Hemel Hempstead is a constituency in Hertfordshire 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. Since 2024, it has been represented by David Taylor of the Labour Party.
Constituency profile
Hemel Hempstead is a constituency located in Hertfordshire within the borough of Dacorum. It covers the large town of Hemel Hempstead, which has a population of around 100,000, and the outlying village of Bovingdon. Hemel Hempstead was traditionally an agricultural market town but was greatly expanded after being designated as a new town in 1947. This earmarked the town for development to accommodate overspill from London, which is located around south-east of Hemel Hempstead. The constituency has average levels of wealth; there is some deprivation in the neighbourhood of Highfield whilst the rural and outer suburban areas are affluent. House prices are higher than the national and East of England averages.
Residents of Hemel Hempstead have average levels of education, income and professional employment. At the borough council, the town's central neighbourhoods are represented mostly by Liberal Democrats with some Labour Party councillors, whilst the outer suburbs and rural areas elected Conservatives. At the county council, which held elections more recently, Reform UK gained representation in the town's outer suburbs. An estimated 56% of voters in Hemel Hempstead supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the nationwide figure of 52%.
1950–1974
- The Municipal Borough of Hemel Hempstead
- The Urban Districts of Berkhamsted, Harpenden, and Tring;
- The Rural Districts of Berkhamsted and Hemel Hempstead; and
- The Rural District of St Albans parishes of Harpenden Rural and Redbourn.
Wheathampstead was transferred back to St Albans. Abbots Langley and Sarratt now included in the new constituency of South West Hertfordshire.
1974–1983
- The Municipal Borough of Hemel Hempstead;
- The Urban Districts of Berkhamsted and Tring; and
- The Rural Districts of Berkhamsted and Hemel Hempstead.
Harpenden and the part of the parishes of Harpenden Rural and Redbourn were transferred back to St Albans.
The constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election. Berkhamsted and the area to the south of Hemel Hempstead, including Kings Langley, was transferred to South West Hertfordshire. The remainder, including Hemel Hempstead and Tring, formed the new constituency of West Hertfordshire.
1997–2010
- The District of Dacorum wards of Adeyfield East, Adeyfield West, Ashridge, Bennetts End, Boxmoor, Central, Chaulden, Crabtree, Cupid Green, Flamstead and Markyate, Gadebridge, Grove Hill, Highfield, Kings Langley, Leverstock Green, Nash Mills, South, and Warners End.
Re-established for the 1997 general election from the bulk of the abolished County Constituency of West Hertfordshire (excluding Tring). Kings Langley transferred back from South West Hertfordshire.
2010–2024
- The District of Dacorum wards of Adeyfield East, Adeyfield West, Apsley, Ashridge, Bennetts End, Boxmoor, Chaulden and Shrubhill, Corner Hall, Gadebridge, Grove Hill, Hemel Hempstead Central, Highfield and St Paul's, Kings Langley, Leverstock Green, Nash Mills, Warners End, Watling, and Woodhall.
Minor loss to South West Hertfordshire following revision of local authority wards.
Current
Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency is as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
- The District of Dacorum wards of: Adeyfield East; Adeyfield West; Apsley and Corner Hall; Bennetts End; Bovingdon, Flaunden and Chipperfield; Boxmoor; Chaulden and Warners End; Gadebridge; Grovehill; Hemel Hempstead Town; Highfield; Leverstock Green; Nash Mills; Woodhall Farm.
Moderate changes, with Kings Langley being transferred to South West Hertfordshire, in exchange for the rural Bovingdon, Flaunden and Chipperfield ward. The rural Ashridge and Watling wards to the north were moved to the newly created seat of Harpenden and Berkhamsted.
Members of Parliament
MPs, 1918–1983
Watford and St Albans prior to 1918
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Election!!Member!!Party
|-
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| 1918
| Gustavus Talbot
| Coalition Conservative
|-
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| 1920
| JCC Davidson
| Coalition Conservative
|-
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| 1923
| John Freeman Dunn
| Liberal
|-
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| 1924
| JCC Davidson
| Conservative
|-
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| 1937 by-election
| Viscountess Davidson
| Conservative
|-
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| 1959
| James Allason
| Conservative
|-
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| October 1974
| Robin Corbett
| Labour
|-
|style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| 1979
| Nicholas Lyell
| Conservative
|}
MPs, 1997–present
West Hertfordshire prior to 1997
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Election!!Member
- Jaymey McIvor was originally selected as the Conservative candidate, but was suspended by the party "pending the outcome of an investigation."
Elections in the 2010s
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="4" | 2019 notional result
|-
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="130px" colspan="2" | Party
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="50px" | Vote
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="30px" | %
|-
|
| Conservative ||align=right| 26,963 ||align=right| 55.0
|-
|
| Labour ||align=right| 13,802 ||align=right| 28.1
|-
|
| Liberal Democrats ||align=right| 5,569 ||align=right| 11.4
|-
|
| Green ||align=right| 1,432 ||align=right| 2.9
|-
|
| Others ||align=right| 1,299 ||align=right| 2.6
|-
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#EAECF0"|
|-
|colspan="2"|Turnout
|align=right|49,065
|align=right|69.6
|-
|colspan="2"|Electorate
|align=right|70,496
|}
This was the highest swing from Labour to Conservative in the 2010 general election.
Elections in the 2000s
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="4" | 2005 notional result
|-
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="130px" colspan="2" | Party
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="50px" | Vote
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="30px" | %
|-
|
| Conservative ||align=right| 18,591 ||align=right| 40.1
|-
|
| Labour ||align=right| 18,404 ||align=right| 39.7
|-
|
| Liberal Democrats ||align=right| 7,856 ||align=right| 17.0
|-
|
| Others ||align=right| 1,483 ||align=right| 3.2
|-
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#EAECF0"|
|-
|colspan="2"|Turnout
|align=right|46,334
|align=right|64.5
|-
|colspan="2"|Electorate
|align=right|71,891
|}
Elections in the 1990s
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="4" | 1992 notional result
|-
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="130px" colspan="2" | Party
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="50px" | Vote
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="30px" | %
|-
|
| Conservative ||align=right| 29,248 ||align=right| 49.8
|-
|
| Labour ||align=right| 19,090 ||align=right| 32.5
|-
|
| Liberal Democrats ||align=right| 9,005 ||align=right| 15.4
|-
|
| Others ||align=right| 1,313 ||align=right| 2.2
|-
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#EAECF0"|
|-
|colspan="2"|Turnout
|align=right|58,656
|align=right|82.1
|-
|colspan="2"|Electorate
|align=right|71,471
|}
Election results 1918–1979
Elections in the 1970s
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="4" | 1970 notional result
|-
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="130px" colspan="2" | Party
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="50px" | Vote
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="30px" | %
|-
|
| Conservative ||align=right| 30,000 ||align=right| 48.2
|-
|
| Labour ||align=right| 24,800 ||align=right| 39.9
|-
|
| Liberal ||align=right| 7,400 ||align=right| 11.9
|-
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#EAECF0"|
|-
|colspan="2"|Turnout
|align=right|62,200
|align=right|78.0
|-
|colspan="2"|Electorate
|align=right|79,737
|}
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1940s
General Election 1939–40:
Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
- Conservative: Frances Davidson
- Liberal: Ian Davidson
- Labour: A W Harper