South Northamptonshire (UK Parliament constituency)

South Northamptonshire
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of South Northamptonshire in Northamptonshire for the 2010 general election.
Location of Northamptonshire within England.
County	Northamptonshire
Electorate	82,956 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlements	Brackley, Towcester
Current constituency
Created	2010
Member of parliament	Andrea Leadsom (Conservative)
Number of members	One
Created from	Daventry
1950–1974
Number of members	One
Replaced by	Daventry
Created from	Daventry and Kettering
1832–1918
Number of members	1832–1885: Two 1885–1918: One
Replaced by	Daventry
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency	East Midlands

South Northamptonshire is a constituency^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since its 2010 recreation by Andrea Leadsom, a Conservative who has been Leader of the House of Commons since 11 June 2017. ^{[n 2]}

History

Before 2010, the constituency existed from 1832–1918, and from 1950–1974, however on different boundaries during each period. It elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) by the bloc vote system of election from 1832, until the representation was reduced in 1885 to one member elected by the first past the post system.

Prominent members

Three names feature prominently among the area's Commons members, the 3rd and 5th Earl Spencer (during their tenures as MP having a courtesy title only, Viscount Althorp – Althorp is a major country house in the seat, well known as the childhood home of Princess Diana of Wales); Edward Fitzroy (son of Lord Southampton), Speaker of the House of Commons from 1928 until his death in 1943; and lastly, Reginald Manningham-Buller, 1st Viscount Dilhorne who on accomplishment of a peerage sat for the final two years of his life as the historic equivalent of the President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom with additional functions, the Lord Chancellor.

In the 19th century history of the seat the Cartwright family (with three members) lived in the stately home Aynhoe Park near Banbury.

History of boundaries

The seat was abolished in 1918 to form the new constituency of Daventry, then recreated in 1950 caused by a relatively short-lived abolition of Daventry. In 1974 the constituency was almost wholly swallowed up by a reborn Daventry, which on wide boundaries saw substantial population growth.

This called for recreation in 2010 whereby most of the electoral wards were taken from the former version of the Daventry seat.

Present bordering constituencies

The constituency is bordered by Daventry and Northampton South to the north, Wellingborough to the north east, Milton Keynes North and Milton Keynes South to the south east, Buckingham to the south, Banbury to the south west and Kenilworth and Southam to the west.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Brackley and Towcester, and part of the Sessional Division of Daventry.

1950–1974: The Municipal Boroughs of Brackley and Daventry, and the Rural Districts of Brackley, Daventry, Northampton, and Towcester.

2010–present: The District of South Northamptonshire wards of Astwell, Blakesley, Blisworth, Brackley East, Brackley South, Brackley West, Chase, Cogenhoe, Collingtree, Cosgrove, Courteenhall, Deanshanger, Grafton, Kings Sutton, Kingthorn, Little Brook, Middleton Cheney, Salcey, Silverstone, Steane, Tove, Towcester Brook, Towcester Mill, Wardoun, Washington, Whittlewood, and Yardley, and the Borough of Northampton wards of East Hunsbury, Nene Valley, and West Hunsbury.

Members of Parliament

Elections

Election results 1868–1918

Elections in the 1890s

General Election 1892: Northamptonshire South ^[16][15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	David Charles Guthrie	3,930	50.3	+2.4
	Conservative	Thomas Leslie-Melville-Cartwright	3,882	49.7	−2.4
Majority			48	0.6	N/A
Turnout			7,812	84.4	+4.6
Registered electors			9,251
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+2.4

Douglas-Pennant

General Election 1895: Northamptonshire South ^[16][18][15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Edward Douglas-Pennant	4,553	57.8	+8.1
	Liberal	David Charles Guthrie	3,324	42.2	−8.1
Majority			1,229	15.6	N/A
Turnout			7,877	86.2	+1.8
Registered electors			9,134
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+8.1

Elections in the 1900s

General Election 1900: Northamptonshire South ^[16][18][15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Edward FitzRoy	4,174	56.9	−0.9
	Liberal	Archibald Grove	3,166	43.1	+0.9
Majority			1,008	13.8	−1.8
Turnout			7,340	81.8	−4.4
Registered electors			8,976
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.9

Grove

General Election 1906: Northamptonshire South ^[16][15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	Archibald Grove	4,136	52.0	+8.9
	Conservative	Charles Douglas-Pennant	3,814	48.0	−8.9
Majority			322	4.0	N/A
Turnout			7,950	88.1	+6.3
Registered electors			9,023
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+8.9

Elections in the 1910s

Kellaway

General Election January 1910: Northamptonshire South ^[19][15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Edward FitzRoy	4,565	53.6	+5.6
	Liberal	Frederick Kellaway	3,955	46.4	−5.6
Majority			610	7.2	N/A
Turnout			8,520	91.7	+3.6
Registered electors			9,290
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+5.6

General Election December 1910: Northamptonshire South ^[19][15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Edward FitzRoy	4,340	53.1	−0.5
	Liberal	Arthur Augustus Thomas	3,827	46.9	+0.5
Majority			513	6.2	−1.0
Turnout			8,167	87.9	−3.8
Registered electors			9,290
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.5

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: Edward FitzRoy
• Liberal: Arthur Augustus Thomas^[20]

Election results 1832–1868

See also

• List of Parliamentary constituencies in Northamptonshire

Notes and references

Notes

References

Coordinates: 52°06′N 1°03′W / 52.10°N 1.05°W / 52.10; -1.05