History of Parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Norfolk

The ceremonial county of Norfolk has returned 9 MPs to the UK Parliament since 2010.

Number of seats

The table below shows the number of MPs representing Norfolk at each major redistribution of seats affecting the county.

Year County

seats1

 Borough

seats1

 Total
Prior to 1832 2 10 12
1832-1868 4 8 12
1868-1885 6 4 10
1885-1918 6 4 10
1918-1950 5 3 8
1950-1974 6 2 8
1974-1983 5 2 7
1983-2010 6 2 8
2010-present 7 2 9

1Prior to 1950, seats were classified as County Divisions or Parliamentary Boroughs. Since 1950, they have been classified as County or Borough Constituencies.

Timeline

  County seat   Borough seat

Constituency Prior to 1832 1832-1868 1868-1885 1885-1918 1918-1950 1950-1974 1974-1983 1983-2010 2010-present
Norfolk 1290-1832 (2 MPs)
Norwich 1295-1950 (2 MPs)
Norwich North 1950-present
Norwich South 1950-present
Broadland 2010-present
North Norfolk 1868-1885 (2 MPs) 1885-present
East Norfolk 1832-1868 (2 MPs) 1885-1950
Great Yarmouth 1295-1868 (2 MPs) 1885-1950 1950-present
South Norfolk 1868-1885 (2 MPs) 1885-present
Mid Norfolk 1885-1918 1983-present
Central Norfolk 1950-1974
Thetford 1529-1868 (2 MPs)
West Norfolk 1832-1885 (2 MPs)
South West Norfolk 1885-present
North West Norfolk 1885-1918 1974-present
King's Lynn 1295-1885 (2 MPs) 1885-1918 1918-1974
Castle Rising 1558-1832 (2 MPs)

Boundary Reviews
Prior to 1832 Since 1290, the Parliamentary County of Norfolk along with all other English counties regardless of size or population, had elected 2 MPs (Knights of the Shire) to the House of Commons.

The county also included five Parliamentary Boroughs, namely Castle Rising, Great Yarmouth (partly in Suffolk), King's Lynn, Norwich and Thetford, all returning 2 MPs (burgesses) each.

1832 The Great Reform Act of 1832 radically changed the representation of the House of Commons, with the county being divided into the Eastern and Western Divisions, both returning 2 MPs.

The Borough of Castle Rising was abolished.

1868 Under the Reform Act of 1867, the county was further divided. The Eastern Division was abolished and redistributed to the North and South Divisions, which both also included small areas transferred from the Western Division.

Thetford's representation was reduced to 1 MP and Great Yarmouth was disenfranchised for corruption. Thetford was then also disenfranchised under the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868, which had resulted in a net increase of seven seats in Scotland, offset by the disenfranchisement of seven English Boroughs.

1885 Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885,[1] the three two-member county divisions were replaced by six single-member constituencies, namely the Eastern, Mid, Northern, North-Western, Southern and South-Western Divisions.

Great Yarmouth was re-established as a single-member Borough and the representation of the Borough of King's Lynn was reduced to 1 MP.

Norwich continued to elect 2 MPs.
Norfolk 1885-1918
1918 Under the Representation of the People Act 1918,[2] the Parliamentary Borough of King's Lynn was abolished and reconstituted as a county division, absorbing the abolished North-Western Division, with the exception of Fakenham and surrounding areas, which were transferred to the Northern Division.

The Mid Division was also abolished, with northern areas, including East Dereham, being transferred to the South-Western Division, and southern areas to the Southern Division. The Eastern Division was expanded southwards, gaining the Rural District of Loddon and Clavering from the Southern Division.

Other minor changes to align boundaries with those of local authorities.
Norfolk 1918-1950
1950 The Representation of the People Act 1948[3] resulted in the abolition of the Eastern Division, with its contents being distributed as follows:

Central Norfolk also included areas to the north (former Rural District of Aylsham) and south (Rural District of Forehoe and Henstead), transferred from the Northern and Southern divisions respectively.

The two-member Borough of Norwich was also abolished, and divided into the single-member borough constituencies of Norwich North and Norwich South.

The Municipal Borough of Thetford was transferred from South West Norfolk to South Norfolk.

Other minor changes to align boundaries with those of local authorities.

There were no changes for the 1955 general election under the First Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies.
Norfolk 1950-1974
1974 Under the Second Periodic Review,[4] representation was decreased back down to 7 MPs with the abolition of Central Norfolk. Northern and central areas (Rural District of St Faith's and Aylsham) were transferred to North Norfolk; southern areas returned to South Norfolk (Rural District of Forehoe and Henstead); and Thorpe St Andrew transferred to Yarmouth.

King's Lynn was replaced by North West Norfolk, which also incorporated Well-next-the-Sea and the Rural District of Walsingham, including Fakenham, transferred from North Norfolk.
Norfolk 1974-1983
1983 The Third Review,[5] which reflected the changes to local authorities arising from the Local Government Act 1972, but did not come into effect until the 1983 general election.

Norfolk's representation was restored to 8 MPs with the re-establishment of Mid Norfolk which was made up as follows:

  • eastern areas transferred from Yarmouth;
  • central areas (including Aylsham) transferred from North Norfolk; and
  • western areas (including East Dereham) transferred from South West Norfolk.

Yarmouth was formally renamed Great Yarmouth and incorporated the small area, including Bradwell, which had been transferred from Suffolk to Norfolk under the local government reorganisation and was previously part of the constituency of Lowestoft.

Other changes included:

  • Thetford and areas comprising the former Rural District of Wayland, including Attleborough, transferred from South Norfolk to South West Norfolk;
  • Wells-next-the-Sea and areas comprising the former Rural District of Walsingham, including Fakenham, transferred back from North West Norfolk to North Norfolk;
  • Norwich North gained suburban areas now part of the District of Broadland, including Thorpe St Andrew from Yarmouth and Hellesdon and Sprowston from North Norfolk;
  • Southern parts of Norwich North transferred to Norwich South.
Norfolk 1983-1997
1997 The Fourth Review[6] resulted in only minor changes to increase the electorates of the two Norwich constituencies.

The District of Broadland wards of Drayton and Teversham were transferred from Mid Norfolk to Norwich North and the District of South Norfolk wards of Cringleford and Colney, and New Costessey were transferred from South Norfolk to Norwich South.
Norfolk 1997-2010
2010 In the Fifth Review[7] the Boundary Commission for England recommended that Norfolk's representation be increased to 9 MPs, with the creation of the constituency of Broadland, based on the District of Broadland wards which had previously comprised a majority of Mid Norfolk, as well as Drayton and Taversham, transferred back from Norwich North. It also included Fakenham and surrounding areas, transferred once again from North Norfolk.

Mid Norfolk now comprised the District of Breckland wards in the previous version of the constituency with additional wards, including Watton and Attleborough, transferred from South West Norfolk. Six District of South Norfolk wards, including Wymondham, were transferred from the constituency of South Norfolk.

Cringleford and Colney (but not New Costessey) were transferred back from Norwich South to South Norfolk and a small area in the south-west of North West Norfolk was transferred to South West Norfolk.
Norfolk 2010-present

See also

References
  1. Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. The public general acts. unknown library. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884.
  2. Fraser, Hugh (1918). The Representation of the people act, 1918 : with explanatory notes. University of California Libraries. London : Sweet and Maxwell.
  3. "Representation of the People Act, 1948". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  4. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  5. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  6. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  7. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
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