# Central Suffolk and North Ipswich (UK Parliament constituency)

Central Suffolk and North Ipswich is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Patrick Spencer of the Conservative Party.

## Constituency profile

Central Suffolk and North Ipswich was a safe seat for the Conservative Party, primarily made up of rural farming communities and retirement properties. The exception to this are the three wards from Ipswich Borough Council, which polarise support between the Conservatives and Labour, and Kesgrave, a new satellite town, which shows strong support for the Conservatives. The rural areas which make up the majority of the constituency, consistently return a majority of Conservative councillors. The local government make up of the seat, in respect of the number of borough and district councillors elected by party is 27 Conservative, 5 Labour, 4 Independent, 3 Liberal Democrat, and 2 Green. (Barking by-election 2016 was a Green gain). Significant Green gains were made in the 2023 District council elections.

## History

The county constituency was formed for the 1997 general election, largely from eastern parts of the abolished constituency of Central Suffolk, including the north-western wards of the Borough of Ipswich. It also included western fringes of Suffolk Coastal.
Sir Michael Lord, knighted in 2001, who had held the predecessor seat of Central Suffolk, was the first MP who served the seat, from 1997 until 2010. The 2010 general election saw the fourth win for a Conservative with the election of Dan Poulter, who retained the seat at the three subsequent elections. Dan Poulter announced his defection to Labour in April 2024, and did not seek re-election. Following the 2024 election, the MP is Patrick Spencer for the Conservative Party.

## Boundaries and boundary changes
### 1997–2010

* The District of Mid Suffolk wards of Barham, Barking, Bramford, Claydon, Creeting, Debenham, Eye, Fressingfield, Helmingham, Hoxne, Mendlesham, Palgrave, Stonham, Stradbroke, Wetheringsett, Weybread, and Worlingworth;
* The District of Suffolk Coastal wards of Bealings, Dennington, Earl Soham, Framlingham, Glemham, Grundisburgh and Witnesham, Hasketon, Kesgrave, Otley, Rushmere, and Wickham Market; and
* The Borough of Ipswich wards of Broom Hill, Castle Hill, Whitehouse, and Whitton.

### 2010–2024

* The District of Mid Suffolk wards of Barking and Somersham, Bramford and Blakenham, Claydon and Barham, Debenham, Eye, Fressingfield, Helmingham and Coddenham, Hoxne, Mendlesham, Palgrave, Stradbroke and Laxfield, The Stonhams, Wetheringsett, and Worlingworth;
* The District of Suffolk Coastal wards of Earl Soham, Framlingham, Grundisburgh, Hacheston, Kesgrave East, Kesgrave West, Otley, Rushmere St Andrew, Wickham Market, and Witnesham; and
* The Borough of Ipswich wards of Castle Hill, Whitehouse, and Whitton.
Lost the Borough of Ipswich ward of Broom Hill which had been abolished by a revision of the borough wards; area covered by the ward now included in Ipswich. Other marginal changes due to revision of local authority wards.

### 2024–present

Following the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency is as follows:
* The District of East Suffolk wards of: Carlford & Fynn Valley; Framlingham; Kesgrave; Rushmere St. Andrew; Wickham Market.
* The Borough of Ipswich wards of: Castle Hill; Whitehouse; Whitton.
* The District of Mid Suffolk wards of: Battisford & Ringshall; Blakenham; Bramford; Claydon & Barham; Debenham; Needham Market; Stonham.
Northern areas, including Eye, now form part of the newly created constituency of Waveney Valley, with small transfers in from Bury St Edmunds (Needham Market) and Suffolk Coastal.

## Members of Parliament

Central Suffolk prior to 1997
| Election | Member | Party |
| 1997 | Sir Michael Lord | Conservative |
| 2010 | Dan Poulter | Conservative |
| April 2024 | Dan Poulter | Labour |
| 2024 | Patrick Spencer | Conservative |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Central Suffolk and North Ipswich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Patrick Spencer | 15,144 | 32.6 | −29.3 |
| | Labour | Kevin Craig | 10,854 | 23.4 | +1.6 |
| | Reform UK | Tony Gould | 8,806 | 19.0 | N/A |
| | Green | Daniel Pratt | 5,652 | 12.2 | +6.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brett Mickelburgh | 5,407 | 11.6 | +1.0 |
| | Independent | Charlie Caiger | 366 | 0.8 | N/A |
| | Independent | Mike Hallatt | 194 | 0.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,290 | 9.2 | −30.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,423 | 64.5 | −6.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 71,975 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −15.5 | |
* ↑ After nominations for the 2024 general election closed, the Labour Party withdrew support for Kevin Craig on 25 June due to placing a bet on the outcome of the election in the seat. Kevin Craig was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing and reinstated as a member of the Labour Party. '"`UNIQ--ref-00000021-QINU`"''"`UNIQ--ref-00000022-QINU`"'

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Conservative | 31,222 | 61.9 |
| | Labour | 11,009 | 21.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 5,365 | 10.6 |
| | Green | 2,816 | 5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 50,412 | 71.0 |
| Electorate | Electorate | 71,020 |
General election 2019: Central Suffolk and North Ipswich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Dan Poulter | 35,253 | 62.7 | +2.6 |
| | Labour | Emma Bonner-Morgan | 11,862 | 21.1 | −8.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Sandbach | 6,485 | 11.5 | +7.2 |
| | Green | Daniel Pratt | 2,650 | 4.7 | +1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,391 | 41.6 | +11.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,250 | 73.8 | +1.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.6 | |
General election 2017: Central Suffolk and North Ipswich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Dan Poulter | 33,992 | 60.1 | +4.0 |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Hughes | 16,807 | 29.7 | +10.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Aidan Van de Weyer | 2,431 | 4.3 | −1.8 |
| | Green | Regan Scott | 1,659 | 2.9 | −2.0 |
| | UKIP | Stephen Searle | 1,635 | 2.9 | −10.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,185 | 30.4 | −6.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,524 | 72.4 | +1.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −3.4 | |
General election 2015: Central Suffolk and North Ipswich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Dan Poulter | 30,317 | 56.1 | +5.3 |
| | Labour | Jack Abbott | 10,173 | 18.8 | +2.6 |
| | UKIP | Mark Cole | 7,459 | 13.8 | +9.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jon Neal | 3,314 | 6.1 | −18.9 |
| | Green | Rhodri Griffiths | 2,664 | 4.9 | +2.2 |
| | English Democrat | Tony Holyoak | 162 | 0.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20,144 | 37.3 | +11.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,089 | 68.7 | −1.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.4 | |
General election 2010: Central Suffolk and North Ipswich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Dan Poulter | 27,125 | 50.8 | +6.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Aalders-Dunthorne | 13,339 | 25.0 | +4.7 |
| | Labour | Bhavna Joshi | 8,636 | 16.2 | −12.3 |
| | UKIP | Roy Philpott | 2,361 | 4.4 | +0.9 |
| | Green | Andrew Stringer | 1,452 | 2.7 | −0.6 |
| | Independent | Mark Trevitt | 389 | 0.7 | N/A |
| | New Party | Richard Vass | 118 | 0.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,786 | 25.8 | +10.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,420 | 70.4 | +3.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.8 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Central Suffolk and North Ipswich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Lord | 22,333 | 43.9 | −0.5 |
| | Labour | Neil Macdonald | 14,477 | 28.5 | −8.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Houseley | 10,709 | 21.1 | +5.0 |
| | UKIP | John West | 1,754 | 3.4 | +1.0 |
| | Green | Martin Wolfe | 1,593 | 3.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,856 | 15.4 | +8.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,866 | 66.7 | +3.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.1 | |
General election 2001: Central Suffolk and North Ipswich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Lord | 20,924 | 44.4 | +1.8 |
| | Labour | Carole Jones | 17,455 | 37.1 | +1.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ann Elvin | 7,593 | 16.1 | −4.5 |
| | UKIP | Jonathan Wright | 1,132 | 2.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,469 | 7.3 | +0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,104 | 63.5 | −11.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.3 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Central Suffolk and North Ipswich :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Lord | 22,493 | 42.6 | −7.0 |
| | Labour | Carole Jones | 18,955 | 35.9 | +12.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Minone Goldspink | 10,709 | 21.1 | −5.4 |
| | Independent Conservative | Stephanie A. Bennell | 489 | 0.9 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,538 | 6.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,823 | 75.0 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −12.4 | |