# Central Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)

Central Norfolk was a county constituency in the county of Norfolk. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

## History

The constituency was created by the Representation of the People Act 1948 for the 1950 general election, and abolished for the February 1974 general election.

## Boundaries and boundary changes
### 1950–1951

* The Rural Districts of Forehoe and Henstead, and St Faith's and Aylsham; and
* The Rural District of Blofield and Flegg parishes of Great and Little Plumstead, Postwick, and Thorpe next Norwich.
The Rural District of Forehoe and Henstead was previously part of South Norfolk, the former Rural District of Aylesham (now merged with the former Rural District of St Faith's) was part of North Norfolk, and remaining areas, to the north and east of Norwich, were part of the abolished constituency of East Norfolk.

### 1951–1974

* As prior but with slightly redrawn boundaries.
Minor transfer to Norwich North under the provisions of Statutory Instrument 1951/325.
On abolition, the Rural District of St Faiths and Aylsham was transferred to North Norfolk, the Rural District of Forhoe and Henstead to South Norfolk and the part of the Rural District of Blofield and Flegg to Yarmouth. Small parts transferred to Norwich North and Norwich South due to expansion of the County Borough.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party | Notes |
| | 1950 | Frank Medlicott | National Liberal and Conservative |
| | 1959 | Richard Collard | Conservative and National Liberal | Died in office August 1962 |
| | 1962 by-election | Ian Gilmour | Conservative |
| Feb 1974 | Feb 1974 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Norfolk Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National Liberal | Frank Medlicott | 20,407 | 51.3 | |
| | Labour | G. W. Holderness | 16,516 | 41.5 | |
| | Liberal | Philip Jebb | 2,859 | 7.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,891 | 9.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,782 | 84.3 | |
| | National Liberal win (new seat) | National Liberal win (new seat) | National Liberal win (new seat) | National Liberal win (new seat) | National Liberal win (new seat) |
General election 1951: Norfolk Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | National Liberal | Frank Medlicott | 21,909 | 55.92 |
| | Labour | John R Lambley | 17,270 | 44.08 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,639 | 11.84 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,179 | 81.75 |
| | National Liberal hold | National Liberal hold | Swing | |
General election 1955: Norfolk Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | National Liberal | Frank Medlicott | 21,851 | 57.29 |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Littlejohn | 16,288 | 42.71 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,563 | 14.58 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,139 | 77.41 |
| | National Liberal hold | National Liberal hold | Swing | |
General election 1959: Norfolk Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National Liberal | Richard Collard | 21,918 | 50.4 | −6.9 |
| | Labour | Frank H Stone | 15,131 | 34.8 | −7.9 |
| | Liberal | Geoffrey Maxwell Goode | 6,465 | 14.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,787 | 15.6 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,514 | 79.8 | +2.4 |
| | National Liberal hold | National Liberal hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

1962 Central Norfolk by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National Liberal | Ian Gilmour | 13,268 | 37.7 | −12.7 |
| | Labour | Geoffrey B L Bennett | 13,048 | 37.0 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal | Geoffrey Maxwell Goode | 7,915 | 22.5 | +7.7 |
| | Independent Liberal | Kenneth Coleman | 909 | 2.6 | New |
| | Independent | J. Andrews | 79 | 0.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 220 | 0.7 | −14.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,217 | 60.2 | −19.6 |
| | National Liberal hold | National Liberal hold | Swing | −7.5 | |
* anti-Common Market
General election 1964: Norfolk Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ian Gilmour | 24,486 | 49.0 | −1.4 |
| | Labour | Geoffrey B L Bennett | 18,481 | 37.0 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal | Geoffrey Maxwell Goode | 6,961 | 14.0 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,005 | 12.0 | −3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,928 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1966: Norfolk Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ian Gilmour | 27,935 | 54.3 | +5.3 |
| | Labour | Bryan Davies | 23,529 | 45.7 | +8.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,406 | 8.6 | −3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,464 | 79.8 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Norfolk Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ian Gilmour | 32,921 | 56.6 | +2.3 |
| | Labour | Charles R Coyne | 19,030 | 32.7 | −13.0 |
| | Liberal | Royle Drew | 6,172 | 10.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,891 | 23.9 | +15.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,123 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |