South Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)

South Bedfordshire was a county constituency in Bedfordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

South Bedfordshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of South Bedfordshire in Bedfordshire, boundaries 1974-83
1950–1983
SeatsOne
Created fromLuton and Mid Bedfordshire[1]
Replaced bySouth West Bedfordshire, Luton North and Luton South[2]

The constituency was created for the 1950 general election, and abolished for the 1983 general election.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1950–1974

The constituency was created by the Representation of the People Act 1948 as a County Constituency, comprising:

  • The Municipal Borough of Dunstable;
  • The Urban District of Leighton Buzzard;
  • The Municipal Borough of Luton wards of Leagrave and Limbury; and
  • The Rural District of Luton.[3]

Leighton Buzzard and surrounding rural areas were transferred from Mid Bedfordshire; and Dunstable, Leagrave and Limbury from the abolished constituency of Luton.

1974–1983

(Second Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies)

  • The Municipal Borough of Dunstable;
  • The Urban District of Leighton-Linslade; and
  • The Rural District of Luton.[3]

Gained the former Urban District of Linslade from Buckingham in Buckinghamshire - this had been merged with Leighton Buzzard to form the Urban District of Leighton-Linslade in 1965.[4]  Leagrave and Limbury were included in the new constituency of Luton West.

The constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election. It was largely absorbed into the new constituency of South West Bedfordshire, including Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard and Linslade.  Areas to the north and south of Luton were included in the constituencies of North Luton and Luton South respectively.

Members of Parliament
ElectionMemberParty
1950 Edward Moeran Labour
1951 Norman Cole Conservative
1966 Gwilym Roberts Labour
1970 David Madel Conservative
1983 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1950: Bedfordshire South [5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Edward Moeran 20,070 45.26
National Liberal William A Fearnley-Whittingstall 18,546 41.83
Liberal James Stewart Knight 5,725 12.91
Majority 1,524 3.43
Turnout 44,341 86.88
Registered electors 51,039
Labour win (new seat)
General election 1951: Bedfordshire South [5][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Norman Cole 22,917 50.94 +9.11
Labour Edward Moeran 22,068 49.06 +3.8
Majority 849 1.88 N/A
Turnout 44,985 86.70 −0.18
Registered electors 51,887
National Liberal gain from Labour Swing +2.66
General election 1955: Bedfordshire South[5][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Norman Cole 23,365 52.79 +1.85
Labour Edward Moeran 20,897 47.21 −1.85
Majority 2,468 5.58 +3.70
Turnout 44,262 81.89 −4.81
Registered electors 54,051
National Liberal hold Swing +1.85
General election 1959: Bedfordshire South [5][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Norman Cole 25,861 47.13 −5.66
Labour Walter Johnson 21,102 38.45 −8.76
Liberal Renee Soskin 7,912 14.42 New
Majority 4,759 8.68 +3.10
Turnout 54,875 83.89 +2.0
Registered electors 65,416
National Liberal hold Swing +1.55

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1964: Bedfordshire South [5][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Norman Cole 33,838 50.25 +3.12
Labour Dennis John Nisbet 33,499 49.75 +11.3
Majority 339 0.50 −8.17
Turnout 67,337 80.83 −3.06
Registered electors 83,307
Conservative hold Swing −4.09
General election 1966: Bedfordshire South [5][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gwilym Roberts 34,549 47.75 −2.00
Conservative Norman Cole 30,319 41.90 −8.35
Liberal Hamilton Simonds-Gooding 7,484 10.34 New
Majority 4,230 5.85 N/A
Turnout 72,352 83.74 +2.91
Registered electors 86,403
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +3.18

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1970: Bedfordshire South [5][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Madel 38,085 48.73 +6.83
Labour Gwilym Roberts 33,107 42.36 −5.39
Liberal Godfrey Shocket 6,956 8.90 −1.44
Majority 4,978 6.36 N/A
Turnout 78,148 77.16 −6.58
Registered electors 101,284
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +6.11
General election February 1974: Bedfordshire South[13][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Madel 21,380 39.70 −9.03
Liberal David John Howard Penwarden 16,622 30.87 +21.97
Labour Paul Farnham Tinnion 15,847 29.43 −12.93
Majority 4,758 8.83 +2.47
Turnout 53,849 84.49 +7.33
Registered electors 63,700
Conservative hold Swing −15.5
General election October 1974: Bedfordshire South[14][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Madel 20,794 41.31 +1.61
Labour Raymond Alfred Little 16,351 32.48 +3.05
Liberal David John Howard Penwarden 13,194 26.21 −4.66
Majority 4,443 8.83 0.00
Turnout 50,339 78.27 −6.27
Registered electors 64,329
Conservative hold Swing −0.72
General election 1979: Bedfordshire South[15][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Madel 32,988 56.37 +15.06
Labour John Gardner 16,505 28.20 −4.28
Liberal Malcolm Alfred Turner 8,402 14.36 −11.85
National Front Laurence Anthony Smith 626 1.07 New
Majority 16,483 28.17 +19.34
Turnout 58,521 79.90 +1.65
Registered electors 73,247
Conservative hold Swing +9.67

References
  1. Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1985-1972. Chichester, Sussex: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0-900178-09-4.
  2. "'Bedfordshire South', Feb 1974 - May 1983". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  3. S., Craig, Fred W. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0900178094. OCLC 539011.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. "Leighton Linslade UD through time | Census tables with data for the Local Government District". www.visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  5. British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973, FWS Craig
  6. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1950". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  7. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1951". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  8. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1955". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  9. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1959". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  10. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1964". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  11. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1966". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  12. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1970". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  13. "UK General Election results February 1974". Politics Resources. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  14. "UK General Election results October 1974". Politics Resources. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  15. "UK General Election results May 1979". Politics Resources. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
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