative hold Majority: 8,737 (20.5%) −14.5		Francis Edward Fremantle	Conservative	20,436	48.1	−19.4
				M. M. Whateley	Labour	11,699	27.6	−4.9
				George Gordon Honeyman	Liberal	10,299	24.3	n/a
General election, October 1924 [26] Electorate: 37,983 Turnout: 26,864 (70.3%) +1.5		Conservative hold Majority: 9,322 (35.0%) +13.8		Francis Edward Fremantle	Conservative	18,004	67.5	+19.8
				F. Herbert	Labour	8,862	32.5	+6.0
General election, December 1923 [26] Electorate: 36,474 Turnout: 25,077 (68.8%) −2.3		Conservative hold Majority: 5,328 (21.2%) +5.6		Francis Edward Fremantle	Conservative	11,968	47.7	−10.1
				C. B. Thompson [51]	Labour	6,640	26.5	−15.7
				H. K. Nield [52]	Liberal	6,469	25.8	n/a
General election, November 1922 [26] See footnote on changes [53] Electorate: 35,520 Turnout: 25,256 (71.1%) +8.3		Conservative hold Majority: 3,932 (15.6%) +12.2		Francis Edward Fremantle	Conservative	14,594	57.8	+12.0
				John William Brown	Labour	10,662	42.2	−0.2
By-election, December 1919 [26][54] Resignation of Sir Hildred Carlile, Bt Electorate: 33,437 Turnout: 21,003 (62.8%)		Coalition Unionist hold Majority: 713 (3.4%)		Francis Edward Fremantle	Coalition Unionist	9,621	45.8
				John William Brown	Labour	8,908	42.4
				Milner Gray	Liberal	2,474	11.8
General election, December 1918 [26]		Coalition Unionist hold		Sir Hildred Carlile, Bt	Coalition Unionist	unopposed

Elections 1885–1910

Election	Political result		Candidate		Party	Votes	%	±%
General election, December 1910 [25] Electorate: 13,929 Turnout: 11,676 (83.8%) −6.6		Conservative hold Majority: 2,122 (18.2%) +2.0		Hildred Carlile	Conservative	6,899	59.1	+1.0
				R. C. Phillimore	Liberal	4,777	40.9	−1.0
General election, January 1910 [25] Electorate: 13,929 Turnout: 12,594 (90.4%) +10.1		Conservative hold Majority: 2,052 (16.2%) +11.2		Hildred Carlile	Conservative	7,323	58.1	+5.6
				H. R. Beddoes	Liberal	5,271	41.9	−5.6
General election, 1906 [25] Electorate: 12,497 Turnout: 89.3% (+7.8)		Conservative gain from Liberal Majority: 552 (5.0%) Swing: 3.2% from Lib to Con		Hildred Carlile	Conservative	5,856	52.5	+3.2
				John Slack	Liberal	5,304	47.5	−3.2
By-election, February 1904 [25] Gibbs disqualified[55] Electorate: 11,518 Turnout: 9,382 (81.5%)		Liberal gain from Conservative Majority: 132 (1.4%)		John Bamford Slack	Liberal	4,757	50.7
				Vicary Gibbs	Conservative	4,635	49.3
General election, 1900 [25]		Conservative hold		Vicary Gibbs	Conservative	unopposed
General election, 1895 [25]		Conservative hold		Vicary Gibbs	Conservative	unopposed
General election, 1892 [25] Electorate: 9,672 Turnout: 78.3%		Conservative Majority: 11.1 (844%)		Vicary Gibbs	Conservative	3,417	45.1
				T. M. Harvey	Liberal	2,573	34.0
				W. H. Bingham-Cox	Independent Conservative	1,580	20.9
General election, 1886 [25]		Conservative hold		Viscount Grimston	Conservative	unopposed
General election, 1885 [25] Electorate: 8,741 Turnout: 7,145 (81.7%)		Conservative win (new seat) Majority: 1,071 (15.0%)		Viscount Grimston	Conservative	4,108	57.5
				J. Coles	Liberal	3,037	42.5

See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in Hertfordshire

Notes and references

Notes

References

Sources

• Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807)
• D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
• Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808)
• F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
• Henry Stooks Smith, The Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847 (2nd edition, edited by FWS Craig - Chichester: Parliamentary Reference Publications, 1973)
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 1)

External links

• 2005 voting statistics from the BBC
• 2001 and 1997 voting statistics from the BBC
• OBV
• Coverage from The Times

Constituencies in the East of England (58) Conservative (51) Basildon and Billericay Bedford Braintree Brentwood and Ongar Broadland Broxbourne Bury St Edmunds Castle Point Central Suffolk and North Ipswich Chelmsford Epping Forest Great Yarmouth Harlow Harwich and North Essex Hemel Hempstead Hertford and Stortford Hertsmere Hitchin and Harpenden Huntingdon Ipswich Maldon Mid Bedfordshire Mid Norfolk North East Bedfordshire North East Cambridgeshire North East Hertfordshire North West Cambridgeshire North West Norfolk Norwich North Peterborough Rayleigh and Wickford Rochford and Southend East Saffron Walden St Albans South Basildon and East Thurrock South Cambridgeshire South East Cambridgeshire Southend West South Norfolk South Suffolk South West Bedfordshire South West Hertfordshire South West Norfolk Stevenage Suffolk Coastal Thurrock Watford Waveney Welwyn Hatfield West Suffolk Witham Liberal Democrats (4) Cambridge Colchester North Norfolk Norwich South Labour (2) Luton North Luton South UKIP (1) Clacton East of England European constituency: Conservative (3) Labour (1) UKIP (3)