Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1950 onwards
Norwich North
is a
constituency
[n 1]
represented in the
House of Commons
of the
UK Parliament
since 2009 by
Conservative
Chloe Smith
.
[n 2]
The constituency includes parts of two local government areas,
Norwich
and
Broadland
with the majority of the electorate in Broadland.
History
[
edit
]
The constituency was created by the
Representation of the People Act 1948
for the
1950 general election
, when the former two-seat constituency of
Norwich
was divided into two single-member seats, Norwich North and
Norwich South
.
It was initially a safe seat for the Labour Party, held continuously by the party until 1983, when major boundary changes made the seat much more favourable to the Conservatives,
[2]
who then held the seat from 1983 to 1997. The Labour member from 1997 to 2009 was
Ian Gibson
, who resigned as an MP with immediate effect on 5 June 2009 after being implicated in the
expenses scandal
.
A by-election
was held to replace him on 23 July 2009,
[3]
which was won by the Conservative
Chloe Smith
. Chloe Smith has retained the seat in the 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019 general elections, achieving over 50% of the vote for the first time in 2019. Smith has announced her intention to stand down from Parliament at the
2024 general election
.
[4]
Boundaries and boundary changes
[
edit
]
1950?1951
[
edit
]
- The County Borough of Norwich wards of Catton, Coslany, Fye Bridge, Heigham, Hellesdon, Mousehold, Thorpe, and Westwick.
[5]
1951?1974
[
edit
]
- The County Borough of Norwich wards of Catton, Coslany, Fye Bridge, Heigham, Hellesdon, Mousehold, Thorpe, and Westwick; and
- The part of the civil parish of Thorpe-next-Norwich in the Rural District of Blofield and Flegg, and the part of the parish of Sprowston in the Rural District of St Faiths and Aylsham, added to the County Borough of Norwich by the Norwich Extension Act 1950.
[6]
Minor expansion of boundaries under the provisions of Statutory Instrument 1951/325.
[7]
1974?1983
[
edit
]
- The County Borough of Norwich wards of Catton, Coslany, Crome, Heigham, Hellesdon, Mancroft, Mousehold, and Thorpe.
[8]
Further to the
Second Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies
a redistribution of seats was enacted in 1970. However, in the case of the two Norwich constituencies, this was superseded before the
February 1974 general election
by the Parliamentary Constituencies (Norwich) Order 1973 which followed on from a revision of the County Borough of Norwich wards in 1971, resulting in a realignment of the boundary with Norwich South.
1983?1997
[
edit
]
- The District of Broadland wards of Catton, Hellesdon North, Hellesdon South East, Hellesdon West, Sprowston Central, Sprowston East, Sprowston South, Sprowston West, Thorpe St Andrew North East, Thorpe St Andrew North West, and Thorpe St Andrew South; and
- The City of Norwich wards of Catton Grove, Coslany, Crome, Mile Cross, and Mousehold.
[9]
Gained suburban areas now part of the
District of Broadland
, including
Thorpe St Andrew
from
Yarmouth
and
Hellesdon
and
Sprowston
from
North Norfolk
. Southern areas transferred to Norwich South.
1997?2010
[
edit
]
- The District of Broadland wards of Catton, Drayton, Hellesdon North, Hellesdon South East, Hellesdon West, Sprowston Central, Sprowston East, Sprowston South, Sprowston West, Taverham, Thorpe St Andrew North East, Thorpe St Andrew North West, and Thorpe St Andrew South; and
- The City of Norwich wards of Catton Grove, Coslany, Crome, Mile Cross, and Mousehold.
[10]
District of Broadland wards of
Drayton
and
Taverham
transferred from
Mid Norfolk
.
2010?present
[
edit
]
Map of current boundaries
- The District of Broadland wards of Hellesdon North West, Hellesdon South East, Old Catton and Sprowston West, Sprowston Central, Sprowston East, Thorpe St Andrew North West, and Thorpe St Andrew South East; and
- The City of Norwich wards of Catton Grove, Crome, Mile Cross, and Sewell.
[11]
Drayton and Taverham were transferred back out, to the new constituency of
Broadland
. In Norwich, the part of the Crome ward around Morse Road moved to Norwich North, while the area around Mousehold Street in Thorpe Hamlet became part of Norwich South.
Following their review of parliamentary constituencies in Norfolk that concluded in 2007 and came into effect for the
2010 general election
, the
Boundary Commission for England
created a slightly modified Norwich North constituency. The changes were necessary to re-align the constituency boundaries with the new local government ward boundaries introduced in Broadland and Norwich and to take account of Norfolk being awarded an additional, ninth
constituency
by the Boundary Commission.
Proposed
[
edit
]
Further to the
2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies
, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, from the
2024 United Kingdom general election
, the constituency will be expanded slightly to regain Drayton (but not Taverham) from
Broadland
and the area around Mousehold Street from
Norwich South
.
[12]
Members of Parliament
[
edit
]
Elections
[
edit
]
Elections in the 2020s
[
edit
]
Nick Rose was selected as the Conservative candidate, but later resigned due to "controversial language" used.
[18]
Elections in the 2010s
[
edit
]
Elections in the 2000s
[
edit
]
Elections in the 1990s
[
edit
]
Elections in the 1980s
[
edit
]
Note: This constituency underwent boundary changes after the 1979 election, so was notionally a Conservative-held seat.
[35]
Elections in the 1970s
[
edit
]
Elections in the 1960s
[
edit
]
Elections in the 1950s
[
edit
]
See also
[
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]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
A
county constituency
(for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
- ^
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
[
edit
]
52°39′N
1°18′E
/
52.65°N 1.30°E
/
52.65; 1.30