# Hitchin (UK Parliament constituency)

Hitchin is a parliamentary constituency in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was re-established for the 2024 general election, since when it has been held by Alistair Strathern of the Labour Party.

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

* The Sessional Divisions of Aldbury (except the parishes of Great Hadham and Little Hadham), Buntingford, Hitchin, Odsey, Stevenage, and Welwyn; and
* The parish of Braughing.
The constituency was established by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (which followed on from the Third Reform Act) as one of four Divisions of the abolished three-member Parliamentary County of Hertfordshire, and was formally named as the Northern or Hitchin Division of Hertfordshire. It included the towns/villages of Hitchin, Stevenage, Welwyn, Baldock and Royston.

### 1918–1945

* The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Royston, and Stevenage;
* The Rural Districts of Ashwell, Buntingford, Hitchin, and Welwyn; and
* The Rural District of Hertford parishes of Aston, Bennington, Datchworth, Sacombe, Walkern, and Watton-at-Stone.
Minor changes only to reflect local authority boundaries.

### 1945–1950

* The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, Royston, and Stevenage;
* The Rural Districts of Hitchin, and Welwyn; and
* Parts of the Rural Districts of Braughing and Hertford.
The constituency had included a part of the Urban District of Welwyn Garden City, which had been formed as a separate local authority in 1927, and this was now transferred to St Albans. Other nominal changes as a result of the reorganisation of local authorities.

### 1950–1955

* The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, Royston, and Stevenage;
* The Rural District of Hitchin;
* The Rural District of Braughing parishes of Anstey, Ardeley, Aspenden, Broadfield, Buckland, Buntingford, Cottered, Hormead, Meesden, Throcking, Westmilll, and Wyddiall; and
* The Rural District of Hertford parishes of Aston, Bennington, Datchworth, Sacombe, Walkern, and Watton-at-Stone.
The Rural District of Welwyn was transferred to St Albans.

### 1955–1974

* The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, Royston, and Stevenage; and
* The Rural District of Hitchin.
The part of the Rural District of Braughing was transferred to the new constituency of East Hertfordshire, and the part of the Rural District of Hertford was transferred to Hertford.

### 1974–1983

* The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, and Royston; and
* The Rural District of Hitchin.
The Urban District of Stevenage formed the majority of the new County Constituency of Hertford and Stevenage.
The constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election and was replaced by the new constituency of North Hertfordshire, with the exception of a small part in the south-east which was included in the new constituency of Stevenage (Codicote and Knebworth).

### Current

Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the re-established constituency was defined as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
* The District of Central Bedfordshire wards of Arlesey; Shefford; and Stotfold and Langford - transferred partly from North East Bedfordshire and partly from Mid Bedfordshire.
* The District of North Hertfordshire wards of: Cadwell; Chesfield; Hitchin Bearton; Hitchin Highbury; Hitchin Oughton; Hitchin Priory; Hitchin Walsworth; Hitchwood, Offa and Hoo; and Kimpton - transferred from the abolished constituency of Hitchin and Harpenden.
Following local government boundary reviews in Central Bedfordshire 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:
* The District of Central Bedfordshire wards or part wards of: Arlesey & Fairfield; Clifton, Henlow & Langfield; Meppershall & Shillington (Meppershall parish); Shefford; Stotfold.
* The District of North Hertfordshire wards or part wards of: Cadwell; Codicote & Kimpton (Kimpton parish); Graveley, St Ippolyts & Wymondley; Great Ashby; Hitchin Bearton; Hitchin Highbury; Hitchin Oughton; Hitchin Priory; Hitchin Walsworth; Hitchwood; Offa.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1885-1983

North Hertfordshire and Stevenage prior to 1885
| Election | Member | Party |
| 1885 | Baron Robert Dimsdale $^a$ | Conservative |
| 1892 | George Hudson | Conservative |
| 1906 | Julius Bertram | Liberal |
| Jan 1910 | Alfred Hillier | Conservative |
| 1911 by-election | Lord Robert Cecil $^b$ | Conservative |
| 1918 | Lord Robert Cecil $^b$ | Coalition Conservative |
| 1922 | Lord Robert Cecil $^b$ | Conservative |
| 1923 | Guy Kindersley | Conservative |
| 1931 | Viscount Knebworth | Conservative |
| 1933 by-election | Sir Arnold Wilson | Conservative |
| 1941 by-election | Seymour Berry | Conservative |
| 1945 | Philip Asterley Jones | Labour |
| 1950 | Nigel Fisher | Conservative |
| 1955 | Martin Maddan | Conservative |
| 1964 | Shirley Williams | Labour |
| Feb 1974 | Ian Stewart | Conservative |
| 1983 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |
Notes:-
* $^a$ Dimsdale was a Baron of the Russian Empire.
* $^b$ Cecil associated himself with the non-coalition wing of the Conservative Party, at some point in the 1918-1922 Parliament.

### MPs since 2024

Hitchin & Harpenden prior to 2024
| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 2024 | Alistair Strathern | Labour |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Alistair Strathern | 23,067 | 44.8 | +17.7 |
| | Conservative | Bim Afolami | 14,958 | 28.5 | −18.5 |
| | Reform UK | Charles Bunker | 6,760 | 12.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Lucas | 4,913 | 9.4 | −14.3 |
| | Green | Will Lavin | 2,631 | 5.0 | +3.5 |
| | CPA | Sid Cordle | 181 | 0.3 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,109 | 15.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,696 | 69.4 | −5.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 75,877 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 18.1 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

The Hitchin parliamentary constituency did not exist when the 2019 general election was held. The following is a projection of what the result of the 2019 general election might have looked like in the Hitchin parliamentary constituency if it had existed.
2019 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Conservative | 25,419 | 47.0 |
| | Labour | 14,155 | 26.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 12,798 | 23.7 |
| | Others | 871 | 1.6 |
| | Green | 818 | 1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 54,061 | 75.0 |
| Electorate | Electorate | 72,112 |

## Election results 1885-1983
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Dimsdale | 4,419 | 60.6 | |
| | Liberal | Henry Fordham | 2,869 | 39.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,550 | 21.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,288 | 81.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,996 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election 1886: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Dimsdale | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Bickersteth Hudson | 4,187 | 60.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal | John Wattridge | 2,728 | 39.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,459 | 21.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,915 | 77.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,982 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1895: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Bickersteth Hudson | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Bickersteth Hudson | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1906: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Julius Bertram | 4,157 | 50.5 | New |
| | Conservative | J J W Miller | 4,081 | 49.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 76 | 1.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,238 | 83.9 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,820 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alfred Hillier | 5,761 | 59.8 | +10.3 |
| | Liberal | Julius Bertram | 3,877 | 40.2 | −10.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,884 | 19.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,638 | 88.5 | +4.6 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +10.3 | |
General election December 1910: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alfred Hillier | 5,233 | 57.0 | −2.8 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Tylston Greg | 3,942 | 43.0 | +2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,291 | 14.0 | −5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,175 | 84.3 | −4.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −2.8 | |
Hitchin by-election, 1911 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Cecil | 5,542 | 58.6 | +1.6 |
| | Liberal | Thomas Tylston Greg | 3,909 | 41.4 | −1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,633 | 17.2 | +3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,451 | 84.8 | +0.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.6 | |
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
* Unionist: Robert Cecil
* Liberal:
General election 14 December 1918: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| C | Unionist | Robert Cecil | 9,828 | 60.6 | +3.6 |
| | Labour | Robert Green | 5,661 | 34.9 | New |
| | NFDDSS | George Humm | 722 | 4.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,167 | 25.7 | +11.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,211 | 54.4 | −29.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 29,820 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | | |
| C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. ||||||

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1922: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Robert Cecil | 13,124 | 62.0 | +1.4 |
| | Labour | Skene Mackay | 8,049 | 38.0 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,075 | 24.0 | −1.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,173 | 66.2 | +7.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 32,005 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −0.9 | |
General election 1923: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Guy Kindersley | 11,157 | 49.7 | −12.3 |
| | Labour | Skene Mackay | 5,913 | 26.3 | −11.7 |
| | Liberal | Dugald Macfadyen | 5,390 | 24.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,244 | 23.4 | −0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,460 | 67.7 | +1.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 33,197 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −0.3 | |
General election 1924: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Guy Kindersley | 14,019 | 59.2 | +9.5 |
| | Labour | Julian Athelstan Tayler | 5,773 | 24.4 | −1.9 |
| | Liberal | Dugald Macfadyen | 3,881 | 16.4 | −7.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,246 | 34.8 | +11.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,673 | 69.5 | +1.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 34,060 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | +5.7 | |
General election 1929: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Unionist | Guy Kindersley | 14,786 | 44.8 | −14.4 |
| | Liberal | Enid Lapthorn | 9,325 | 28.3 | +11.9 |
| | Labour | Richard Gifford | 8,880 | 26.9 | +2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,461 | 16.5 | −18.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,991 | 73.4 | +3.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 44,967 | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | −9.2 | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Antony Bulwer-Lytton | 25,841 | 75.7 | +30.9 |
| | Labour | Dermot Freyer | 8,312 | 24.3 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,529 | 51.4 | +34.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,153 | 71.1 | −2.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Hitchin by-election, 1933 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Arnold Wilson | 14,569 | 58.4 | −17.3 |
| | Labour | William Bennett | 10,362 | 41.6 | +17.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,207 | 16.8 | −34.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,931 | 51.3 | −19.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -17.3 | |
General election 1935: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Arnold Wilson | 21,452 | 63.34 |
| | Labour | George Lindgren | 12,417 | 36.66 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,035 | 26.68 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,869 | 66.44 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1939–40: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
* Conservative: Arnold Wilson
* Labour: George Lindgren
Hitchin by-election, 1941 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Seymour Berry | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1945: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Philip Jones | 20,779 | 42.64 | |
| | Conservative | Seymour Berry | 20,433 | 41.93 | |
| | Liberal | Thomas Darling | 7,515 | 15.42 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 346 | 0.71 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,727 | 72.44 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nigel Fisher | 23,580 | 45.11 | |
| | Labour | Philip Jones | 21,829 | 41.76 | |
| | Liberal | Frank Haigh | 6,863 | 13.13 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,751 | 3.35 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,272 | 85.78 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election 1951: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Nigel Fisher | 27,719 | 52.64 |
| | Labour | Peter Benenson | 24,941 | 47.36 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,778 | 5.28 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,660 | 84.98 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1955: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Martin Maddan | 26,371 | 50.93 |
| | Labour | Peter Benenson | 25,406 | 49.07 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 965 | 1.86 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,777 | 83.17 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1959: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Martin Maddan | 30,193 | 46.82 | |
| | Labour | Peter Benenson | 25,818 | 40.03 | |
| | Liberal | Robert Glenton | 8,481 | 13.15 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,375 | 6.79 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 64,492 | 85.43 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Shirley Williams | 34,034 | 45.84 | |
| | Conservative | Martin Maddan | 30,649 | 41.28 | |
| | Liberal | Elma Dangerfield | 9,564 | 12.88 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,385 | 4.56 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 74,247 | 84.54 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
General election 1966: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Shirley Williams | 42,233 | 56.52 |
| | Conservative | John Stokes | 32,483 | 43.48 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,750 | 13.04 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 74,716 | 65.54 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Shirley Williams | 40,932 | 48.53 | |
| | Conservative | Richard Luce | 37,258 | 44.18 | |
| | Liberal | Thomas Willis | 6,148 | 7.29 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,674 | 4.35 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 84,338 | 76.88 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ian Stewart | 27,222 | 44.11 | |
| | Labour | Ann Mallalieu | 23,204 | 37.60 | |
| | Liberal | D Beavan | 10,824 | 17.54 | |
| | Independent | P Bianchi | 467 | 0.76 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,018 | 6.51 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 61,717 | 85.57 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Ian Stewart | 25,842 | 44.59 |
| | Labour | Ann Mallalieu | 22,656 | 39.09 |
| | Liberal | Eric Dix | 9,454 | 16.31 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,186 | 5.50 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,952 | 79.59 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1979: Hitchin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ian Stewart | 33,169 | 52.54 | |
| | Labour | Denis O'Flynn | 19,940 | 31.59 | |
| | Liberal | Eric Dix | 8,224 | 13.03 | |
| | Ecology | Brian Goodale | 911 | 1.44 | New |
| | National Front | Victor Logan | 881 | 1.40 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,229 | 20.95 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 63,125 | 82.19 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |