# Hitchin and Harpenden (UK Parliament constituency)

Hitchin and Harpenden was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 1997 general election until 2024 general election. The seat was represented by the Conservative Party for the duration of its existence.
Following its abolition in 2024, the contents of the constituency were distributed to the new seats of Hitchin and Harpenden and Berkhamsted.

## History

The constituency was created for the 1997 general election from parts of several former Hertfordshire seats. Prior to 1997, Hitchin was included in the abolished North Hertfordshire constituency and Harpenden in the St Albans constituency, while the village of Wheathampstead was part of the Welwyn Hatfield constituency.
The seat's first MP was Peter Lilley, a former Secretary of State for various government departments in the Major ministry in the 1990s, who had previously represented St Albans from 1983 to 1997. He announced he would not contest the seat at the 2017 general election. He was succeeded in 2017 by Bim Afolami of the Conservatives, who retained it at the 2019 general election, albeit with a reduced majority.
The seat was abolished at the 2024 general election, and was divided between the new seats of Hitchin (containing 54.9% of the abolished seat's electorate) and Harpenden and Berkhamsted (containing the remaining 45.1%). Afolami attempted to seek re-election in Hitchin, but was defeated by the Labour candidate Alistair Strathern.

## Boundaries
### 1997–2010

* The District of North Hertfordshire wards of Ashbrook, Bearton, Cadwell, Highbury, Hitchwood, Hoo, Kimpton, Offa, Oughton, Priory, and Walsworth; and
* The City of St Albans wards of Harpenden East, Harpenden North, Harpenden South, Harpenden West, Redbourn, Sandridge, and Wheathampstead.

### 2010–2024

* The District of North Hertfordshire wards of Cadwell, Graveley and Wymondley, Hitchin Bearton, Hitchin Highbury, Hitchin Oughton, Hitchin Priory, Hitchin Walsworth, Hitchwood, Hoo, Kimpton, and Offa; and
* The City of St Albans wards of Harpenden East, Harpenden North, Harpenden South, Harpenden West, Redbourn, Sandridge, and Wheathampstead.
Minor gain from North East Hertfordshire due to revision of local authority wards.

### Abolition

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished for the 2024 general election, with its contents distributed to two new constituencies:
* Parts in the District of North Hertfordshire, including Hitchin incorporated into the re-established constituency of Hitchin, which forms a cross-county boundary seat with parts of Central Bedfordshire
* Parts in the City of St Albans, including Harpenden incorporated into the newly created seat of Harpenden and Berkhamsted

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1997 | Peter Lilley | Conservative |
| | 2017 | Bim Afolami | Conservative |

## Election results
### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Hitchin and Harpenden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bim Afolami | 27,719 | 47.1 | −6.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sam Collins | 20,824 | 35.4 | +24.8 |
| | Labour | Kay Tart | 9,959 | 16.9 | −15.7 |
| | CPA | Sid Cordle | 268 | 0.5 | +0.1 |
| | Advance | Peter Marshall | 101 | 0.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,895 | 11.7 | −8.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,921 | 77.1 | −0.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −15.4 | |
General election 2017: Hitchin and Harpenden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bim Afolami | 31,189 | 53.1 | −3.8 |
| | Labour | John Hayes | 19,158 | 32.6 | +12.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Hugh Annand | 6,236 | 10.6 | +2.5 |
| | Green | Richard Cano | 1,329 | 2.3 | −3.2 |
| | Independent | Ray Blake | 629 | 1.1 | New |
| | CPA | Sid Cordle | 242 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,031 | 20.5 | −15.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,783 | 77.4 | +8.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −7.9 | |
General election 2015: Hitchin and Harpenden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Lilley | 31,488 | 56.9 | +2.3 |
| | Labour | Rachel Burgin | 11,433 | 20.6 | +7.0 |
| | UKIP | John Stocker | 4,917 | 8.9 | +5.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Pauline Pearce | 4,484 | 8.1 | −18.6 |
| | Green | Richard Wise | 3,053 | 5.5 | +4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20,055 | 36.3 | +8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,375 | 68.9 | −5.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.3 | |
General election 2010: Hitchin and Harpenden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Lilley | 29,869 | 54.6 | +4.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nigel Quinton | 14,598 | 26.7 | +0.9 |
| | Labour | Oliver de Botton | 7,413 | 13.6 | −8.8 |
| | UKIP | Graham Wilkinson | 1,633 | 3.0 | +1.3 |
| | Green | Richard Wise | 807 | 1.5 | New |
| | Independent | Margaret Henderson | 109 | 0.2 | New |
| | Citizens for Undead Rights and Equality | Simon Byron | 108 | 0.2 | New |
| | Your Right to Democracy | Eric Hannah | 90 | 0.2 | New |
| | Independent | Peter Rigby | 50 | 0.1 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,271 | 27.9 | +3.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,707 | 74.1 | +5.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.5 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Hitchin and Harpenden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Lilley | 23,627 | 49.9 | +2.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Hannah Hedges | 12,234 | 25.8 | +7.8 |
| | Labour | Paul Orrett | 10,499 | 22.2 | −10.3 |
| | UKIP | John Saunders | 828 | 1.7 | +0.4 |
| | Independent | Peter Rigby | 199 | 0.4 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,393 | 24.1 | +9.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,387 | 70.5 | +3.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −2.6 | |
General election 2001: Hitchin and Harpenden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Lilley | 21,271 | 47.3 | +1.4 |
| | Labour | Alan Amos | 14,608 | 32.5 | −0.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Murphy | 8,076 | 18.0 | −2.1 |
| | UKIP | John Saunders | 606 | 1.3 | New |
| | Independent | Peter Rigby | 363 | 0.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,663 | 14.8 | +2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,924 | 66.9 | −11.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.0 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Hitchin and Harpenden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Lilley | 24,038 | 45.9 | |
| | Labour | Rosemary Sanderson | 17,367 | 33.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris J. White | 10,515 | 20.1 | |
| | Natural Law | David R.H. Cooke | 290 | 0.6 | |
| | Socialist Alternative | Jim D.O. Horton | 217 | 0.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,671 | 12.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,427 | 78.0 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |