Bedford (UK Parliament constituency)

Constituency profile

The constituency is located in Bedfordshire and contains the large county town of Bedford and the contiguous town of Kempston.

Bedford is a historic market town and is linked by rail to London via the Thameslink service. Residents of the constituency have similar levels of wealth and education to the rest of the country. The constituency is ethnically diverse; 17% of residents are Asian, 7% are Black and there is also a large concentration of residents of Italian descent. At the most recent borough council election in 2023, the east of the town elected primarily Liberal Democrat councillors whilst Kempston and the west of Bedford elected Labour councillors. Voters in the constituency voted marginally in favour of leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, similar to the country as a whole.

History

Up to the Great Reform Act 1832

Bedford was first represented in the Model Parliament of 1295. The constituency was originally a parliamentary borough electing two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons, and consisted of the five parishes making up the town of Bedford.

Before the Reform Act 1832, the right to vote was exercised by all freemen and burgesses of the town (whether or not they lived within the borough boundaries) and by all householders who were not receiving alms. This was a fairly wide franchise for the period, but potentially subject to abuse since the Corporation of the borough had unlimited power to create freemen. The corporation was usually under the influence of the Dukes of Bedford, but their influence usually fell well short of making Bedford a pocket borough.

In 1768, a majority of the corporation apparently fell out with the Duke at the time, and decided to free the borough from his influence. They elected a Huntingdonshire squire, Sir Robert Bernard, as recorder of the borough, and made 500 new freemen, mostly Bernard's Huntingdonshire neighbours or tenants. As there were only 540 householders, this gave him the effective power to choose Bedford's MPs; at the next election the defeated candidates petitioned against the result, attempting to establish that so many non-residents should not be allowed to vote, but the Commons dismissed the petition and confirmed the right of all the freemen, however created, to vote.

Bernard cemented his control with the creation of hundreds of further freemen in the next few years; at around the same period he lent the Corporation £950, and it is not unreasonable to assume this was payment for services rendered. However, in 1789, the young Duke of Bedford managed to regain the corporation's loyalty, and had 350 of his own retainers made freemen.

Even at other periods, the influence of the Dukes seems sometimes to have been more nominal than real. In the 1750s and 1760s, before Bernard's intervention, a frequent compromise was that the Duke nominated one MP and the corporation (representing the interests of the town) the other; but it seems that on occasion the Duke had to be flexible to retain the semblance of local deference towards him, and that his "nominee" had in reality been imposed upon him. Nor was the outcome invariably successfully predetermined: at the 1830 election the result swung on one individual's vote – the defeated candidate being Lord John Russell, who was not only one of the Whig leaders but The Duke of Bedford's son.

In 1831, the population of the borough was 6,959, and contained 1,491 houses. This was sufficient for Bedford to retain both its MPs under the Great Reform Act, with its boundaries unaltered. The reformed franchise introduced in 1832 gave the borough 1,572 inhabitants qualified to vote.

1832–1983

The town was growing, and Bedford retained its borough status until the 1918 general election, although under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, its representation was reduced to a single MP. On the eve of the First World War, its population was just under 40,000, of whom 6,500 people were eligible to vote.

Under the Representation of the People Act 1918, the parliamentary borough was abolished; but the town gave its name to a new county constituency (formally The Bedford division of Bedfordshire). As well as the town of Bedford, it covered the northern end of the county and included Kempston and Eaton Socon together with surrounding rural areas.

Under the Representation of the People Act 1948, a boundary change which came into effect at the 1950 election reduced its size somewhat, and under the Third Review of Westminster Constituencies in 1983, the constituency was abolished.

1997 onwards

Under the Fourth Review, effective from the 1997 general election, Bedford was restored as a borough constituency, comprising the towns of Bedford and Kempston.

In the latest boundary changes under the Fifth Review, effective from the 2010 general election, there were marginal changes due to the revision of local authority wards.

The 2017 general election saw the Labour Party win the seat despite coming second in the election. This was significant as it was the first time the party had won the seat at an election where it had not won a comfortable national majority. This was repeated at the 2019 general election, where the seat was narrowly held by the Labour incumbent, despite the party suffering a heavy national defeat.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1832–1918

• The Municipal Borough of Bedford.

1918–1950

• The Municipal Borough of Bedford;
• the Urban District of Kempston; and
• the Rural Districts of Bedford and Eaton Socon. Expanded to include Kempston and rural areas in the north of Bedfordshire, transferred from the abolished constituency of Biggleswade.

1950–1983

• The Municipal Borough of Bedford;
• the Urban District of Kempston; and
• part of the Rural District of Bedford.

Eastern and southern rural areas, including Eaton Socon, transferred to Mid Bedfordshire.

Seat abolished in 1983 and absorbed into the new constituency of North Bedfordshire, with the exception of Kempston, which was transferred to Mid Bedfordshire.

1997–2010

• The Borough of Bedford wards of Brickhill, Castle, Cauldwell, De Parys, Goldington, Harpur, Kempston East, Kempston West, Kingsbrook, Newnham, Putnoe, and Queen's Park.

Re-established as a borough constituency, comprising the towns of Bedford from the now abolished seat of North Bedfordshire, and Kempston, regained from Mid Bedfordshire.

2010–2024

• The Borough of Bedford wards of Brickhill, Castle, Cauldwell, De Parys, Goldington, Harpur, Kempston East, Kempston North, Kempston South, Kingsbrook, Newnham, Putnoe, Queens Park.

Marginal changes due to the revision of local authority wards.

2024–present

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency comprises the following, after taking into account the local government boundary review which came into effect in May 2023:

• The Borough of Bedford wards of: Brickhill (most); Castle & Newnham; Cauldwell (most); De Parys; Greyfriars; Goldington; Harpur (nearly all); Kempston Central and East; Kempston North; Kempston South; Kempston West (majority); Kingsbrook; Putnoe; Queens Park; Renhold & Ravensden (small part); Riverfield. Marginal changes due to further revisions to local authority wards.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1295–1660

• Constituency created (1295)

Parliaments of King Edward I

Parliaments of King Edward II

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Parliaments of King Edward III

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Parliaments of King Richard II

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Parliaments of King Henry IV

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Parliaments of King Henry V

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Parliaments of King Henry VI

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1377–1427

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Parliaments of King Edward IV

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Parliaments of King Richard III

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Parliaments of King Henry VII

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Parliaments of King Henry VIII

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Parliaments of King Edward VI

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Parliaments of Queen Mary I

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Parliaments of Queen Elizabeth I

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Parliaments of King James I

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Parliaments of King Charles I

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Parliaments of the Protectorate

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MPs 1660–1885

• Reduced to one member (1885) Back to Members of Parliament

MPs 1885–1983

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MPs 1997–2017

Notes

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Elections

Elections in the 2020s

|reg. electors = 72,478

Elections in the 2010s

This was the smallest Labour majority at the 2019 general election.

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Elections in the 2000s

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Elections in the 1990s

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Elections in the 1970s

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Elections in the 1960s

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Elections in the 1950s

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Elections in the 1940s

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Elections in the 1930s

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Elections in the 1920s

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Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1914–15

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

• Liberal: Frederick Kellaway
• Unionist: Gerald de la Pryme Hargreaves
• Labour: Frederick Fox Riley

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Elections in the 1900s

|reg. electors = 5,535

|reg. electors = 4,711 Back to Elections

Elections in the 1890s

|reg. electors = 4,179 |reg. electors = 3,998 Back to Elections

Elections in the 1880s

|reg. electors = 3,134 |reg. electors = 3,134

|reg. electors = 2,603 Back to Elections

Elections in the 1870s

|reg. electors = 2,213 Back to Elections

Elections in the 1860s

|reg. electors = 2,127

|reg. electors = 1,106 Back to Elections

Elections in the 1850s

|reg. electors = 927

• Caused by Whitbread's appointment as a Civil Lord of the Admiralty.

|reg. electors = 927

|reg. electors = 879

• Smith was also supported by the Conservatives.

|reg. electors = 913

• Caused by Stuart's death.

|reg. electors = 910 Back to Elections

Elections in the 1840s

|reg. electors = 1,073

|reg. electors = 1,073 Back to Elections

Elections in the 1830s

|reg. electors = 1,192

• On petition, Stuart was unseated and Crawley was declared elected.

|reg. electors = 1,252

|reg. electors = 1,572

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Elections in the 1820s

• 1826: Lord George Russell and William Henry Whitbread (both Whig) elected unopposed
• 1820: Lord George Russell and William Henry Whitbread (both Whig) elected unopposed

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Elections in the 1810s

• 1818: Lord George Russell and William Henry Whitbread (both Whig) elected unopposed
• 1815: Following the death of Samuel Whitbread, Hon. William Waldegrave (Whig) elected unopposed
• 1812: Lord George Russell and Samuel Whitbread (both Whig) elected unopposed

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Elections in the 1800s

• 1807: William Lee Antonie and Samuel Whitbread (both Whig) elected unopposed
• 1806: William Lee Antonie and Samuel Whitbread (both Whig) elected unopposed
• 1802: William Lee Antonie and Samuel Whitbread (both Whig) elected unopposed

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Elections in the 1790s

• 1796: William MacDowall Colhoun (Tory) and Samuel Whitbread (Whig) elected unopposed

|reg. electors = c.1,200

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Notes

References

Sources

• F. W. S. Craig, "British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885" (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
• F W S Craig, "British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949" (Glasgow: Political Reference Publications, 1969)
• T. H. B. Oldfield, The Representative History of Great Britain and Ireland (London: Baldwin, Cradock & Joy, 1816)
• J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 – England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
• Edward Porritt and Annie G Porritt, The Unreformed House of Commons (Cambridge University Press, 1903)
• Henry Stooks Smith, "The Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847" (2nd edition, edited by FWS Craig – Chichester: Parliamentary Reference Publications, 1973)
• Frederic A Youngs, jr, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol I (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979)
• The Constitutional Year Book for 1913 (London: National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, 1913)

References

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47. (2016). "Governing Hibernia: British Politicians and Ireland 1800–1921". [[Oxford University Press]].
48. (9 December 1854). "Bedford Election". [[Worcester Journal]].
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50. (14 July 1852). "The Elections". [[Aberdeen Press and Journal]].
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52. "Bedford - 1820-1832". Cambridge University Press.
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