Hertford and Stortford (UK Parliament constituency)

UK constituency infobox
Name = Hertford and Stortford
Map1 = HertfordStortford
Map2 = Hertfordshire
Type = County
Year = 1983
Entity = Hertfordshire
County = Hertfordshire
EP = East of England
MP = Mark Prisk
Party = Conservative

Hertford and Stortford is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Boundaries

Following their review of parliamentary representation in Hertfordshire the Boundary Commission for England have recommended the creation of a modified Hertford and Stortford seat for the next United Kingdom general election. The electoral wards are taken from the district of East Hertfordshire:

*Bishop’s Stortford All Saints, Bishop’s Stortford Central, Bishop’s Stortford Meads, Bishop’s Stortford Silverleys, Bishop’s Stortford South, Great Amwell, Hertford Bengeo, Hertford Castle, Hertford Heath, Hertford Kingsmead, Hertford Sele, Hunsdon, Much Hadham, Sawbridgeworth, Stanstead Abbots, Ware Chadwell, Ware Christchurch, Ware St Mary’s, and Ware Trinity.

Description

The constituency is semi-rural. There are picturesque villages and farmland separating the county town of Hertford, population 25,000. The rivers Rib, Beane, Mimram, and Lea all meet in Hertford, which is protected from over development by Green Belt land which encircles the town separating it from its neighbour Ware (17,000) in the western part of the constituency. Farms continue between Ware and the ancient market town of Bishop's Stortford with a population of more than 32,000 people in the north east corner of the seat. Bishop's Stortford has developed into a popular area for commuters, with rail links to London's Liverpool Street Station. Thorley on the south side of Stortford, contains a huge residential estate of owner occupied houses built mainly in the 1980s. The constituency is affluent, having a majority of professional and managerial workers as it is within commuting distance of London. Stansted Airport, which lies just outside the seat's eastern perimeter has been responsible for bringing jobs and an improved train service to the constituency. The pharmaceutical industry is also an important provider of jobs - Glaxo has a plant at Ware, Mercks is based at Gilston on the seat's southern border and Smith Kline Beecham has premises in neighbouring Harlow. London is within commuting distance with trains to the City running from all the towns in the constituency.

Members of Parliament

* 1983 – 2001: Bowen Wells, Conservative
* 2001 – "present": Mark Prisk, Conservative

Election results

Election box begin
title=General Election 2005: Hertford and StortfordElection box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Mark Prisk
votes = 25,074
percentage = 50.5
change = +5.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Richard Henry
votes = 11,977
percentage = 24.1
change = −8.7Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = James Lucas
votes = 9,129
percentage = 18.4
change = −1.5Election box candidate with party link
party = Green Party of England and Wales
candidate = Peter Hart
votes = 1,914
percentage = 3.9
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = United Kingdom Independence Party
candidate = David Sodey
votes = 1,026
percentage = 2.1
change = −0.5Election box candidate with party link
party = Veritas (political party)
candidate = Debbie Le May
votes = 572
percentage = 1.2
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 13,097
percentage = 26.4
change = Election box turnout
votes = 49,692
percentage = 67.7
change = +5.5Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
swing = +7.2

Election box begin
title=General Election 2001: Hertford and StortfordElection box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = Mark Prisk
votes = 21,074
percentage = 44.7
change = +0.6Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Simon Spellar
votes = 15,471
percentage = 32.8
change = +1.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Mione Goldspink
votes = 9,388
percentage = 19.9
change = +2.2Election box candidate with party link
party = United Kingdom Independence Party
candidate = Stuart Rising
votes = 1,243
percentage = 2.6
change = +0.4Election box majority
votes = 5,603
percentage = 11.9
change = Election box turnout
votes = 47,176
percentage = 62.2
change = -13.3Election box hold with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
swing =

See also

* List of Parliamentary constituencies in Hertfordshire