Hitchin (UK Parliament constituency)

Boundaries and boundary changes

1885–1918

• The Sessional Divisions of Aldbury (except the parishes of Great Hadham and Little Hadham), Buntingford, Hitchin, Odsey, Stevenage, and Welwyn; and
• The parish of Braughing.

The constituency was established by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (which followed on from the Third Reform Act) as one of four Divisions of the abolished three-member Parliamentary County of Hertfordshire, and was formally named as the Northern or Hitchin Division of Hertfordshire. It included the towns/villages of Hitchin, Stevenage, Welwyn, Baldock and Royston.

1918–1945

• The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Royston, and Stevenage;
• The Rural Districts of Ashwell, Buntingford, Hitchin, and Welwyn; and
• The Rural District of Hertford parishes of Aston, Bennington, Datchworth, Sacombe, Walkern, and Watton-at-Stone.

Minor changes only to reflect local authority boundaries.

1945–1950

• The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, Royston, and Stevenage;
• The Rural Districts of Hitchin, and Welwyn; and
• Parts of the Rural Districts of Braughing and Hertford.

The constituency had included a part of the Urban District of Welwyn Garden City, which had been formed as a separate local authority in 1927, and this was now transferred to St Albans.  Other nominal changes as a result of the reorganisation of local authorities.

1950–1955

• The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, Royston, and Stevenage;
• The Rural District of Hitchin;
• The Rural District of Braughing parishes of Anstey, Ardeley, Aspenden, Broadfield, Buckland, Buntingford, Cottered, Hormead, Meesden, Throcking, Westmilll, and Wyddiall; and
• The Rural District of Hertford parishes of Aston, Bennington, Datchworth, Sacombe, Walkern, and Watton-at-Stone.

The Rural District of Welwyn was transferred to St Albans.

1955–1974

• The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, Royston, and Stevenage; and
• The Rural District of Hitchin.

The part of the Rural District of Braughing was transferred to the new constituency of East Hertfordshire, and the part of the Rural District of Hertford was transferred to Hertford.

1974–1983

• The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, and Royston; and
• The Rural District of Hitchin.

The Urban District of Stevenage formed the majority of the new County Constituency of Hertford and Stevenage.

The constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election and was replaced by the new constituency of North Hertfordshire, with the exception of a small part in the south-east which was included in the new constituency of Stevenage (Codicote and Knebworth).

Current

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

• The District of Central Bedfordshire wards of Arlesey; Shefford; and Stotfold and Langford - transferred partly from North East Bedfordshire and partly from Mid Bedfordshire.

• The District of North Hertfordshire wards of: Cadwell; Chesfield; Hitchin Bearton; Hitchin Highbury; Hitchin Oughton; Hitchin Priory; Hitchin Walsworth; Hitchwood, Offa and Hoo; and Kimpton - transferred from the abolished constituency of Hitchin and Harpenden. Following local government boundary reviews in Central Bedfordshire and North Hertfordshire which came into effect in May 2023 and May 2024 respectively, the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:

• The District of Central Bedfordshire wards or part wards of: Arlesey & Fairfield; Clifton, Henlow & Langfield; Meppershall & Shillington (Meppershall parish); Shefford; Stotfold.

• The District of North Hertfordshire wards or part wards of: Cadwell; Codicote & Kimpton (Kimpton parish); Graveley, St Ippolyts & Wymondley; Great Ashby; Hitchin Bearton; Hitchin Highbury; Hitchin Oughton; Hitchin Priory; Hitchin Walsworth; Hitchwood; Offa.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1885-1983

North Hertfordshire and Stevenage prior to 1885

Notes:-

• a Dimsdale was a Baron of the Russian Empire
• b Cecil associated himself with the non-coalition wing of the Conservative Party, at some point in the 1918-1922 Parliament

MPs since 2024

Hitchin & Harpenden prior to 2024

Election results

Elections in the 2020s

|reg. electors = 75,877

Elections in the 2010s

The Hitchin parliamentary constituency did not exist when the 2019 general election was held. The following is a projection of what the result of the 2019 general election might have looked like in the Hitchin parliamentary constituency if it had existed.

Elections in the 1970s

| reg. electors = 76,807 | reg. electors = 72,815 | reg. electors = 72,126

| reg. electors = 109,704

Elections in the 1960s

| reg. electors = 90,840 | reg. electors = 87,825

Elections in the 1950s

| reg. electors = 75,493 | reg. electors = 62,258 | reg. electors = 61,966 | reg. electors = 60,936

Elections in the 1940s

| reg. electors = 67,266 | reg. electors =

General Election 1939–40: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

• Conservative: Arnold Wilson
• Labour: George Lindgren

Elections in the 1930s

| reg. electors = 50,975

| reg. electors = 48,580 | reg. electors = 48,003

Elections in the 1920s

|reg. electors = 44,967 |reg. electors = 34,060 |reg. electors = 33,197 |reg. electors = 32,005

Elections in the 1910s

|reg. electors = 29,820

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 the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

• Unionist: Robert Cecil
• Liberal:

| reg. electors =

| reg. electors =

| reg. electors =

Elections in the 1900s

|reg. electors = 9,820 | reg. electors =

Elections in the 1890s

| reg. electors = |reg. electors = 8,982

Elections in the 1880s

|reg. electors = 8,996

Notes

References

References

1. "'Hitchin', Feb 1974 - May 1983". Cognitive Computing Limited.
2. "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – Eastern {{!}} Boundary Commission for England".
3. Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. "The public general acts". Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884.
4. Fraser, Hugh. (1918). "The Representation of the people act, 1918 : with explanatory notes". London : Sweet and Maxwell.
5. Craig, Fred W. S.. (1972). "Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885–1972;". Political Reference Publications.
6. "Representation of the People Act, 1948".
7. . (1972). ["Statutory Instruments 1971"](https://books.google.com/books?id=-k9LAQAAIAAJ). *[[Her Majesty's Stationery Office]]*.
8. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023".
9. LGBCE. "Central Bedfordshire {{!}} LGBCE".
10. LGBCE. "North Hertfordshire {{!}} LGBCE".
11. "Seat Details - Hitchin".
12. (5 July 2024). "Declaration of Result of Poll, Election of a Member of Parliament for Hitchin Constituency on Thursday 4 July 2024". [[North Hertfordshire District Council]].
13. (5 July 2024). "Election results 2024". [[North Hertfordshire District Council]].
14. "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". [[UK Parliament]].
15. "1970 notional general election & February 1974 general election". BBC.
16. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, F W S Craig
17. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
18. British parliamentary election results, 1918-1949 (Craig)
19. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916.
20. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901.
21. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
22. The Liberal Year Book, 1907.
23. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886