# Kettering (UK Parliament constituency)

Kettering is a constituency in Northamptonshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Rosie Wrighting of the Labour Party.

## Constituency profile

Economically, it is predominantly middle-class, well within managerial/directorial commuter zones for London and the West Midlands. Industry continues in some sectors ranging from, for example, lingerie, food production, rigid containers, abattoirs, to the Weetabix factory in Burton Latimer, but the industrial activity of the area, as with the rest of the county, is reduced whereas the wider area's headline gross value added for the area per head has been mostly consistently higher, from £11,667 in 1997 in North Northamptonshire to £17,835.
In 2005 The Guardian described it as:
   '[A] mixed industrial town in Northamptonshire with good links to London.'
Prior to 1983, the constituency had been dominated not by the eponymous town, but by the nearby industrial town of Corby. The town's general support for Labour made Kettering a reliable Labour seat, as the party won it at every election from 1945 to when Corby was split off to form its own constituency in 1983. In its current configuration Kettering is much more inclined towards the Conservatives, though Labour won it in their landslide victories in 1997, 2001 and 2024.

## Boundaries

The constituency covers the major town of Kettering, the smaller towns of Desborough, Rothwell and Burton Latimer together with a number of villages. A semi-rural seat, the preponderance of constituents live in the towns and a minority of the wards form a wide array of rural communities that have civil parish or hamlet status.
1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Desborough, Kettering, and Rothwell, the Rural Districts of Brixworth, Kettering, and Oxendon, and in the Rural District of Northampton the parishes of Great Billing, Little Billing, and Weston Favell.
The constituency created in 1950 included the generally (in the late 20th century) Labour-majority industrial town of Corby until the 1983 general election, when Corby gained its own constituency.
1950–1974: The Municipal Borough of Kettering, the Urban Districts of Burton Latimer, Desborough, Corby and Rothwell, and the Rural Districts of Brixworth and Kettering.
1974–1983: The Municipal Borough of Kettering, the Urban Districts of Burton Latimer, Corby, Desborough, and Rothwell, and the Rural District of Kettering.
1983–1997: The Borough of Kettering, and the District of Daventry wards of Boughton and Pitsford, Brixworth, Clipston, Moulton, and Overstone and Walgrave.
1997–2010: The Borough of Kettering, and the District of Daventry wards of Boughton and Pitsford, Brixworth, Clipston, Guilsborough, Moulton, Overstone and Walgrave, Spratton, and Welford.
2010–2021: The Borough of Kettering.
The Boundary Commission's Fifth periodic review of Westminster constituencies proposed an additional seat in Northamptonshire due to population growth in the county. Parliament approved its recommendations for 2010 which made way for the new constituency of South Northamptonshire. The resulting boundary changes resulted in the loss of the District of Daventry wards from the Kettering constituency.
2024–present: The North Northamptonshire wards of Burton and Broughton, Corby Rural (part), Clover Hill, Desborough, Ise, Northall, Rothwell and Mawsley, Wicksteed and Windmill.

## Members of Parliament

The current Member of Parliament is Rosie Wrighting of the Labour Party. She was elected in 2024 when she defeated the sitting Conservative MP, Philip Hollobone, in an election which nationally saw a landslide win for the Labour Party. Prior to Wrighting's victory, Kettering had been a predominantly safe Conservative seat since the removal of Corby in 1983, as Labour had only won it in their two landslides in 1997 and 2001, by tight margins of just 189 and 665 votes (0.3 and 1.2 percent of the vote) respectively. Her majority was by far the largest for Labour since before Corby was removed from the seat.
| Election | Member | Party |
| 1918 | Alfred Waterson | Co-operative |
| 1922 | Owen Parker | Conservative |
| 1923 | Samuel Perry | Labour Co-operative |
| 1924 | Mervyn Manningham-Buller | Conservative |
| 1929 | Samuel Perry | Labour Co-operative |
| 1931 | John Eastwood | Conservative |
| 1940 by-election | John Profumo | Conservative |
| 1945 | Gilbert Mitchison | Labour |
| 1964 | Geoffrey de Freitas | Labour |
| 1979 | Bill Homewood | Labour |
| 1983 | Roger Freeman | Conservative |
| 1997 | Phil Sawford | Labour |
| 2005 | Philip Hollobone | Conservative |
| 2024 | Rosie Wrighting | Labour |

### Mid Northamptonshire Constituency (1885–1918)

Prior to boundary changes in 1918, at least the majority of modern-day Kettering Constituency lay within the Mid Northamptonshire constituency.

### North Northamptonshire Constituency (1832–1885)

Prior to boundary changes in 1885, at least the majority of modern-day Kettering Constituency lay within the North Northamptonshire constituency, which elected two members to Parliament.

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rosie Wrighting | 18,009 | 35.9 | +9.0 |
| | Conservative | Philip Hollobone | 14,189 | 28.2 | −32.1 |
| | Reform UK | Crispian Besley | 8,468 | 16.9 | N/A |
| | Green | Emily Fedorowycz | 7,004 | 13.9 | +10.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sarah Ryan | 1,357 | 2.7 | −4.0 |
| | Independent | Jim Hakewill | 1,057 | 2.1 | −1.1 |
| | SDP | Matthew Murphy | 85 | 0.2 | N/A |
| | ADF | Jehad Aburamadan | 62 | 0.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,900 | 7.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,231 | 63.3 | −5.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 79,390 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +20.6 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Philip Hollobone | 29,787 | 60.3 | 2.4 |
| | Labour | Clare Pavitt | 13,022 | 26.4 | 10.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Nelson | 3,367 | 6.8 | 3.5 |
| | Independent | Jim Hakewill | 1,642 | 3.3 | New |
| | Green | Jamie Wildman | 1,543 | 3.1 | 0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,765 | 33.9 | 12.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,361 | 67.4 | 1.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 6.25 | |
General election 2017: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Philip Hollobone | 28,616 | 57.9 | 6.1 |
| | Labour | Mick Scrimshaw | 18,054 | 36.5 | 11.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Suzanna Austin | 1,618 | 3.3 | 0.1 |
| | Green | Rob Reeves | 1,116 | 2.3 | 1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,562 | 21.4 | 5.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,404 | 69.1 | 1.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 2.6 | |
General election 2015: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Philip Hollobone | 24,467 | 51.8 | +2.7 |
| | Labour | Rhea Keehn | 11,877 | 25.2 | −4.7 |
| | UKIP | Jonathan Bullock | 7,600 | 16.1 | New |
| | Green | Rob Reeves | 1,633 | 3.5 | New |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris McGlynn | 1,490 | 3.2 | −12.6 |
| | English Democrat | Derek Hilling | 151 | 0.3 | −1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,590 | 26.6 | +7.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,218 | 67.3 | −1.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.75 | |
General election 2010: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Philip Hollobone | 23,247 | 49.1 | +6.2 |
| | Labour | Phil Sawford | 14,153 | 29.9 | −12.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Nelson | 7,498 | 15.8 | +3.6 |
| | BNP | Clive Skinner | 1,366 | 2.9 | New |
| | English Democrat | Derek Hilling | 952 | 2.0 | New |
| | Bus-Pass Elvis | Dave Bishop | 112 | 0.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,094 | 19.2 | +13.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,328 | 68.8 | −0.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +9.4 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Philip Hollobone | 25,401 | 45.6 | +2.1 |
| | Labour | Phil Sawford | 22,100 | 39.7 | −5.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roger Aron | 6,882 | 12.4 | +2.2 |
| | UKIP | Rosemarie Clarke | 1,263 | 2.3 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,301 | 5.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,646 | 68.0 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +3.55 | |
General election 2001: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Phil Sawford | 24,034 | 44.7 | +1.4 |
| | Conservative | Philip Hollobone | 23,369 | 43.5 | +0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roger Aron | 5,469 | 10.2 | −0.5 |
| | UKIP | Barry Mahoney | 880 | 1.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 665 | 1.2 | +0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,752 | 68.1 | −7.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.45 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Phil Sawford | 24,650 | 43.3 | +11.4 |
| | Conservative | Roger Freeman | 24,461 | 43.0 | −9.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roger Aron | 6,098 | 10.7 | −4.7 |
| | Referendum | Arthur Smith | 1551 | 2.7 | New |
| | Natural Law | Rosemary le Carpentier | 197 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 189 | 0.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,957 | 75.5 | −7.4 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +9.9 | |
General election 1992: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Roger Freeman | 29,115 | 52.0 | +0.9 |
| | Labour Co-op | Phil Hope | 17,961 | 32.1 | +12.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Denton-White | 8,962 | 16.0 | −13.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,154 | 19.9 | −1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,038 | 82.6 | +3.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −5.7 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Roger Freeman | 26,532 | 51.0 | +2.6 |
| | SDP | Celia Goodhart | 15,205 | 29.3 | −1.2 |
| | Labour | Ashley Minto | 10,229 | 19.7 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,327 | 21.7 | +3.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,196 | 78.8 | +2.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1983: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Roger Freeman | 23,223 | 48.4 | −0.2 |
| | SDP | Celia Goodhart | 14,637 | 30.5 | +18.4 |
| | Labour | Alex Gordon | 10,119 | 21.1 | −18.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,586 | 17.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,979 | 76.4 | −2.9 |
| | Conservative win (new boundaries) | Conservative win (new boundaries) | Conservative win (new boundaries) | Conservative win (new boundaries) | Conservative win (new boundaries) |
Note: The boundary changes to the seat for the 1983 election meant that this seat would have been won by the Conservatives in 1979, as parts of the seat were moved into the newly created seat of Corby which was notionally Labour on the new boundaries and thus saw William Homewood attempt (unsuccessfully albeit) to seek re-election there.

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Homewood | 31,579 | 45.0 | −4.3 |
| | Conservative | Rupert Allason | 30,101 | 42.9 | +11.4 |
| | Liberal | G. Raven | 8,424 | 12.0 | −7.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,478 | 2.1 | −15.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 70,104 | 79.3 | +6.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Geoffrey de Freitas | 30,970 | 49.3 | +3.4 |
| | Conservative | G.D. Reed | 19,800 | 31.5 | −0.2 |
| | Liberal | A. James W. Haigh | 12,038 | 19.2 | −3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,170 | 17.8 | +3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 62,808 | 73.2 | −7.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Geoffrey de Freitas | 31,659 | 45.9 | −2.3 |
| | Conservative | G.D. Reed | 21,872 | 31.7 | −10.7 |
| | Liberal | A. James W. Haigh | 15,393 | 22.3 | +13.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,787 | 14.2 | +8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 68,924 | 81.1 | +5.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1970: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Geoffrey de Freitas | 34,803 | 48.3 | −4.3 |
| | Conservative | John Charles Taylor | 30,613 | 42.5 | +6.9 |
| | Liberal | A. James W. Haigh | 6,695 | 9.3 | −2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,190 | 5.8 | −11.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 72,111 | 75.5 | −5.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Geoffrey de Freitas | 35,337 | 52.6 | −2.6 |
| | Conservative | Trevor E.T. Weston | 23,877 | 35.6 | −9.2 |
| | Liberal | Anthony Smith | 7,903 | 11.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,460 | 17.0 | +6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 67,117 | 81.3 | −0.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1964: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Geoffrey de Freitas | 36,210 | 55.2 | +2.4 |
| | Conservative | J. Hedley Lewis | 29,405 | 44.8 | −2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,805 | 10.4 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 65,615 | 81.5 | +4.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dick Mitchison | 32,933 | 52.8 | −2.4 |
| | Conservative | Neil Stone | 29,448 | 47.2 | 2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,485 | 5.6 | −4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 62,381 | 77.5 | −4.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dick Mitchison | 31,198 | 55.2 | −0.6 |
| | Conservative | John F. Nash | 25,495 | 44.8 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,903 | 10.4 | −1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,893 | 81.6 | −5.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1951: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dick Mitchison | 32,604 | 55.8 | +3.2 |
| | Conservative | C. Peter B. Bailey | 25,777 | 44.2 | +5.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,827 | 11.6 | −2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,381 | 87.2 | −0.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1950: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dick Mitchison | 30,243 | 52.6 | −1.0 |
| | Conservative | Gyles Isham | 22,169 | 38.6 | −3.5 |
| | Liberal | Ian Morrow | 4,692 | 8.2 | New |
| | Communist | L.P. O'Connor | 368 | 0.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,074 | 14.0 | +2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,472 | 88.1 | +13.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dick Mitchison | 29,868 | 53.6 | +5.7 |
| | Conservative | John Profumo | 23,424 | 42.1 | −10.0 |
| | Christian Pacifist Party | John Chamberlain Dempsey | 2,381 | 4.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,444 | 11.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,530 | 75.1 | −2.2 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
The British Council commissioned a short film on the 1945 General Election which portrays the contest in the Kettering constituency.
1940 Kettering by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Profumo | 17,914 | 73.0 | +20.9 |
| | Workers' and Pensioners' Anti-War | W. Ross | 6,616 | 27.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,298 | 46.0 | +41.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,530 | 37.8 | −39.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Eastwood | 22,885 | 52.1 | −8.1 |
| | Labour Co-op | J.R. Sadler | 21,042 | 47.9 | +8.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,843 | 4.2 | −16.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,927 | 77.3 | −8.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1931: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Eastwood | 25,811 | 60.2 | +23.1 |
| | Labour Co-op | Samuel Perry | 17,095 | 39.8 | −4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,716 | 20.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,906 | 85.7 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Samuel Perry | 18,253 | 43.8 | −4.2 |
| | Unionist | J. Brown | 15,469 | 37.1 | −14.9 |
| | Liberal | Cuthbert Snowball Rewcastle | 7,972 | 19.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,784 | 6.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,441 | 85.8 | +1.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 48,588 | | |
| | Labour Co-op gain from Unionist | Labour Co-op gain from Unionist | Swing | +5.4 | |
General election 1924: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Mervyn Manningham-Buller | 16,042 | 52.0 | +17.0 |
| | Labour Co-op | Samuel Perry | 14,801 | 48.0 | +4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,241 | 4.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,843 | 84.3 | +3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 36,574 | | |
| | Unionist gain from Labour Co-op | Unionist gain from Labour Co-op | Swing | +6.3 | |
General election 1923: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Samuel Perry | 12,718 | 43.5 | −6.0 |
| | Unionist | Owen Parker | 10,212 | 35.0 | −15.5 |
| | Liberal | Alfred Yeo | 6,273 | 21.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,506 | 8.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,203 | 81.3 | +0.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,899 | | |
| | Labour Co-op gain from Unionist | Labour Co-op gain from Unionist | Swing | +4.8 | |
General election 1922: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Owen Parker | 14,333 | 50.5 | New |
| | Labour Co-op | Alfred Waterson | 14,024 | 49.5 | +1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 309 | 1.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,357 | 81.0 | +15.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 35,024 | | |
| | Unionist gain from Co-operative Party | Unionist gain from Co-operative Party | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Kettering :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Co-operative Party | Alfred Waterson | 10,299 | 45.7 | |
| C | Liberal | Leland William Buxton | 7,761 | 34.4 | |
| | National | Algernon Ferguson | 4,489 | 19.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,538 | 11.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,549 | 65.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 34,624 | | |
| | Co-operative Party win (new seat) | Co-operative Party win (new seat) | Co-operative Party win (new seat) | Co-operative Party win (new seat) | Co-operative Party win (new seat) |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||