# Stevenage (UK Parliament constituency)

Stevenage is a constituency in Hertfordshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Kevin Bonavia, a member of the Labour Party.

## Constituency profile

The main town is known for its fast rail links to London and proximity to Luton Airport which accompanies a few headquarters of global businesses based in the seat. Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 higher than the national average of 3.8%, and eastern regional average of 3.2%, at 4.0% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.

## History

The constituency was created in 1983 primarily from the abolished seat of Hertford and Stevenage. A Southern England new town seat with volatile voting patterns, like its main predecessor, it was a bellwether of the national result; it was Conservative held between 1983 and 1997 until Labour easily gained it, but their winning margin in 2005 was small and the Conservatives gained the seat at the 2010 election. It remained Conservative until 2024 when it was regained by Labour amidst their national landslide victory.
The seat was held for Labour by Barbara Follett who achieved two ministerial roles from 2007 until 2010.

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

* The Borough of Stevenage;
* The District of North Hertfordshire wards of Codicote and Knebworth; and
* The District of East Hertfordshire wards of Cottered, Datchworth, Mundern, Walkern, and Watton-at-Stone.
The constituency was formed primarily from the majority of the abolished constituency of Hertford and Stevenage. The wards of Codicote and Knebworth were transferred from the abolished constituency of Hitchin, and the wards of Cottered and Mundern from the abolished constituency of East Hertfordshire.

### 1997–2010

* The Borough of Stevenage;
* The District of North Hertfordshire wards of Codicote and Knebworth; and
* The District of East Hertfordshire wards of Datchworth and Walkern.
The District of East Hertfordshire wards of Cottered, Mundern and Watton-at-Stone were transferred to the new constituency of North East Hertfordshire.

### 2010–2024

* The Borough of Stevenage;
* The District of North Hertfordshire wards of Codicote and Knebworth; and
* The District of East Hertfordshire ward of Datchworth and Aston.
Walkern ward transferred to North East Hertfordshire.

### 2024–present

The 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies, which was based on the ward structures in place on 1 December 2020, left the boundaries virtually unchanged. However, following local government boundary reviews in East Hertfordshire and North Hertfordshire which came into effect in May 2023 and May 2024 respectively, the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:
* Part of the ward of Aston, Datchworth & Walkern in the District of East Hertfordshire, comprising the parishes of Aston and Datchworth .
* The ward of Knebworth and part of the ward of Codicote & Kimpton in the District of North Hertfordshire, comprising the parishes of Knebworth and Codicote.
* The Borough of Stevenage.
The constituency covers the Borough of Stevenage, as well as the villages of Codicote and Knebworth to the south and Aston and Datchworth to the east.

## Members of Parliament

Hertford & Stevenage prior to 1983
| Election | Member | Party |
| 1983 | Tim Wood | Conservative |
| 1997 | Barbara Follett | Labour |
| 2010 | Stephen McPartland | Conservative |
| 2024 | Kevin Bonavia | Labour |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Stevenage :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kevin Bonavia | 17,698 | 41.4 | +6.2 |
| | Conservative | Alex Clarkson | 11,080 | 25.9 | −27.2 |
| | Reform UK | Peter Hopper | 7,667 | 17.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lisa Nash | 3,467 | 8.1 | −0.6 |
| | Green | Paul Dawson | 2,655 | 6.2 | +3.1 |
| | CPA | Joshua Smith | 148 | 0.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,618 | 15.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,715 | 61.0 | −6.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 70,086 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 16.7 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Stevenage :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Stephen McPartland | 25,328 | 53.1 | +2.8 |
| | Labour | Jill Borcherds | 16,766 | 35.2 | –8.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lisa Nash | 4,132 | 8.7 | +4.6 |
| | Green | Victoria Snelling | 1,457 | 3.1 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,562 | 17.9 | +11.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,683 | 66.6 | –3.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.5 | |
General election 2017: Stevenage :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Stephen McPartland | 24,798 | 50.3 | +5.8 |
| | Labour Co-op | Sharon Taylor | 21,414 | 43.4 | +9.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barbara Gibson | 2,032 | 4.1 | +0.8 |
| | Green | Victoria Snelling | 1,085 | 2.2 | –0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,384 | 6.9 | –3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,329 | 69.7 | +2.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | –1.8 | |
General election 2015: Stevenage :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Stephen McPartland | 21,291 | 44.5 | +3.1 |
| | Labour Co-op | Sharon Taylor | 16,336 | 34.2 | +0.8 |
| | UKIP | David Collins | 6,864 | 14.4 | +9.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Van De Ven | 1,582 | 3.3 | −13.3 |
| | Green | Graham White | 1,369 | 2.9 | New |
| | TUSC | Trevor Palmer | 175 | 0.4 | New |
| | English Democrat | Charles Vickers | 115 | 0.2 | −0.6 |
| | Independent | David Cox | 67 | 0.1 | −0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,955 | 10.3 | +2.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,799 | 67.7 | +2.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.2 | |
General election 2010: Stevenage :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Stephen McPartland | 18,491 | 41.4 | +6.0 |
| | Labour Co-op | Sharon Taylor | 14,913 | 33.4 | −9.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Julia Davies | 7,432 | 16.6 | −1.7 |
| | UKIP | Marion Mason | 2,004 | 4.5 | +1.4 |
| | BNP | Michael Green | 1,007 | 2.3 | New |
| | English Democrat | Charles Vickers | 366 | 0.8 | New |
| | NCDMV! | Stephen Phillips | 327 | 0.7 | New |
| | Independent | David Cox | 80 | 0.2 | New |
| | Your Right To Democracy Party Ltd. | Andrew Ralph | 31 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,578 | 8.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,651 | 64.8 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +8.0 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Stevenage :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Barbara Follett | 18,003 | 42.9 | −9.0 |
| | Conservative | George Freeman | 14,864 | 35.4 | +3.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Julia Davies | 7,610 | 18.1 | +3.9 |
| | UKIP | Victoria Peebles | 1,305 | 3.1 | New |
| | Independent | Antal Losonczi | 152 | 0.4 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,139 | 7.5 | −13.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,934 | 62.7 | +2.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | −6.4 | |
General election 2001: Stevenage :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Barbara Follett | 22,025 | 51.9 | −3.5 |
| | Conservative | Graeme Brian Quar | 13,459 | 31.7 | −1.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Harold Davies | 6,027 | 14.2 | +5.3 |
| | Socialist Alliance | Stephen William Glennon | 449 | 1.1 | New |
| | Independent | Antal Losonczi | 320 | 0.8 | New |
| | ProLife Alliance | Mrs. Sarah Teresa Anne Bell | 173 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,566 | 20.2 | −2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,453 | 60.7 | −15.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Stevenage :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Barbara Follett | 28,440 | 55.4 | +16.8 |
| | Conservative | Timothy Wood | 16,858 | 32.8 | −11.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alexander Iain Cameron Wilcock | 4,588 | 8.9 | −8.2 |
| | Referendum | Jeffery Michael Coburn | 1,194 | 2.3 | New |
| | ProLife Alliance | David William Bundy | 196 | 0.4 | New |
| | Natural Law | Andrew Brinley Michael Calcraft | 110 | 0.2 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,582 | 22.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,386 | 76.6 | −6.4 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +14.3 | |
General election 1992: Stevenage :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Timothy Wood | 26,652 | 45.7 | +3.6 |
| | Labour | Judith Church | 21,764 | 37.3 | +11.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Anthony Reilly | 9,668 | 16.6 | −15.9 |
| | Natural Law | Andrew Brinley Michael Calcraft | 233 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,888 | 8.4 | −1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,317 | 83.0 | +2.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −4.1 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Stevenage :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Timothy Wood | 23,541 | 42.1 | +2.7 |
| | SDP | Ben Stoneham | 18,201 | 32.5 | −3.6 |
| | Labour | Malcolm Robert Crawford Withers | 14,229 | 25.4 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,340 | 9.6 | +6.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,971 | 80.5 | +2.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1983: Stevenage :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Timothy Wood | 20,787 | 39.4 | |
| | SDP | Ben Stoneham | 19,032 | 36.1 | |
| | Labour | Mrs. Susan Ann Reeves | 12,673 | 24.0 | |
| | BNP | David Robert Bowmaker | 236 | 0.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,755 | 3.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,728 | 77.9 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |