Huntingdon is a constituency west of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire and including its namesake town of Huntingdon. It has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Benjamin Obese-Jecty of the Conservative Party.
Before 2024, Huntingdon was considered a safe Conservative seat and was the seat of John Major, the Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997.
First established around the time of the Model Parliament in 1295, Huntingdon was the seat of Oliver Cromwell in 1628–1629 and 1640–1642.
Constituency profile
Huntingdon is a rural constituency located in Cambridgeshire, although it was previously within the now-defunct county of Huntingdonshire. Its largest town is Huntingdon, which has a population of around 26,000. Other settlements in the constituency include the towns of Godmanchester and St Ives and the villages of Brampton, Buckden, Sawtry, Warboys and Somersham. The constituency includes a number of current and former Royal Air Force bases; RAF Molesworth, RAF Alconbury and RAF Wyton are still operational. Huntingdon, Godmanchester and St Ives are historic, agricultural market towns. The area is generally wealthy with low levels of deprivation. House prices in the constituency are in line with the national average.
In general, residents have average levels of education and high rates of household income. White people made up 91% of the population at the 2021 census.
1885–1918
- The Sessional Divisions of Leightonstone and Toseland.
The new county division incorporated the towns of Huntingdon, Godmanchester, and St Neots.
1983–1997
- The District of Huntingdon wards of Brampton, Bury, Earith, Ellington, Elton, Farcet, Fenstanton, Godmanchester, Hemingford Abbots and Hilton, Hemingford Grey, Houghton and Wyton, Huntingdon North, Huntingdon West, Kimbolton, Needingworth, Ramsey, Sawtry, Somersham, Stilton, St Ives North, St Ives South, The Stukeleys, Upwood and The Raveleys, Warboys, and Yaxley; and
- The City of Peterborough wards of Barnack, Glinton, Northborough, Werrington, and Wittering.
:The re-established seat comprised the majority of the abolished Huntingdonshire constituency, including Huntingdon, Godmanchester, Ramsey and St Ives, together with rural areas to the west of Peterborough, including Barnack and Werrington.
1997–2010
- The District of Huntingdonshire wards of Brampton, Buckden, Eaton Ford, Eaton Socon, Ellington, Eynesbury, Fenstanton, Godmanchester, Gransden, Hemingford Abbots and Hilton, Hemingford Grey, Houghton and Wyton, Huntingdon North, Huntingdon West, Kimbolton, Needingworth, Paxton, Priory Park, St Ives North, St Ives South, Staughton, The Offords, and The Stukeleys.
:Gained the parts of the District of Huntingdon, including St Neots, which had previously been part of the abolished South West Cambridgeshire constituency. The City of Peterborough ward of Werrington was transferred to the Peterborough constituency. Remaining Peterborough wards and northern parts of the District of Huntingdon, including Ramsey, were included in the new constituency of North West Cambridgeshire.
2010–2024
- The District of Huntingdonshire wards of Alconbury and The Stukeleys, Brampton, Buckden, Fenstanton, Godmanchester, Gransden and The Offords, Huntingdon East, Huntingdon North, Huntingdon West, Kimbolton and Staughton, Little Paxton, St Ives East, St Ives South, St Ives West, St Neots Eaton Ford, St Neots Eaton Socon, St Neots Eynesbury, St Neots Priory Park, and The Hemingfords.
:Local authority wards revised. Further minor loss to North West Cambridgeshire.
2024–present
Following the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following electoral wards:
- The District of Huntingdonshire wards of Alconbury, Brampton, Buckden, Godmanchester & Hemingford Abbots, Great Staughton, Hemingford Grey & Houghton, Holywell-cum-Needingworth, Huntingdon East, Huntingdon North, Kimbolton, St Ives East, St Ives South, St Ives West, Sawtry, Somersham, The Stukeleys, and Warboys.
:The seat was subject to major changes with the town of St Neots being moved to the new constituency of St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire, partly offset by the transfer of mainly rural areas to the north from North West Cambridgeshire.
Members of Parliament
MPs c1290–1660
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Parliament!!First member!!Second member
|-
| 1361|| rowspan="18" |William Wightman
|-
| 1365
|-
| 1366
|-
| 1369
|-
| 1371
|-
| 1372
|-
| 1373
|-
| 1376
|-
| 1377 (Jan)
|-
| 1377 (Oct)
|-
| 1378
|-
| 1380 (Jan)
|-
| 1381
|-
| 1382 (May)
|-
| 1382 (Oct)
|-
| 1383 (Oct)
|-
| 1384 (Apr)
|-
| 1384 (Nov)
|-
| 1386|| William Luton|| rowspan="4" | Thomas Daniel
|-
| 1388 (Feb)|| rowspan="3" | William Wightman
|-
| 1388 (Sep)
|-
| 1390 (Jan)
|-
| 1390 (Nov)||
|-
| 1391|| William Wightman|| William Luton
|-
| 1529|| Thomas Hall|| William Webbe
|-
| 1562–3|| Richard Gooderick|| George Blyth!!First party!!!!Second member <!-- (to 1784) 30 May 1744 10 October 1792 48 -->
|-
|1780 || style="color:inherit;background-color: " |
| Hugh Palliser || Tory
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| 33,352 ||align=right| 59.2
|-
|
| Labour ||align=right| 11,707 ||align=right| 20.8
|-
|
| Liberal Democrats ||align=right| 7,899 ||align=right| 14.0
|-
|
| Green ||align=right| 1,952 ||align=right| 3.5
|-
|
| Others ||align=right| 1,407 ||align=right| 2.5
|-
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#EAECF0"|
|-
|colspan="2"|Turnout
|align=right|56,317
|align=right|74.5
|-
|colspan="2"|Electorate
|align=right|75,590
|}
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
<!-- this section is transcluded on Electoral history of John Major -->:
<section begin="General Election 1997"/>
The constituency underwent boundary changes prior to the 1997 election and the changes are not based on the 1992 result.
<section end="General Election 1997"/>
<!-- this section is transcluded on Electoral history of John Major -->:
<section begin="General Election 1992"/>
<section end="General Election 1992"/>
Elections in the 1980s
<!-- this section is transcluded on Electoral history of John Major -->:
<section begin="General Election 1987"/>
<section end="General Election 1987"/>
<!-- this section is transcluded on Electoral history of John Major -->:
<section begin="General Election 1983"/>
- Caused by Montagu's succession to the peerage, becoming Earl of Sandwich.