South West Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)

South West Norfolk is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Liz Truss, a Conservative.[n 2]

South West Norfolk
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of South West Norfolk in Norfolk
Location of Norfolk within England
CountyNorfolk
Electorate75,034 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsDownham Market, Swaffham and Thetford
Current constituency
Created1885
Member of ParliamentLiz Truss (Conservative)
Number of membersOne
Created fromSouth Norfolk and West Norfolk

History

Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the three two-member county divisions of Norfolk were replaced with six single-member divisions, including the newly created South-Western Division of Norfolk, largely formed from southern parts of the abolished Western Division, including Thetford. From the 1950 general election, it has been formally known as the county constituency of South West Norfolk.

South West Norfolk has been held solidly by Conservatives since 1964 but for twenty years before then, it had been ultra-marginal: Labour first held it from 1929–31, and Sidney Dye won it for Labour in 1945 with a tiny majority of 53, holding it at the 1950 election by 260. He lost it to Denys Bullard in 1951 by 442 votes and won it back in 1955 with a majority of 193. Dye died at the end of 1958, and in the by-election Albert Hilton retained the seat for Labour by a margin of 1,354 votes. In the 1959 general election that soon followed, his majority was cut to 78.[2]

Although Labour thus had held the seat during two Conservative national election victories, the Conservatives took the seat in the 1964 election, which Labour won nationally. Paul Hawkins, then Gillian Shephard held the seat. Shephard's majority was slashed in the 1997 general election before recovering in the 2001 general election.[2]

Shephard decided not to run again in 2005 and was elevated to a peerage. The Conservative Party selected Christopher Fraser, former MP for Mid Dorset and Poole North and he was elected with a majority of over 10,000.

On 28 May 2009, Fraser announced that he would be standing down at the 2010 general election citing family reasons.[3] This was after his expenses claims were highlighted in the Daily Telegraph; according to the newspaper, Fraser claimed £1,800 in public money for buying 215 trees and marking out the boundary of his second home in the constituency.[4]

Constituency profile

Workless claimants (registered jobseekers) were in November 2012 lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 3.0% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[5]

Boundaries and boundary changes

1885–1918: The part of the Municipal Borough of Thetford in the county of Norfolk, and the Sessional Divisions of Clackclose, Grimshoe, South Greenhoe, and Wayland.[6]

1918–1950: The Municipal Borough of Thetford, the Urban Districts of Downham Market, East Dereham, and Swaffham, the Rural Districts of Mitford and Launditch, and Swaffham, and parts of the Rural Districts of Downham, Marshland, and Thetford.[7]

Gained northern areas of the abolished Mid Division of Norfolk, including East Dereham, and a small area in the south of the Northern Division. Transferred a small area in the east to the Southern Division.

1950–1983: The Urban Districts of Downham Market, East Dereham, and Swaffham, and the Rural Districts of Downham, Mitford and Launditch, and Swaffham.[7]

Thetford transferred to South Norfolk.  Minor changes to boundary with King's Lynn to align with boundaries of local authorities.

1983–2010: The District of Breckland wards of All Saints, Besthorpe, Buckenham, Conifer, East Guiltcross, Haggard De Toni, Harling, Haverscroft, Heathlands, Mid Forest, Nar Valley, Necton, Peddars Way, Queen's, Swaffham, Templar, Thetford Abbey, Thetford Barnham Cross, Thetford Guildhall, Thetford Saxon, Watton, Wayland, Weeting, West Guiltcross, and Wissey, and the Borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk wards of Airfield, Denton, Denver, Downham Market, Emneth, Ten Mile, Upwell Outwell and Delph, Watlington, and Wissey.[8][9]

Thetford transferred back from South Norfolk, together with areas comprising the former Rural District of Wayland, including Attleborough. North-eastern areas, including East Dereham, transferred to the re-established County Constituency of Mid Norfolk.  Minor re-alignment of boundary with North West Norfolk.

2010–present: The District of Breckland wards of Conifer, East Guiltcross, Harling and Heathlands, Mid Forest, Nar Valley, Swaffham, Thetford Abbey, Thetford Castle, Thetford Guildhall, Thetford Saxon, Wayland, Weeting, and West Guiltcross, and the Borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk wards of Airfield, Denton, Downham Old Town, East Downham, Emneth with Outwell, Hilgay with Denver, Mershe Lande, North Downham, St Lawrence, South Downham, Upwell and Delph, Walton, Watlington, Wiggenhall, and Wimbotsham with Fincham Wissey.[10]

As a result of the Boundary Commission's report which came into effect for the 2010 general election, South West Norfolk gained wards from neighbouring North West Norfolk including Walpole, Tilney St Lawrence, and Wiggenhall villages. It lost to Mid Norfolk the wards of All Saints, Buckenham, Burgh and Haverscroft, Haggard De Toni, Necton, Queen's, Templar and Watton, which included the villages of Necton, Great Ellingham and Watton.

The constituency includes Downham Market, Swaffham, Thetford, Outwell, Upwell, and Feltwell.

Members of Parliament
Election[2]Member[11]Party
1885 William Tyssen-Amherst Conservative
1892 Sir Thomas Hare Conservative
1906 Richard Winfrey Liberal
1923 Alan McLean Conservative
1929 William Benjamin Taylor Labour
1931 Alan McLean Conservative
1935 Somerset de Chair Conservative
1945 Sidney Dye Labour
1951 Denys Bullard Conservative
1955 Sidney Dye Labour
1959 (b) Albert Hilton Labour
1964 Paul Hawkins Conservative
1987 Gillian Shephard Conservative
2005 Christopher Fraser Conservative
2010 Liz Truss Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s
General election 2019: South West Norfolk[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Liz Truss 35,507 69.0 +6.2
Labour Emily Blake 9,312 18.1 -9.7
Liberal Democrats Josie Ratcliffe 4,166 8.1 +3.6
Green Pallavi Devulapalli 1,645 3.2 New
Monster Raving Loony Earl Elvis of Outwell 836 1.6 New
Majority 26,195 50.9 +15.9
Turnout 51,466 65.6 -1.7
Conservative hold Swing +8.0
General election 2017: South West Norfolk[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Liz Truss[14] 32,894 62.8 +11.9
Labour Peter Smith[14] 14,582 27.8 +10.5
UKIP David Williams 2,575 4.9 -18.4
Liberal Democrats Stephen Gordon 2,365 4.5 +0.1
Majority 18,312 35.0 +7.4
Turnout 52,416 67.3 +2.2
Conservative hold Swing +0.7
General election 2015: South West Norfolk[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Liz Truss[14] 25,515 50.9 +2.6
UKIP Paul Smyth[15] 11,654 23.3 +17.1
Labour Peter Smith[14] 8,649 17.3 −1.3
Liberal Democrats Rupert Moss-Eccardt[16] 2,217 4.4 −17.2
Green Sandra Walmsley[17] 2,075 4.1 +2.4
Majority 13,861 27.6 +0.9
Turnout 50,110 65.1 −1.1
Conservative hold Swing -7.2
General election 2010: South West Norfolk[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Liz Truss 23,753 48.3 +3.4
Liberal Democrats Stephen Gordon 10,613 21.6 +2.4
Labour Peter Smith 9,119 18.6 -11.4
UKIP Kay Hipsey[19] 3,061 6.2 +1.5
BNP Dennis Pearce[20] 1,774 3.6 New
Green Lori Allen 830 1.7 New
Majority 13,140 26.7 +8.4
Turnout 49,150 66.2 +4.1
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 2000s
General election 2005: South West Norfolk[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Christopher Fraser 25,881 46.9 −5.3
Labour Charmaine Morgan 15,795 28.7 −5.8
Liberal Democrats April Pond 10,207 18.5 +7.8
UKIP Delia Hall 2,738 5.0 +2.4
Independent Kim Hayes 506 0.9 New
Majority 10,086 18.2 +0.5
Turnout 55,127 62.5 −0.6
Conservative hold Swing +0.3
General election 2001: South West Norfolk[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Gillian Shephard 27,633 52.2 +10.2
Labour Anne Hanson 18,267 34.5 −3.3
Liberal Democrats Gordon Dean 5,681 10.7 −3.2
UKIP Ian Smith 1,368 2.6 New
Majority 9,366 17.7 +13.5
Turnout 52,949 63.1 −10.0
Conservative hold Swing +6.7

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1997: South West Norfolk[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Gillian Shephard 24,694 42.0 −12.6
Labour Adrian Hefferman 22,230 37.8 +10.7
Liberal Democrats David J. Bucton 8,178 13.9 −6.3
Referendum Ronnie J.B. Hoare 3,694 6.3 N/A
Majority 2,434 4.2 −23.3
Turnout 58,796 73.1 −6.2
Conservative hold Swing −11.6
General election 1992: South West Norfolk[24][25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Gillian Shephard 33,637 54.6 −3.0
Labour Mary Page 16,706 27.1 +6.1
Liberal Democrats John T. Marsh 11,237 18.2 −3.2
Majority 16,931 27.5 −8.7
Turnout 61,580 79.3 +3.3
Conservative hold Swing −4.6

Elections in the 1980s
General election 1987: South West Norfolk[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Gillian Shephard 32,519 57.6 +1.9
Liberal Malcolm Scott 12,083 21.4 −5.3
Labour Mary Page 11,844 21.0 +3.4
Majority 20,436 36.2 +7.2
Turnout 76.0 +3.1
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1983: South West Norfolk[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Paul Hawkins 28,632 55.7
Liberal E.B.S. Baxter 13,722 26.7
Labour A.L. Rosenberg 9,072 17.6
Majority 14,910 29.0
Turnout 73.1
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1979: South West Norfolk
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Paul Hawkins 24,767 54.80
Labour AL Rosenberg 14,063 31.12
Liberal B Baxter 6,363 14.08
Majority 10,704 23.68
Turnout 78.05
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: South West Norfolk
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Paul Hawkins 19,778 47.90
Labour H Toch 14,850 35.97
Liberal B Baxter 6,658 16.13
Majority 4,928 11.93
Turnout 76.86
Conservative hold Swing
General election February 1974: South West Norfolk
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Paul Hawkins 20,430 46.24
Labour H Toch 14,387 32.56
Liberal KW Nash 8,986 20.34
Independent Powellite MM McNee 380 0.86
Majority 6,043 13.68
Turnout 82.94
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1970: South West Norfolk
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Paul Hawkins 22,220 57.28
Labour Leslie J Potter 16,572 42.72
Majority 5,648 14.56
Turnout 80.46
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1966: South West Norfolk
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Paul Hawkins 17,880 51.11
Labour Noel James Insley 17,105 48.89
Majority 775 2.22
Turnout 84.00
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1964: South West Norfolk
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Paul Hawkins 16,728 49.55
Labour Albert Hilton 16,605 49.19
Independent Victor Welch 427 1.26
Majority 123 0.36
Turnout 81.96
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1959: South West Norfolk
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Albert Hilton 16,858 50.12
Conservative Mary Kellett 16,780 49.88
Majority 78 0.24
Turnout 83.5
Labour hold Swing
1959 South West Norfolk by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Albert Hilton 15,314 50.95 +0.66
Conservative Mary Kellett 13,960 46.44 -3.27
Independent Nationalist Andrew Fountaine 785 2.61 N/A
Majority 1,354 4.51 +3.93
Turnout 30,059
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: South West Norfolk
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Sidney Dye 16,781 50.29
Conservative Denys Bullard 16,588 49.71
Majority 193 0.58
Turnout 82.60
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General election 1951: South West Norfolk
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Denys Bullard 16,970 50.66
Labour Sidney Dye 16,528 49.34
Majority 442 1.32
Turnout 82.61
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election 1950: South West Norfolk
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Sidney Dye 15,649 47.35
Conservative Denys Bullard 15,389 46.57
Liberal George Stephen Dennis 2,009 6.08
Majority 260 0.79
Turnout 83.41
Labour hold Swing

Election in the 1940s
General election 1945: Norfolk South Western
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Sidney Dye 15,091 50.09
Conservative Somerset de Chair 15,038 49.91
Majority 53 0.18
Turnout 65.92
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1930s
General election 1935: Norfolk South Western
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Somerset de Chair 16,060 57.35
Labour Sidney Dye 11,943 42.65
Majority 4,117 14.70
Turnout 69.50
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1931: Norfolk South Western
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Alan McLean 19,614 66.34
Labour William Taylor 9,952 33.66
Majority 9,662 32.68
Turnout 74.54
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1920s
General election 1929: South West Norfolk[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour William Taylor 12,152 41.8 −0.2
Unionist Alan McLean 11,382 39.1 −18.9
Liberal Victor Diederichs Duval 5,556 19.1 N/A
Majority 770 2.7 N/A
Turnout 29,090 74.1 +2.1
Registered electors 39,277
Labour gain from Unionist Swing +9.4
General election 1924: South West Norfolk[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Alan McLean 13,838 58.0 +4.5
Labour William Taylor 10,004 42.0 −4.5
Majority 3,834 16.0 +9.0
Turnout 23,842 72.0 +7.3
Registered electors 33,131
Unionist hold Swing +4.5
General election 1923: South West Norfolk
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Alan McLean 11,269 53.5 N/A
Labour William Taylor 9,779 46.5 +1.2
Majority 1,490 7.0 N/A
Turnout 21,048 64.7 +5.6
Registered electors 32,543
Unionist gain from National Liberal Swing N/A
Winfrey
General election 1922 : South West Norfolk [28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
National Liberal Richard Winfrey 10,432 54.7 N/A
Labour William Taylor 8,655 45.3 N/A
Majority 1,777 9.4 N/A
Turnout 19,087 59.1 N/A
Registered electors 32,305
National Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s
General election 1918 South West Norfolk[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
C Liberal Richard Winfrey Unopposed
Liberal hold
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.
General election December 1910 South West Norfolk[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Richard Winfrey 4,176 52.7 +1.2
Conservative Albert Edward Stanley Clarke 3,745 47.3 -1.2
Majority 431 5.4 +2.4
Turnout 7,921 87.6 -3.5
Liberal hold Swing +1.2
General election January 1910 South West Norfolk[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Richard Winfrey 4,239 51.5 -4.2
Conservative Thomas Hare 4,000 48.5 +4.2
Majority 239 3.0 -8.4
Turnout 8,239 91.1 +2.4
Liberal hold Swing -4.2

Elections in the 1900s
Winfrey
General election 1906 South West Norfolk[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Richard Winfrey 4,416 55.7 +6.1
Conservative Thomas Hare 3,513 44.3 -6.1
Majority 903 10.4 12.2
Turnout 7,929 88.7 +4.7
Registered electors 8,936
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +6.1
General election 1900 South West Norfolk[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Thomas Hare 3,702 50.4 -0.9
Liberal Richard Winfrey 3,636 49.6 +0.9
Majority 66 0.8 -1.8
Turnout 7,338 84.0 -0.8
Registered electors 8,740
Conservative hold Swing -0.9

Elections in the 1890s
General election 1895 South West Norfolk[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Thomas Hare 3,968 51.3 −0.9
Liberal Richard Winfrey 3,762 48.7 +0.9
Majority 206 2.6 −1.8
Turnout 7,730 84.8 −7.2
Registered electors 9,119
Conservative hold Swing −0.9
General election 1892: South West Norfolk [29][30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Thomas Hare 4,077 52.2 N/A
Liberal Henry Lee-Warner 3,739 47.8 N/A
Majority 338 4.4 N/A
Turnout 7,816 92.0 N/A
Registered electors 8,499
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1880s
Amherst
General election 1886: South West Norfolk [29][30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative William Tyssen-Amherst Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1885: South West Norfolk [29][30][31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative William Tyssen-Amherst 4,096 52.0 N/A
Liberal William Gurdon 3,776 48.0 N/A
Majority 320 4.0 N/A
Turnout 7,872 83.8 N/A
Registered electors 9,391
Conservative win (new seat)
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gollark: The system here (for A levels) is that you just do one set of exams at the end of two years and schools can do mock ones if they want. It *sounds* sensible, except you apply to universities before getting any A level grades and also a significant amount of things depend just on how well you happened to do over one/a few days.
gollark: You have very brief time to revise between exams?
gollark: Huh. Wow.
gollark: Oh, so you just... have... exams... constantly?

See also

Notes and references
Notes
  1. A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
References
  1. "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. "Political Science Resources: links to UK and US politics". www.psr.keele.ac.uk.
  3. "BBC NEWS – UK – UK Politics – MP Fraser poised to leave Commons". news.bbc.co.uk.
  4. Swaine, By Jon. "MPs' expenses: Christopher Fraser says that claim for trees was necessary".
  5. Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  6. Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. The public general acts. unknown library. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884.
  7. S., Craig, Fred W. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885–1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0900178094. OCLC 539011.
  8. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  9. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  10. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  11. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "N" (part 2)
  12. "Norfolk South West Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  13. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  14. "Norfolk South West 2015". electionresults.blogspot.co.uk.
  15. "UKIP South West Norfolk – Thetford Swaffham Downham Market". UKIP South West Norfolk – Thetford Swaffham Downham Market.
  16. http://www.libdems.org.uk/general_election_candidates#East_of_England
  17. "Candidates". YourNextMP. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  18. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  19. http://candidates.ukip.org/index.php?pg=show&eid=399
  20. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-04-14. Retrieved 2010-03-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  23. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  24. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  25. "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
  26. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  27. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  28. Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  29. British parliamentary election results, 1885–1918 (Craig)
  30. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  31. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1886

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