Luton_South_(UK_Parliament_constituency)

Luton South (UK Parliament constituency)

Luton South (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983 onwards


Luton South is a constituency[n 1] in Bedfordshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Rachel Hopkins, a member of the Labour Party.[n 2]

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Under the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the constituency will only be subject to minor boundary changes, but is to be renamed Luton South and South Bedfordshire - to be first contested at the next general election.[3]

Constituency profile

The constituency covers the southern and eastern areas of Luton, inclusive of the town centre and Luton Airport. It also comprises the rural country house estate of Luton Hoo, in addition to the late medieval Someries Castle, and the villages/hamlets, extending south to the border of Hertfordshire and the town of Harpenden. The areas of Luton it spans include Stopsley, Wigmore, Butterfield Green, Hart Hill, Wardown Park, Bury Park, Dallow, Farley Hill, New Town, and Stockwood Park.

Outside of the actual Borough of Luton, it also encompasses the small village of East Hyde on the Hertfordshire border, as well as Slip End and Caddington, which are near the M1 motorway.

Demographically, the constituency is mixed, with large southern Asian communities in the Bury Park and Farley Hill areas. The largest community is White British, though Africans and Afro-Caribbeans, as well as newer immigrant arrivals from Eastern Europe, form substantial parts of the population.

The town centre features The Mall Luton (the town's main shopping centre), the University of Bedfordshire Luton campus, and various amenities such as The Galaxy entertainment complex, and Luton railway station on the Midland Main Line. Luton Town FC, currently of the Premier League, is within the constituency, as would be their intended new home stadium at Power Court (to the immediate east of The Mall Luton). The railway station serving London Luton Airport, Luton Airport Parkway, is also within the constituency. A new rail link is being constructed between this station and the airport, which is due to be opened in 2021.

Vauxhall still makes vehicles in this area, although the operations have reduced greatly since a large part of the facility closed in the early 2000s.

History

This seat was created in 1983, primarily from the former seat of Luton East.

The constituency and its predecessors the Luton East and Luton constituencies were long considered a bellwether (they had elected an MP from the winning party in each election since the 1951 general election). Margaret Moran, who was the Labour MP from 1997, stood down at the 2010 general election after falsifying claims for her expenses.[4]

Bellwether status ended in the 2010 general election, when the constituency elected a Labour MP while the Conservatives were the largest party in the House of Commons. As a result, its new MP Gavin Shuker became one of just two Labour MPs elected in 2010 in the East of England, alongside Kelvin Hopkins, the MP for the Luton North seat. Shuker and Hopkins served as MPs for the two divisions of Luton at the two subsequent elections with increasing majorities, although the majority in South has not been larger than that of North since 2001.

In the 2019 general election, Shuker stood as an independent but was defeated by the Labour Party candidate, Rachel Hopkins - the daughter of Kelvin, who did not stand in Luton North after losing the Labour whip in 2017.

Boundaries and boundary changes

Map of present boundaries

1983–1997

  • The Borough of Luton wards of Biscot, Crawley, Dallow, Farley, High Town, Putteridge, Saints, South, and Stopsley; and
  • The District of South Bedfordshire wards of Caddington and Slip End.[5]

This was a new constituency incorporating the abolished constituency of Luton East. It also included the southernmost parts of the abolished constituency of Luton West and a small part from the south-east of the abolished constituency of South Bedfordshire.

1997–2010

  • The Borough of Luton wards of Biscot, Crawley, Dallow, Farley, High Town, Putteridge, South, and Stopsley; and
  • The District of South Bedfordshire wards of Caddington and Slip End.[6]

The Saints ward was transferred to Luton North.

2010–present

  • The Borough of Luton wards of Biscot, Crawley, Dallow, Farley, High Town, Round Green, South, Stopsley, and Wigmore; and
  • The District of South Bedfordshire ward of Caddington, Hyde and Slip End.[7]

Marginal changes due to revision of local authority wards.

NB: the wards of the district of South Bedfordshire now form the majority of the Caddington ward of the Central Bedfordshire unitary authority, the former wards having been abolished following the conversion to unitary councils in Bedfordshire in 2009.

Members of Parliament

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

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Elections in the 2010s

Incumbent MP Gavin Shuker (formerly Labour) unsuccessfully sought reelection as an Independent candidate. On 2 November 2019, the Liberal Democrats decided not to stand a candidate and endorsed Shuker.[10]

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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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See also

Notes

  1. A borough 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. "England Parliamentary electorates 2010-2018". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  2. "'Luton South', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  3. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  4. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  5. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  6. "Find My PPC (Eastern England)" (PDF). Reform UK. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  7. "Statement of persons nominated and notice of poll" (PDF). Luton Borough Council. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  8. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  9. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. Statement of Persons Nominated Archived 4 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine Luton Borough Council
  11. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  12. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  16. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

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