Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom 1885-1918 & since 1974
North West Norfolk
is a
constituency
[n 1]
represented in the
House of Commons
of the
UK Parliament
since 2019 by
James Wild
, a
Conservative
.
[n 2]
History
[
edit
]
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
North-Western Division of Norfolk
, largely formed from northern parts of the abolished
Western Division
. It was abolished at the next redistribution of seats under the provisions of the
Representation of the People Act 1918
, when it was largely absorbed by the expanded constituency of King's Lynn. It was re-established for the
February 1974 general election
, replacing the abolished
King's Lynn constituency
.
The present constituency includes two former
Parliamentary Boroughs
, those of
Castle Rising
, which was abolished as a '
rotten borough
' in 1832, and
King's Lynn
, abolished in 1918.
The first MP in the re-established constituency was
Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler
, who had gained King's Lynn, largely a
bellwether
seat, from one of
Harold Wilson
's government colleagues in the
Labour Party
. He therefore effectively held the seat in the two 1974 elections, and in 1979; however, by March 1981, he became distanced from the
Conservatives
and defected to the newly formed
Social Democratic Party
shortly before the
1983 Conservative landslide
, in which Brocklebank-Fowler lost his seat to the replacement Conservative candidate
Henry Bellingham
.
Bellingham increased his precarious lead over Brocklebank-Fowler at the
1987 general election
. Therefore, at the
following election
, Brocklebank-Fowler chose to contest another seat
[n 3]
and
Labour
's candidate regained second place in this constituency, almost doubling their share of the vote. Labour gained the seat at the
1997 general election
; however, Bellingham regained the seat at the
2001 general election
and subsequently increased his majority in both
2005
and
2010
.
The
2010
election saw
political party
infighting when the Labour candidate for North West Norfolk, Manish Sood
[n 4]
[2]
stated in an interview with the local newspaper
Lynn News
that
Gordon Brown
was
"the worst prime minister we have had in this country."
This gained national attention and resulted in Labour disowning their candidate. Sood did not attend the count and stated he would watch it from his home in Leicester.
[3]
He ended up finishing third, behind Bellingham and the
Liberal Democrat
candidate William Summers, whose party received their best ever result in the constituency,
[4]
with an 18.3%
swing
from Labour to the others.
[5]
[6]
[7]
Labour's share of the vote fell from a winning 43.8% in the 1997 election to just 13.3% in 2010, marking the steepest decline from the start to end of the thirteen years of
Labour
government.
Bellingham's majority fell slightly in
2015
, but he retained the seat in the
2017 general election
with 60% of the vote, having been knighted in the New Year's
honours list
of 2016. He did not stand at the
2019 election
and was succeeded as the Conservative candidate by
James Wild
who won the seat with a record majority of 42.7%.
Constituency profile
[
edit
]
Norfolk North West constituency covers an extensive hinterland in the far corner of East Anglia - remote from
London
, but close to Lincolnshire and the East Midlands, with which the area shares more economic links.
A minority of
King's Lynn
contain severe poverty marked by unemployment,
[8]
social housing
dependency and social problems - within relatively affluent
East Anglia
, only
Jaywick
and
Great Yarmouth
from 2001 to 2004 scored higher in
deprivation indices
. Contrasted with this is the bulk of the area: the tourist resort
Hunstanton
, retail, military, public sector and commercial activity of
Kings Lynn
and the royal estate at
Sandringham
, along with many small villages and more than 50% undulating cultivated farmland ? incomes and types of dwelling are close to the national average.
Boundaries and boundary changes
[
edit
]
1885?1918
[
edit
]
- The Municipal Borough of King's Lynn; and
- The Sessional Divisions of Brothercross, Freebridge Lynn, Freebridge Marshall, and Gallow and Smithdon.
[9]
As
King's Lynn
formed a separate
Parliamentary Borough
, only non-resident freeholders of the Borough were entitled to vote in this constituency.
On abolition, the bulk of the Division was amalgamated with the abolished Parliamentary Borough of King's Lynn to form the new King's Lynn Division of Norfolk. Eastern areas, including
Fakenham
, were transferred to the
Northern Division
.
1974?1983
[
edit
]
- The Municipal Borough of King's Lynn;
- The Urban Districts of Hunstanton and Wells-next-the-Sea; and
- The Rural Districts of Docking, Freebridge Lynn, Marshland, and Walsingham.
[10]
The re-established constituency was formed from the abolished constituency of King's Lynn with the addition of
Wells-next-the-Sea
and the
Rural District of Walsingham
, which included Fakenham, transferred from
North Norfolk
. (This area is currently in the constituencies of North Norfolk and
Broadland
.)
1983?2010
[
edit
]
- The Borough of
King's Lynn and West Norfolk
wards of Burnham, Chase, Clenchwarton, Creake, Dersingham, Docking, Gayton, Gaywood Central, Gaywood North, Gaywood South, Grimston, Heacham, Hunstanton, Lynn Central, Lynn North, Lynn South West, Mershe Lande, Middleton, North Coast, Priory, Rudham, St Lawrence, St Margaret's, Snettisham, Spellowfields, The Walpoles, The Woottons, Valley Hill, West Walton, West Winch, and Wiggenhall.
[11]
[12]
Wells-next-the-Sea and areas comprising the former Rural District of Walsingham, including Fakenham, were transferred back to North Norfolk. Minor realignment of the boundary with
South West Norfolk
.
Map of boundaries 2010-2024
2010?2024
[
edit
]
- The Borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk wards of Brancaster, Burnham, Clenchwarton, Dersingham, Docking, Fairstead, Gayton, Gaywood Chase, Gaywood North Bank, Grimston, Heacham, Hunstanton, North Lynn, North Wootton, Old Gaywood, Priory, Rudham, St Margaret's with St Nicholas, Snettisham, South and West Lynn, South Wootton, Spellowfields, Springwood, Valley Hill, Walpole, and West Winch.
[13]
Small area transferred to South West Norfolk.
Current
[
edit
]
Further to the
2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies
, which came into effect for the
2024 general election
, the composition of the constituency is as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
- The Borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk wards of: Bircham with Rudhams; Brancaster; Burnham Market & Docking; Clenchwarton; Dersingham; Fairstead; Gayton & Grimston; Gaywood Chase; Gaywood Clock; Gaywood North Bank; Heacham; Hunstanton; Massingham with Castle Acre; North Lynn; St. Margaret’s with St. Nicholas; Snettisham; South & West Lynn; Springwood; Terrington; The Woottons; Walsoken, West Walton & Walpole; West Winch.
[14]
Minor net gain from
South West Norfolk
following changes to local authority ward boundaries.
Members of Parliament
[
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]
MPs 1885?1918
[
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]
MPs since 1974
[
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]
Elections
[
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]
Elections in the 2020s
[
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]
Elections in the 2010s
[
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]
Elections in the 2000s
[
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]
Elections in the 1990s
[
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]
Elections in the 1980s
[
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]
Elections in the 1970s
[
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]
Elections in the 1910s
[
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]
Elections in the 1900s
[
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]
Elections in the 1890s
[
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]
Elections in the 1880s
[
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]
See also
[
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]
Notes
[
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]
References
[
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]