# North West Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)

North West Norfolk is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by James Wild, a Conservative.

## History

Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the three two-member county divisions of Norfolk were replaced with six single-member divisions, including the newly created North-Western Division of Norfolk, largely formed from northern parts of the abolished Western Division. It was abolished at the next redistribution of seats under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act 1918, when it was largely absorbed by the expanded constituency of King's Lynn. It was re-established for the February 1974 general election, replacing the abolished King's Lynn constituency.
The present constituency includes two former Parliamentary Boroughs, those of Castle Rising, which was abolished as a 'rotten borough' in 1832, and King's Lynn, abolished in 1918.
The first MP in the re-established constituency was Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler, who had gained King's Lynn, largely a bellwether seat, from one of Harold Wilson's government colleagues in the Labour Party. He therefore effectively held the seat in the two 1974 elections, and in 1979; however, by March 1981, he became distanced from the Conservatives and defected to the newly formed Social Democratic Party shortly before the 1983 Conservative landslide, in which Brocklebank-Fowler lost his seat to the replacement Conservative candidate Henry Bellingham.
Bellingham increased his precarious lead over Brocklebank-Fowler at the 1987 general election. Therefore, at the following election, Brocklebank-Fowler chose to contest another seat and Labour's candidate regained second place in this constituency, almost doubling their share of the vote. Labour gained the seat at the 1997 general election; however, Bellingham regained the seat at the 2001 general election and subsequently increased his majority in both 2005 and 2010.
The 2010 election saw political party infighting when the Labour candidate for North West Norfolk, Manish Sood stated in an interview with the local newspaper Lynn News that Gordon Brown was "the worst prime minister we have had in this country". This gained national attention and resulted in Labour disowning their candidate. Sood did not attend the count and stated he would watch it from his home in Leicester. He ended up finishing third, behind Bellingham and the Liberal Democrat candidate William Summers, whose party received their best ever result in the constituency, with an 18.3% swing from Labour to the others. Labour's share of the vote fell from a winning 43.8% in the 1997 election to just 13.3% in 2010, marking the steepest decline from the start to end of the thirteen years of Labour government.
Bellingham's majority fell slightly in 2015, but he retained the seat in the 2017 general election with 60% of the vote, having been knighted in the New Year's honours list of 2016. He did not stand at the 2019 election and was succeeded as the Conservative candidate by James Wild who won the seat with a record majority of 42.7%.
Wild retained the seat at the 2024 general election with a much reduced majority of 11.1% - surviving a swing of 16.2% to Labour.

## Constituency profile

The constituency covers an extensive hinterland in the far corner of East Anglia - remote from London, but close to Lincolnshire and the East Midlands, with which the area shares more economic links.
A minority of King's Lynn contain severe poverty marked by unemployment, social housing dependency and social problems - within relatively affluent East Anglia, only Jaywick and Great Yarmouth from 2001 to 2004 scored higher in deprivation indices. Contrasted with this is the bulk of the area: the tourist resort Hunstanton, retail, military, public sector and commercial activity of King's Lynn and the royal estate at Sandringham, along with many small villages and more than 50% undulating cultivated farmland — incomes and types of dwelling are close to the national average.

## Boundaries and boundary changes
### 1885–1918

* The Municipal Borough of King's Lynn; and
* The Sessional Divisions of Brothercross, Freebridge Lynn, Freebridge Marshall, and Gallow and Smithdon.
As King's Lynn formed a separate Parliamentary Borough, only non-resident freeholders of the Borough were entitled to vote in this constituency.
On abolition, the bulk of the Division was amalgamated with the abolished Parliamentary Borough of King's Lynn to form the new King's Lynn Division of Norfolk. Eastern areas, including Fakenham, were transferred to the Northern Division.

### 1974–1983

* The Municipal Borough of King's Lynn;
* The Urban Districts of Hunstanton and Wells-next-the-Sea; and
* The Rural Districts of Docking, Freebridge Lynn, Marshland, and Walsingham.
The re-established constituency was formed from the abolished constituency of King's Lynn with the addition of Wells-next-the-Sea and the Rural District of Walsingham, which included Fakenham, transferred from North Norfolk. (This area is currently in the constituencies of North Norfolk and Broadland.)

### 1983–2010

* The Borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk wards of Burnham, Chase, Clenchwarton, Creake, Dersingham, Docking, Gayton, Gaywood Central, Gaywood North, Gaywood South, Grimston, Heacham, Hunstanton, Lynn Central, Lynn North, Lynn South West, Mershe Lande, Middleton, North Coast, Priory, Rudham, St Lawrence, St Margaret's, Snettisham, Spellowfields, The Walpoles, The Woottons, Valley Hill, West Walton, West Winch, and Wiggenhall.
Wells-next-the-Sea and areas comprising the former Rural District of Walsingham, including Fakenham, were transferred back to North Norfolk. Minor realignment of the boundary with South West Norfolk.

### 2010–2024

* The Borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk wards of Brancaster, Burnham, Clenchwarton, Dersingham, Docking, Fairstead, Gayton, Gaywood Chase, Gaywood North Bank, Grimston, Heacham, Hunstanton, North Lynn, North Wootton, Old Gaywood, Priory, Rudham, St Margaret's with St Nicholas, Snettisham, South and West Lynn, South Wootton, Spellowfields, Springwood, Valley Hill, Walpole, and West Winch.
Small area transferred to South West Norfolk.

### 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 as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
* The Borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk wards of: Bircham with Rudhams; Brancaster; Burnham Market & Docking; Clenchwarton; Dersingham; Fairstead; Gayton & Grimston; Gaywood Chase; Gaywood Clock; Gaywood North Bank; Heacham; Hunstanton; Massingham with Castle Acre; North Lynn; St. Margaret’s with St. Nicholas; Snettisham; South & West Lynn; Springwood; Terrington; The Woottons; Walsoken, West Walton & Walpole; West Winch.
Minor net gain from South West Norfolk following changes to local authority ward boundaries.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1885–1918

North Norfolk and West Norfolk prior to 1885
| Election | Member | Party |
| 1885 | Joseph Arch | Liberal |
| 1886 | Lord Henry Cavendish-Bentinck | Conservative |
| 1892 | Joseph Arch | Liberal |
| 1900 | Sir George White | Liberal |
| 1912 by-election | Edward Hemmerde | Liberal |
| 1918 | constituency abolished: see King's Lynn | constituency abolished: see King's Lynn |

### MPs since 1974

King's Lynn prior to 1974
| Election | Member | Party |
| Feb. 1974 | Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler | Conservative |
| 1981 | Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler | SDP |
| 1983 | Henry Bellingham | Conservative |
| 1997 | George Turner | Labour |
| 2001 | Sir Henry Bellingham | Conservative |
| 2019 | James Wild | Conservative |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Wild | 16,097 | 36.1 | −29.9 |
| | Labour | Tim Leaver | 11,143 | 25.0 | +2.4 |
| | Reform UK | Phil Walton | 8,697 | 19.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rob Colwell | 6,492 | 14.6 | +6.8 |
| | Green | Michael de Whalley | 2,137 | 4.8 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,954 | 11.1 | −32.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,566 | 59.9 | −4.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 74,415 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −16.2 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Conservative | 32,075 | 66.0 |
| | Labour | 10,998 | 22.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 3,779 | 7.8 |
| | Green | 1,717 | 3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 48,569 | 64.6 |
| Electorate | Electorate | 75,200 |
General election 2019: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Wild | 30,627 | 65.7 | +5.5 |
| | Labour | Joanne Rust | 10,705 | 23.0 | −9.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rob Colwell | 3,625 | 7.8 | +4.9 |
| | Green | Michael De Whalley | 1,645 | 3.5 | +1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,922 | 42.7 | +14.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,602 | 64.7 | −3.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +7.25 | |
General election 2017: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Bellingham | 29,408 | 60.2 | +8.0 |
| | Labour | Joanne Rust | 15,620 | 32.0 | +9.2 |
| | UKIP | Michael Stone | 1,539 | 2.9 | −14.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rupert Moss-Eccardt | 1,393 | 2.9 | −0.6 |
| | Green | Michael de Whalley | 851 | 1.7 | −2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,788 | 28.2 | −1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,811 | 67.7 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −0.5 | |
General election 2015: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Bellingham | 24,727 | 52.2 | −2.0 |
| | Labour | Joanne Rust | 10,779 | 22.8 | +9.5 |
| | UKIP | Toby Coke | 8,412 | 17.8 | +13.9 |
| | Green | Michael de Whalley | 1,780 | 3.8 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Hugh Lanham | 1,673 | 3.5 | −19.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,948 | 29.4 | −1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,597 | 65.4 | +0.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −3.75 | |
General election 2010: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Bellingham | 25,916 | 54.2 | +4.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | William Summers | 11,106 | 23.2 | +8.5 |
| | Labour | Manish Sood | 6,353 | 13.3 | −18.3 |
| | UKIP | John Gray | 1,841 | 3.9 | +0.2 |
| | BNP | David Fleming | 1,839 | 3.8 | N/A |
| | Green | Mike de Whalley | 745 | 1.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,810 | 31.0 | +12.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,800 | 65.3 | +3.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −2.1 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Bellingham | 25,471 | 50.3 | +1.8 |
| | Labour | Damien Welfare | 16,291 | 32.2 | −9.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon Higginson | 7,026 | 13.9 | +5.5 |
| | UKIP | Michael Stone | 1,861 | 3.7 | +2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,180 | 18.1 | +11.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,649 | 61.6 | −3.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.7 | |
General election 2001: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Bellingham | 24,846 | 48.5 | +7.0 |
| | Labour | George Turner | 21,361 | 41.7 | −2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Mack | 4,292 | 8.4 | −1.2 |
| | UKIP | Ian Durrant | 704 | 1.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,485 | 6.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,203 | 65.1 | −9.6 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | George Turner | 25,250 | 43.8 | +10.2 |
| | Conservative | Henry Bellingham | 23,911 | 41.5 | −10.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Evelyn Knowles | 5,513 | 9.6 | −4.2 |
| | Referendum | Roger Percival | 2,923 | 5.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,339 | 2.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,597 | 74.7 | −6.0 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +10.4 | |
General election 1992: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Bellingham | 32,554 | 52.1 | +1.5 |
| | Labour | George Turner | 20,990 | 33.6 | +16.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | AM Waterman | 8,599 | 13.8 | −18.1 |
| | Natural Law | SRA Pink | 330 | 0.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,564 | 18.5 | −0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 62,473 | 80.7 | +1.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −7.3 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Bellingham | 29,393 | 50.6 | +7.1 |
| | SDP | Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler | 18,568 | 31.9 | −5.7 |
| | Labour | Frank Dignan | 10,184 | 17.5 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,825 | 18.7 | +12.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,145 | 78.9 | +1.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +6.4 | |
General election 1983: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Bellingham | 23,358 | 43.5 | −6.5 |
| | SDP | Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler | 20,211 | 37.6 | N/A |
| | Labour | Mike Tilbury | 10,139 | 18.9 | −20.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,147 | 5.9 | −6.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,708 | 77.6 | −1.5 |
| | Conservative gain from SDP | Conservative gain from SDP | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler | 33,796 | 51.01 |
| | Labour | RL Williams | 25,868 | 39.04 |
| | Liberal | M Mynott | 6,588 | 9.94 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,928 | 11.97 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 66,252 | 79.15 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election October 1974: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler | 27,513 | 43.99 |
| | Labour | RL Williams | 26,170 | 41.84 |
| | Liberal | RA Walker | 8,862 | 14.17 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,343 | 2.15 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 62,545 | 78.43 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election February 1974: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler | 27,823 | 42.35 | |
| | Labour | Derek Page | 27,020 | 41.13 | |
| | Liberal | RA Walker | 10,852 | 16.52 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 803 | 1.22 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 65,695 | 83.07 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |

### Elections in the 1910s

1912 North West Norfolk by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Edward Hemmerde | 5,613 | 53.1 | −2.8 |
| | Conservative | Neville Jodrell | 4,965 | 46.9 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 648 | 6.2 | −5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,578 | 87.7 | +4.4 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −2.8 | |
General election December 1910: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George White | 5,407 | 55.9 | −0.1 |
| | Conservative | Neville Jodrell | 4,264 | 44.1 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,143 | 11.8 | −0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,671 | 83.3 | −2.7 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −0.1 | |
General election January 1910: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George White | 5,596 | 56.0 | −10.0 |
| | Conservative | Neville Jodrell | 4,388 | 44.0 | +10.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,208 | 12.0 | −20.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,984 | 86.0 | +7.5 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1906: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George White | 5,772 | 66.0 | +13.1 |
| | Conservative | William James Lancaster | 2,972 | 34.0 | −13.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,800 | 32.0 | +26.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,744 | 78.5 | +3.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,140 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +13.1 | |
General election 1900: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George White | 4,287 | 52.9 | −4.9 |
| | Liberal Unionist | William Howell Browne Ffolkes | 3,811 | 47.1 | +4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 476 | 5.8 | −9.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,098 | 74.9 | −1.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,811 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −4.9 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1895: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Lib-Lab | Joseph Arch | 4,817 | 57.8 | +1.6 |
| | Conservative | Edward Kenrick Banbury Tighe | 3,520 | 42.2 | −1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,297 | 15.6 | +3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,337 | 76.4 | −10.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,916 | | |
| | Lib-Lab hold | Lib-Lab hold | Swing | +1.6 | |
General election 1892: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Lib-Lab | Joseph Arch | 4,911 | 56.2 | +6.3 |
| | Conservative | Henry Cavendish-Bentinck | 3,822 | 43.8 | −6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,089 | 12.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,733 | 87.2 | +9.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,019 | | |
| | Lib-Lab gain from Conservative | Lib-Lab gain from Conservative | Swing | +6.3 | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1886: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Cavendish-Bentinck | 4,084 | 50.1 | +4.0 |
| | Lib-Lab | Joseph Arch | 4,064 | 49.9 | −4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20 | 0.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,148 | 78.0 | −1.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,444 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Lib-Lab | Conservative gain from Lib-Lab | Swing | +4.0 | |
General election 1885: North West Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Lib-Lab | Joseph Arch | 4,461 | 53.9 | |
| | Conservative | Henry Cavendish-Bentinck | 3,821 | 46.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 640 | 7.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,282 | 79.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,444 | | |
| | Lib-Lab win (new seat) | Lib-Lab win (new seat) | Lib-Lab win (new seat) | Lib-Lab win (new seat) | Lib-Lab win (new seat) |