# South Suffolk (UK Parliament constituency)

South Suffolk is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by James Cartlidge, a Conservative.

## History

South Suffolk is one of seven constituencies in the county of Suffolk and was created by boundary changes which came into force for the 1983 general election. It was formed primarily from areas to the west of Ipswich and the River Orwell, including the towns of Sudbury and Hadleigh, which had formed the majority of the abolished constituency of Sudbury and Woodbridge. Extended westwards to include Haverhill and surrounding areas, transferred from Bury St Edmunds.
Between 1559 and 1844, the constituency of Sudbury represented the town on the southwestern border with Essex, but this constituency was disenfranchised for corruption in 1844.
In every election, the Conservative candidate has been elected or re-elected; until 2015, said candidate was Tim Yeo, who was deselected prior to the 2015 general election; he was succeeded as Conservative candidate, and subsequently MP, by James Cartlidge.

## Constituency profile

South Suffolk is a large and predominantly rural seat, sharing a long border with the county of Essex but retaining a rather different identity and character – distinctly East Anglian rather than Home Counties.
The largest settlements, Sudbury and Hadleigh, are small, quiet towns, somewhat off the beaten track, and the only other significantly built-up area in the seat is the suburb of Pinewood, just outside the limits of Ipswich, where there are many new developments. There is still some industry in Brantham, close to the Essex border, but most of the seat is traditional agriculture, sitting alongside remote commuter bases for those working in London, Ipswich, Colchester or Chelmsford.
In common with many seats of this type, it is fairly safe for the Conservatives, with the opponents being significantly lower in terms of the vote share.
Workless claimants were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 2.5% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.

## Boundaries and boundary changes
### 1983–1997

* The District of Babergh; and
* The Borough of St Edmundsbury wards of Cangle, Castle, Cavendish, Chalkstone, Clare, Clements, Hundon, Kedington, St Mary's and Helions, Wickhambrook, and Withersfield.

### 1997–2024

* The District of Babergh, and
* The Borough of St Edmundsbury wards of Cavendish, and Clare.
All but two of the Borough of St Edmundsbury wards, including the town of Haverhill, were transferred to the new constituency of West Suffolk.

### Current

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency is now coterminous with the District of Babergh.
The small part previously in the former Borough of St Edmundsbury – now part of the District of West Suffolk – was transferred to the constituency of West Suffolk.

## Members of Parliament

Sudbury & Woodbridge prior to 1983
| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1983 | Tim Yeo | Conservative |
| | 2015 | James Cartlidge | Conservative |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: South Suffolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Cartlidge | 16,082 | 33.0 | −29.1 |
| | Labour | Emma Bishton | 13,035 | 26.7 | +7.5 |
| | Reform UK | Bev England | 9,252 | 19.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tom Bartleet | 6,424 | 13.2 | +0.5 |
| | Green | Jessie Carter | 4,008 | 8.2 | +2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,047 | 6.3 | −36.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,801 | 65.7 | −4.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 73,385 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −18.3 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Conservative | 31,094 | 62.1 |
| | Labour | 9,621 | 19.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 6,360 | 12.7 |
| | Green | 3,031 | 6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 50,106 | 70.5 |
| Electorate | Electorate | 71,070 |
General election 2019: South Suffolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Cartlidge | 33,270 | 62.2 | +1.7 |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Hughes | 10,373 | 19.4 | −8.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Beavan | 6,702 | 12.5 | +6.7 |
| | Green | Robert Lindsay | 3,144 | 5.9 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 22,897 | 42.8 | +10.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,489 | 70.2 | −1.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.1 | |
General election 2017: South Suffolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Cartlidge | 32,829 | 60.5 | +7.4 |
| | Labour | Emma Bishton | 15,080 | 27.8 | +8.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Aalders-Dunthorne | 3,154 | 5.8 | −2.0 |
| | Green | Robert Lindsay | 1,723 | 3.2 | −1.1 |
| | UKIP | Aidan Powlesland | 1,449 | 2.7 | −12.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,749 | 32.7 | −1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,235 | 71.8 | +0.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −0.5 | |
General election 2015: South Suffolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Cartlidge | 27,546 | 53.1 | +5.4 |
| | Labour | Jane Basham | 10,001 | 19.3 | +5.0 |
| | UKIP | Steven Whalley | 7,897 | 15.2 | +8.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Grace Weaver | 4,044 | 7.8 | −23.0 |
| | Green | Robert Lindsay | 2,253 | 4.3 | N/A |
| | CPA | Stephen Todd | 166 | 0.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,545 | 33.8 | +16.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,907 | 71.0 | +0.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.2 | |
General election 2010: South Suffolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tim Yeo | 24,550 | 47.7 | +5.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nigel Bennett | 15,861 | 30.8 | +2.3 |
| | Labour | Emma Bishton | 7,368 | 14.3 | −10.2 |
| | UKIP | David Campbell Bannerman | 3,637 | 7.1 | +2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,689 | 16.9 | +3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,416 | 70.9 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.6 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: South Suffolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tim Yeo | 20,471 | 42.0 | +0.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kathy Pollard | 13,865 | 28.5 | +3.6 |
| | Labour | Kevin Craig | 11,917 | 24.5 | −5.7 |
| | UKIP | James Carver | 2,454 | 5.0 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,606 | 13.6 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,707 | 71.8 | +5.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −4.7 | |
General election 2001: South Suffolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tim Yeo | 18,748 | 41.4 | +4.1 |
| | Labour | Marc Young | 13,667 | 30.2 | +0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tessa Munt | 11,296 | 24.9 | −2.8 |
| | UKIP | Derek Allen | 1,582 | 3.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,081 | 11.2 | +3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,293 | 66.2 | −11.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.5 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: South Suffolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tim Yeo | 19,402 | 37.3 | −14.0 |
| | Labour | Paul Bishop | 15,227 | 29.3 | +7.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kathy Pollard | 14,395 | 27.7 | +2.5 |
| | Referendum | Somerset Carlo de Chair | 2,740 | 5.3 | N/A |
| | Natural Law | Angela Holland | 211 | 0.4 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,175 | 8.0 | −25.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,976 | 77.2 | −4.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −9.1 | |
General election 1992: South Suffolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tim Yeo | 34,793 | 50.2 | −3.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kathy Pollard | 17,504 | 25.2 | −2.7 |
| | Labour | Stephen Hesford | 16,623 | 24.0 | +5.3 |
| | Natural Law | T. Aisbitt | 420 | 0.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,289 | 25.0 | −0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 69,340 | 81.7 | +4.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −4.3 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: South Suffolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tim Yeo | 33,972 | 53.4 | +2.8 |
| | Liberal | Christopher Bradford | 17,729 | 27.9 | −3.4 |
| | Labour | Anthony Bavington | 11,876 | 18.7 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,243 | 25.5 | +6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 81,954 | 77.6 | +1.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.1 | |
General election 1983: South Suffolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tim Yeo | 29,469 | 50.6 | |
| | Liberal | Richard Kemp | 18,200 | 31.3 | |
| | Labour | Stephen Billcliffe | 10,516 | 18.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,269 | 19.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 76,209 | 76.3 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |