# Hertford and Stortford (UK Parliament constituency)

Hertford and Stortford is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Josh Dean of the Labour Party since 2024.

## Constituency profile

The constituency is semi-rural and includes picturesque villages and farmland. The rivers Rib, Beane, Mimram, and Lea all meet in the county town of Hertford (2011 population 25,000), which is protected from over-development by a Green Belt encircling the town and separating it from Ware (18,000) in the western part of the constituency. Farms continue between Ware and the market town of Bishop's Stortford (40,000), in the northeast corner of the seat.
Hertford and Stortford constituency is generally regarded as an affluent seat, and includes a significant proportion of professional and managerial workers. Central London is within commuting distance by train of all the towns in the constituency. The pharmaceutical industry is a major employer in the seat and surrounding areas: both Ware and Harlow are the sites of GlaxoSmithKline facilities (while Gilston hosted Merck & Co. between 1982 and 2006). Since the early 1990s, Stansted, just beyond the eastern perimeter of the constituency, has also been responsible for bringing jobs and an improved train service to it.
Many commuters live in Bishop's Stortford, which has rail links to London's Liverpool Street station and is also close to Stansted Airport. Since the 1980s, the population of Thorley—now a southern suburb of Stortford—has become increasingly composed of owner-occupied houses in dormitory estates.
The seat was previously held by the Conservative Party with comfortable majorities from its creation in 1983 until the 2024 general election, when the Labour Party won it on a very large swing of 20.4%.

## Boundaries

The new constituency established in 1983 combined Hertford and Ware, from the abolished constituency of Hertford and Stevenage, with Bishop's Stortford, Sawbridgeworth and rural areas to the west, from the abolished constituency of East Hertfordshire.
1983–1997: The District of East Hertfordshire wards of Bishop's Stortford Central, Bishop's Stortford Chantry, Bishop's Stortford Parsonage, Bishop's Stortford Thorley, Braughing, Buntingford, Hertford Bengeo, Hertford Castle, Hertford Kingsmead, Hertford Sele, Hunsdon, Little Hadham, Much Hadham, Sawbridgeworth, Standon St Mary, Stapleford, Tewin, Thundridge, Ware Christchurch, Ware Priory, Ware St Mary's, and Ware Trinity.
1997–2010: The District of East Hertfordshire wards of Bishop's Stortford Central, Bishop's Stortford Chantry, Bishop's Stortford Parsonage, Bishop's Stortford Thorley, Great Amwell, Hertford Bengeo, Hertford Castle, Hertford Kingsmead, Hertford Sele, Hunsdon, Little Amwell, Much Hadham, Sawbridgeworth, Stanstead, Ware Christchurch, Ware Priory, Ware St Mary's, and Ware Trinity.
    The villages of Stanstead Abbotts and Great Amwell transferred from Broxbourne. Northern, rural areas transferred to the new constituency of North East Hertfordshire.
2010–2024: The District of East Hertfordshire wards of Bishop's Stortford All Saints, Bishop's Stortford Central, Bishop's Stortford Meads, Bishop's Stortford Silverleys, Bishop's Stortford South, Great Amwell, Hertford Bengeo, Hertford Castle, Hertford Heath, Hertford Kingsmead, Hertford Sele, Hunsdon, Much Hadham, Sawbridgeworth, Stanstead Abbots, Ware Chadwell, Ware Christchurch, Ware St Mary's, and Ware Trinity.
    Marginal changes due to revision of local authority wards.
2024–present: The District of East Hertfordshire wards of Bishop's Stortford All Saints, Bishop's Stortford Central, Bishop's Stortford North, Bishop's Stortford Parsonage, Bishop's Stortford South, Bishop's Stortford Thorley Manor, Hertford Bengeo, Hertford Castle, Hertford Kingsmead, Hertford Sele, Hunsdon, Much Hadham, Sawbridgeworth, Ware Priory, Ware Rural (part), Ware St Mary's, and Ware Trinity.
    Reduced to meet the electorate size requirements, with the transfer of the three small wards of Great Amwell, Hertford Heath and Stanstead Abbots (as they existed on 1 December 2020) to Broxbourne.

## Members of Parliament

Hertfordshire East and Hertford and Stevenage prior to 1983
| Election | Member | Party |
| 1983 | Bowen Wells | Conservative |
| 2001 | Mark Prisk | Conservative |
| 2019 | Julie Marson | Conservative |
| 2024 | Josh Dean | Labour |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Hertford and Stortford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Josh Dean | 20,808 | 38.5 | +14.8 |
| | Conservative | Julie Marson | 16,060 | 29.7 | –26.0 |
| | Reform UK | John Burmicz | 8,325 | 15.4 | N/A |
| | Green | Nick Cox | 4,373 | 8.1 | +3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Helen Campbell | 4,167 | 7.7 | –6.5 |
| | Alliance for Democracy and Freedom | Jane Fowler | 139 | 0.3 | N/A |
| | Heritage | Barry Hensall | 137 | 0.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,748 | 8.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,009 | 68.0 | –5.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 78,915 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +20.4 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Conservative | 30,979 | 55.7 |
| | Labour | 13,173 | 23.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 7,907 | 14.2 |
| | Green | 2,587 | 4.6 |
| | Others | 989 | 1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 55,635 | 73.8 |
| Electorate | Electorate | 75,396 |
General election 2019: Hertford and Stortford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Julie Marson | 33,712 | 56.1 | –4.2 |
| | Labour | Chris Vince | 14,092 | 23.4 | –5.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Lucas | 8,596 | 14.3 | +6.2 |
| | Green | Lucy Downes | 2,705 | 4.5 | +1.5 |
| | UKIP | Alistair Lindsay | 681 | 1.1 | N/A |
| | Independent | Brian Percival | 308 | 0.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,620 | 32.7 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 60,094 | 72.9 | +0.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.5 | |
General election 2017: Hertford and Stortford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Prisk | 36,184 | 60.3 | +4.2 |
| | Labour | Katherine Chibah | 17,149 | 28.6 | +10.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Argent | 4,845 | 8.1 | +0.3 |
| | Green | David Woollcombe | 1,814 | 3.0 | –1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,035 | 31.7 | –6.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,992 | 72.8 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | –3.25 | |
General election 2015: Hertford and Stortford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Prisk | 31,593 | 56.1 | +2.3 |
| | Labour | Katherine Chibah | 10,084 | 17.9 | +4.1 |
| | UKIP | Adrian Baker | 7,534 | 13.4 | +10.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Green | 4,385 | 7.8 | –18.2 |
| | Green | Sophie Christophy | 2,681 | 4.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21,509 | 38.2 | +10.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,277 | 71.3 | +0.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | –1.0 | |
General election 2010: Hertford and Stortford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Prisk | 29,810 | 53.8 | +3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Lewin | 14,373 | 26.0 | +7.5 |
| | Labour | Stephen Terry | 7,620 | 13.8 | –10.5 |
| | UKIP | David Sodey | 1,716 | 3.1 | +1.0 |
| | BNP | Roy Harris | 1,297 | 2.3 | N/A |
| | Independent | Loucas Xenophontos | 325 | 0.6 | N/A |
| | Independent | Martin Adams | 236 | 0.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,437 | 27.8 | 1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,377 | 70.6 | +4.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | –1.9 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Hertford and Stortford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Prisk | 25,074 | 50.5 | +5.8 |
| | Labour | Richard Henry | 11,977 | 24.1 | −8.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Lucas | 9,129 | 18.4 | −1.5 |
| | Green | Peter Hart | 1,914 | 3.9 | N/A |
| | UKIP | David Sodey | 1,026 | 2.1 | −0.5 |
| | Veritas | Debbie Le May | 572 | 1.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,097 | 26.4 | +14.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,692 | 67.7 | +5.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +7.2 | |
General election 2001: Hertford and Stortford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Prisk | 21,074 | 44.7 | +0.6 |
| | Labour | Simon Spellar | 15,471 | 32.8 | +1.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mione Goldspink | 9,388 | 19.9 | +2.2 |
| | UKIP | Stuart Rising | 1,243 | 2.6 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,603 | 11.9 | −0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,176 | 62.2 | −13.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Hertford and Stortford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Bowen Wells | 24,027 | 44.1 |
| | Labour | Simon Spellar | 17,142 | 31.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Wood | 9,679 | 17.7 |
| | Referendum | Hugo Page Croft | 2,105 | 3.9 |
| | UKIP | B G Smalley | 1,233 | 2.2 |
| | ProLife Alliance | Michael Franey | 259 | 0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,885 | 12.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,571 | 75.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1992: Hertford and Stortford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bowen Wells | 35,716 | 57.5 | 0.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | CJ White | 15,506 | 25.0 | −3.3 |
| | Labour | AJ Bovaird | 10,125 | 16.3 | +3.5 |
| | Green | JA Goth | 780 | 1.3 | −0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20,210 | 32.5 | +3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 62,127 | 81.0 | +3.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.7 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Hertford and Stortford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bowen Wells | 33,763 | 57.5 | +1.5 |
| | SDP | Ronald Wotherspoon | 16,623 | 28.3 | −2.8 |
| | Labour Co-op | Patricia Sumner | 7,494 | 12.8 | +0.8 |
| | Green | Graham Cole | 814 | 1.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,140 | 29.2 | +4.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,694 | 77.7 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.2 | |
General election 1983: Hertford and Stortford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bowen Wells | 29,039 | 56.0 | |
| | SDP | Ronald Wotherspoon | 16,110 | 31.1 | |
| | Labour | John Carr | 6,203 | 12.0 | |
| | BNP | G Wiles | 304 | 0.6 | |
| | Prosperity For All | P Cullen | 221 | 0.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,929 | 24.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,877 | 75.6 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |