Boundary changes and Labour Party organization

Technically, the changes proposed by the Boundary Commission do not come into effect until 2013. The main consultation period begins on 13 September and goes on until 5 December 2011, but there are further stages beyond that. The final stage is a recommendation to the government, to be made by 1 October 2013.

The Labour Party is likely to alter its structure when the Boundary Commission makes revised proposals during 2012.

Boundary Changes

The Boundary Commission for England has made its initial proposal for changes to Parliamentary constituencies as required by the Coalition government's legislation. The Eastern Region has to shed two consituencies and it is proposed that only seven constituencies in the Region remain unchanged.

The proposals are now out for consultation until 5 December 2011.

The North East Hertfordshire constituency will, according to the initial proposal, change in the following ways:

• All the North Hetfordshire District Council wards currently in the constituency to remain.

• The Central Bedfordshire wards of Potton and of Stotford & Arlesey to be added.

• The East Hertfordshire wards of Buntingford, Braughing, Puckeridge and Mundens & Cottered to remain.

• Little Hadham and Thundridge & Standon to be transferred to Hertford & Stortford constituency.

• Walkern to be transferred to Stevenage.

• Watton-at-Stone, Hertford Rural North and Hertford Rural South to be transferred to Welwyn Hatfield.

• The constituency to be renamed "Letchworth".

13 September 2011

General Elections

In 1997 and in 2001, Labour came close to winning the constituency. The Tory majorities were 3,088 and 3,444 respectively.  In common with most constituencies, we lost voter share in 2005. The majority of this lost share went to the Liberal Democrats.

In 2010, we lost further voter share, both to the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives. For the first time since the formation of the constituency, the Conservatives had an overall majority of the votes and Labour was pushed temporarily into third place. Read more.

The Constituency

Currently, the constituency extends from Letchworth Garden City and Baldock in the west to the Pelhams in the east, and from Royston in the north to Little Berkhamsted and Letty Green in the south. It includes Ashwell, Walkern, Benington, Buntingford, Puckeridge, Standon, Thundridge, Watton-at-Stone and Tewin (see map below). See above for proposed changes for 2013.
 

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey electionmap service. Image reproduced with permission of Ordnance Survey and Land and Property Services. On the electionmap website you can zoom in to different parts of the constituency and you can overlay ward boundaries.