Northampton South (UK Parliament constituency)

For the constituency to the south created in 2010, see South Northamptonshire (UK Parliament constituency).

Northampton South is a constituency^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Mike Reader, representing the Labour Party.^{[n 2]}

Northampton South
Borough constituency for the House of Commons
Boundaries since 2024
Boundary of Northampton South in the East Midlands
County	Northamptonshire
Electorate	71,512 (2023)[1]
Major settlements	Northampton (part)
Current constituency
Created	1974 (1974)
Member of Parliament	Mike Reader (Labour)
Seats	One
Created from	Northampton

History

This constituency was created for the election of February 1974 when the old constituency of Northampton was split into Northampton South and Northampton North.

Since creation it is generally a marginal and in elections since 1979 but one, in 2005, has been a bellwether, electing an MP from the winning (or largest governing) party.

The one-time Deputy Speaker of the House, Michael Morris, a Conservative, held this seat from its creation in 1974 until 1997, when Tony Clarke defeated Morris in a surprise result (one of many in the Labour landslide of that year) to gain the seat for Labour with a majority of just 744. The Almanac of British Politics described Labour's gain of the seat as "one of the most unexpected results of the 1997 election", despite the fact that Labour had come close to winning the seat in both 1974 elections.^[2] Clarke only just increased his majority in 2001, but Brian Binley defeated Clarke to regain the seat for the Conservatives in 2005 with a comfortable majority, and held it until 2015 when he retired and fellow Conservative David Mackintosh held the seat. Mackintosh retired at the 2017 snap election after just one Parliament, after facing the prospect of being deselected by his local constituency party, and Andrew Lewer took over with a decreased majority from 2015 of over 1,000.

Boundaries

Historic

1974–1983: The County Borough of Northampton wards of Castle, Delapre, Duston, St Crispin, South, and Weston.^[3]

1983–1997: The Borough of Northampton wards of Billing, Castle, Delapre, Nene Valley, New Duston, Old Duston, St Crispin, South, and Weston, and the District of South Northamptonshire wards of Blisworth, Brafield, Bugbrooke, Cogenhoe, Gayton, Hackleton, Harpole, Heyford, Kislingbury, Milton, Roade, Salcey, and Yardley.

1997–2010: The Borough of Northampton wards of Billing, Castle, Delapre, Nene Valley, New Duston, Old Duston, St Crispin, South, and Weston, and the District of South Northamptonshire wards of Brafield, Cogenhoe, Hackleton, Harpole, Kislingbury, Milton, Roade, Salcey, and Yardley. From 1999, ward boundary changes created two extra wards from Nene Valley, West Hunsbury and East Hunsbury.

2010–2024: The Borough of Northampton wards of Billing, Castle, Delapre, Ecton Brook, New Duston, Old Duston, St Crispin, St James, Spencer, and Weston.

Following the 2010 redistribution which created South Northamptonshire, the constituency was once again entirely within the Borough of Northampton as opposed to 1983 to 2010 when it also took in outlying rural parts outside the town.

NB: with effect from 1 April 2021, the Borough of Northampton was abolished and absorbed into the new unitary authority of West Northamptonshire.^[4]

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: Billing and Rectory Farm; Delapre and Rushmere; Duston East; Duston West and St. Crispin; East Hunsbury and Shelfleys; Nene Valley; Riverside Park; Sixfields.^[5]

The constituency has undergone major changes, with those parts of the former Borough of Northampton previously in the South Northamptonshire constituency being added, partly offset by the transfer of the town centre of Northampton to Northampton North.

Constituency profile

The constituency has income, social housing and unemployment statistics^[6] close to the national average and a varied and dynamic service and engineering-centred economy typical of the East Midlands with significant foodstuffs, clothing and consumables manufacturing and processing operations.^[7] Health inequality is high, with the life expectancy gap between the least deprived and most deprived men in northampton reaching over 10.2 years.^[8] Additionally, the constituency is "considerably worse than [the] England average" in violent crime, self harm, under 18 conception and GCSE achievement.^[9]

Members of Parliament

Northampton prior to 1974

Election		Member[10]	Party	Notes
	Feb 1974	Michael Morris	Conservative	Chairman of Ways and Means of the House of Commons, 1992–97
	1997	Tony Clarke	Labour
	2005	Brian Binley	Conservative
	2015	David Mackintosh	Conservative
	2017	Andrew Lewer	Conservative
	2024	Mike Reader	Labour

Elections

Northampton south election results 1983-2024

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Northampton South^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Mike Reader	16,890	38.5	+7.6
	Conservative	Andrew Lewer	12,819	29.2	−28.6
	Reform UK	Anthony Owens	8,210	18.7	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Jill Hope	3,193	7.3	−0.6
	Green	Simon Sneddon	2,398	5.5	+2.1
	TUSC	Katie Simpson	296	0.7	N/A
	Climate	Penelope Tollitt	98	0.2	N/A
Majority			4,071	9.3	N/A
Turnout			43,904	62.4	−7.0
Registered electors			70,393
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+18.1

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Northampton South^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew Lewer	20,914	51.2	+4.3
	Labour	Gareth Eales	16,217	39.7	−4.3
	Liberal Democrats	Jill Hope	2,482	6.1	+2.7
	Green	Scott Mabbutt	1,222	3.0	+1.3
Majority			4,697	11.5	+8.6
Turnout			40,835	65.7	−0.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	+4.3

General election 2017: Northampton South^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Andrew Lewer	19,231	46.9	+5.3
	Labour	Kevin McKeever	18,072	44.0	+12.2
	UKIP	Rose Gibbins	1,630	4.0	−14.3
	Liberal Democrats	Jill Hope	1,405	3.4	−0.9
	Green	Scott Mabbutt	696	1.7	−1.9
Majority			1,159	2.9	−6.9
Turnout			41,034	66.5	+3.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	-3.5

General election 2015: Northampton South^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Mackintosh	16,163	41.6	+0.8
	Labour	Kevin McKeever	12,370	31.8	+6.4
	UKIP	Rose Gibbins	7,114	18.3	+13.4
	Liberal Democrats	Sadik Chaudhury	1,673	4.3	−15.1
	Green	Julie Hawkins	1,403	3.6	+2.7
Majority			3,793	9.8	−5.6
Turnout			38,884	63.4	+5.2
	Conservative hold		Swing	-2.85

General election 2010: Northampton South ^[15][16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Brian Binley	15,917	40.8	+3.0
	Labour	Clyde Loakes	9,913	25.4	−16.1
	Liberal Democrats	Paul Varnsverry	7,579	19.4	+5.9
	Independent	Tony Clarke	2,242	5.8	New
	UKIP	Derek Clark	1,897	4.9	+2.8
	English Democrat	Kevin Sills	618	1.6	New
	Green	Julie Hawkins	363	0.9	New
	Northampton Save our Public Services	Dave Green	325	0.8	New
	Independent	Kevin Wilshire	65	0.2	New
	Scrap Members' Allowances	Liam Costello	59	0.2	New
Majority			6,004	15.4	+7.3
Turnout			38,978	58.2	−0.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	+6.6

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Northampton South^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Brian Binley	23,818	43.7	+2.6
	Labour	Tony Clarke	19,399	35.6	−7.3
	Liberal Democrats	Kevin Barron	8,327	15.3	+2.8
	UKIP	Derek Clark	1,032	1.9	−0.5
	Veritas	Tony Green	508	0.9	New
	S O S! Voters Against Overdevelopment of Northampton	John Harrison	437	0.8	New
	Monster Raving Loony	John Percival	354	0.6	New
	Independent	Fitzy Fitzpatrick	346	0.6	New
	CPA	Tim Webb	260	0.5	New
Majority			4,419	8.1	N/A
Turnout			54,481	60.7	+1.1
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	+5.0

General election 2001: Northampton South^[18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Tony Clarke	21,882	42.9	+0.5
	Conservative	Shailesh Vara	20,997	41.1	0.0
	Liberal Democrats	Andrew Simpson	6,355	12.5	+1.4
	UKIP	Derek Clark	1,237	2.4	+0.4
	Liberated Party	Tina Harvey	362	0.7	New
	ProLife Alliance	Clare Johnson	196	0.4	New
Majority			885	1.8	+0.5
Turnout			51,029	59.6	−12.1
	Labour hold		Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Northampton South^[19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Tony Clarke	24,214	42.4	+14.1
	Conservative	Michael Morris	23,470	41.1	−14.6
	Liberal Democrats	Anthony Worgan	6,316	11.1	−3.1
	Referendum	Christopher Petrie	1,405	2.5	New
	UKIP	Derek Clark	1,159	2.0	New
	Natural Law	Graham Woollcombe	541	0.9	New
Majority			744	1.3	N/A
Turnout			57,105	71.7	−8.2
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+14.1

General election 1992: Northampton South^[20][21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Morris	36,882	55.3	−0.4
	Labour	John Dickie	19,909	29.8	+5.2
	Liberal Democrats	Graham Mabbutt	9,912	14.9	−3.7
Majority			16,973	25.5	−5.6
Turnout			66,703	79.9	+4.7
	Conservative hold		Swing	−2.8

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Northampton South^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Morris	31,864	55.7	+2.1
	Labour	John Dickie	14,061	24.6	−1.2
	SDP	George Hopkins	10,639	18.6	−4.8
	Green	Margaret Hamilton	647	1.1	New
Majority			17,803	31.1	+0.9
Turnout			57,211	75.2	+2.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.7

General election 1983: Northampton South^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Morris	26,824	53.6
	SDP	Keith Kyle	11,698	23.4
	Labour	Martin Coleman	11,533	23.0
Majority			15,126	30.2
Turnout			50,055	72.6
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Northampton South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Morris	19,125	49.67
	Labour	Graham Mason	15,491	40.24
	Liberal	D Amey	3,478	9.03
	National Front	M James	407	1.06	New
Majority			3,634	9.43
Turnout			38,501	75.27
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election October 1974: Northampton South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Morris	14,393	42.98
	Labour	J Dilks	14,252	42.56
	Liberal	RF Miller	4,842	14.46
Majority			141	0.42
Turnout			33,487	75.52
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election February 1974: Northampton South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Morris	14,321	40.27
	Labour	J Dilks	14,142	39.77
	Liberal	RF Miller	7,099	19.96
Majority			179	0.50
Turnout			35,562	80.82
	Conservative win (new seat)

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Northamptonshire

Notes

1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.