# Northampton North (UK Parliament constituency)

Northampton North is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Lucy Rigby, a member of Labour. The constituency is a considered a bellwether, as it has reflected the national result at every general election since it was created in February 1974.

## History

This constituency was created for the election of February 1974 when the old constituency of Northampton was split into Northampton North and Northampton South.
Since creation it has been a bellwether, electing an MP from the winning (or largest governing) party in every general election.

## Boundaries
### Historic

1974–1983: The County Borough of Northampton wards of Abington, Dallington, Kingsthorpe, Park, St David, and St George.
1983–2010: The Borough of Northampton wards of Abington, Boughton Green, Dallington and Kings Heath, Headlands, Kingsthorpe, Lings, Lumbertubs, Park, St Alban, St George, Thorplands, and Welford.
2010–2024: The Borough of Northampton wards of Abington, Boughton Green, Eastfield, Headlands, Kingsley, Kingsthorpe, Lumbertubs, Parklands, St David, and Thorplands.
NB: with effect from 1 April 2021, the Borough of Northampton was abolished and absorbed into the new unitary authority of West Northamptonshire.

### 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 April 2021):
* The District of West Northamptonshire wards of: Abington and Phippsville; Boothville and Parklands; Castle; Dallington Spencer; Headlands; Kingsthorpe North; Kingsthorpe South; St. George; Talavera.
The constituency was expanded considerably with the addition of Northampton town centre from Northampton South.

## Constituency profile

The constituency has income, social housing and unemployment statistics close to the national average. There is a varied and dynamic service and engineering-centred economy typical of the East Midlands, with significant foodstuffs, clothing and consumables manufacturing and processing operations. Health inequality is high, with the life expectancy gap between the least deprived and most deprived men in Northampton reaching over a decade. According to Public Health England, the constituency is "considerably worse than [the] England average" in terms of violent crime, self harm, under 18 conception and GCSE achievement.

## Members of Parliament

Northampton prior to 1974
| Election | Member | Party |
| Feb 1974 | Maureen Colquhoun | Labour |
| 1979 | Tony Marlow | Conservative |
| 1997 | Sally Keeble | Labour |
| 2010 | Michael Ellis | Conservative |
| 2024 | Lucy Rigby | Labour |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Northampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lucy Rigby | 18,209 | 43.5 | +1.4 |
| | Conservative | Dan Bennett | 9,195 | 22.0 | −27.8 |
| | Reform UK | Antony Antoniou | 7,010 | 16.8 | N/A |
| | Green | Eishar Bassan | 2,558 | 6.1 | +3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Leggett | 2,251 | 5.4 | −0.3 |
| | Workers Party | Khalid Razzaq | 1,531 | 3.7 | N/A |
| | Independent | Paul Clark | 1,059 | 2.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,014 | 21.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,813 | 55.3 | −12.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 75,575 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +14.6 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Northampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Ellis | 21,031 | 53.2 | +6.0 |
| | Labour | Sally Keeble | 15,524 | 39.3 | −5.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Sawyer | 2,031 | 5.1 | +2.6 |
| | Green | Katherine Pate | 953 | 2.4 | +0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,507 | 13.9 | +11.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,539 | 66.7 | −2.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +6.0 | |
General election 2017: Northampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Ellis | 19,065 | 47.2 | +4.8 |
| | Labour | Sally Keeble | 18,258 | 45.2 | +11.1 |
| | UKIP | Jonathan Bullock | 1,404 | 3.5 | −12.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | George Smid | 1,015 | 2.5 | −1.1 |
| | Green | Steve Miller | 636 | 1.6 | −2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 807 | 2.0 | −6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,411 | 68.7 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.1 | |
General election 2015: Northampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Ellis | 16,699 | 42.4 | +8.3 |
| | Labour | Sally Keeble | 13,454 | 34.1 | +4.8 |
| | UKIP | Tom Rubython | 6,354 | 16.1 | +13.0 |
| | Green | Tony Clarke | 1,503 | 3.8 | +2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Angela Paterson | 1,401 | 3.6 | −24.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,245 | 8.2 | +3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,711 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.7 | |
General election 2010: Northampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Ellis | 13,735 | 34.1 | +4.4 |
| | Labour | Sally Keeble | 11,799 | 29.3 | −10.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Simpson | 11,250 | 27.9 | +1.0 |
| | BNP | Ray Beasley | 1,316 | 3.3 | New |
| | UKIP | Jim MacArthur | 1,238 | 3.1 | +0.6 |
| | Green | Tony Lochmuller | 443 | 1.1 | New |
| | Independent | Eamonn Fitzpatrick | 334 | 0.8 | New |
| | Christian | Timothy Webb | 98 | 0.2 | New |
| | Independent | Malcolm Mildren | 58 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,936 | 4.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,271 | 62.7 | +5.5 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +6.9 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Northampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sally Keeble | 16,905 | 40.2 | −9.2 |
| | Conservative | Damian Collins | 12,945 | 30.8 | +0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Simpson | 10,317 | 24.5 | +6.8 |
| | UKIP | John Howsam | 1,050 | 2.5 | +1.1 |
| | SOS! Northampton | Paul Witherington | 495 | 1.2 | New |
| | CPA | Andrew Otchie | 336 | 0.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,960 | 9.4 | −9.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,048 | 57.9 | +1.9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.8 | |
General election 2001: Northampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sally Keeble | 20,507 | 49.4 | −3.3 |
| | Conservative | John Whelan | 12,614 | 30.4 | −3.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Church | 7,363 | 17.7 | +5.0 |
| | UKIP | Dusan Torbica | 596 | 1.4 | +0.5 |
| | Socialist Alliance | Gordon White | 414 | 1.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,893 | 19.0 | 0.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41,494 | 56.0 | −14.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.15 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Northampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sally Keeble | 27,247 | 52.7 | +14.1 |
| | Conservative | Tony Marlow | 17,247 | 33.4 | −12.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | L. Dunbar | 6,579 | 12.7 | −2.5 |
| | UKIP | D. Torbica | 474 | 0.9 | New |
| | Natural Law | B. Spivack | 161 | 0.3 | −0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,000 | 19.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,708 | 70.1 | −8.4 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
General election 1992: Northampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tony Marlow | 24,865 | 45.8 | −2.0 |
| | Labour | JM Thomas | 20,957 | 38.6 | +8.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | R. Church | 8,236 | 15.2 | −5.9 |
| | Natural Law | B Spivack | 232 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,908 | 7.2 | −10.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 54,290 | 78.5 | +3.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −5.4 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Northampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tony Marlow | 24,816 | 47.8 | +0.8 |
| | Labour | Owen Granfield | 15,560 | 29.9 | +3.0 |
| | Liberal | Tony Rounthwaite | 10,960 | 21.1 | −5.0 |
| | Green | Michael Green | 471 | 0.9 | New |
| | Workers Revolutionary | S. Colling | 156 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,256 | 17.9 | −2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,963 | 74.6 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -1.1 | |
General election 1983: Northampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Tony Marlow | 23,129 | 47.0 |
| | Labour | David Offenbach | 13,269 | 26.9 |
| | Liberal | Anthony Rounthwaite | 12,829 | 26.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,860 | 20.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,227 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Northampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tony Marlow | 18,597 | 48.22 | |
| | Labour | Maureen Colquhoun | 13,934 | 36.13 | |
| | Liberal | Anthony Rounthwaite | 5,659 | 14.67 | |
| | National Front | R G W Rickord | 373 | 0.97 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,663 | 12.09 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,563 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +8.11 | |
General election October 1974: Northampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Maureen Colquhoun | 16,314 | 43.80 | +3.08 |
| | Conservative | Richard Tracey | 14,776 | 39.67 | +1.53 |
| | Liberal | R B Baker | 6,160 | 16.54 | −4.60 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,538 | 4.13 | −4.60 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,250 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.78 | |
General election February 1974: Northampton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Maureen Colquhoun | 16,321 | 40.72 |
| | Conservative | C M Jackson | 15,288 | 38.14 |
| | Liberal | R B Baker | 8,475 | 21.14 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,033 | 2.58 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,994 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.15 |