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Norwich South (UK Parliament constituency)

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Norwich South is a constituency in Norfolk represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom,[n 1] since 2015 by Clive Lewis, of the Labour Party.[n 2]

Norwich South
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Boundaries since 2024
Map of constituency
Boundary of Norwich South in the East of England
CountyNorfolk
Electorate73,301 (2023)[1]
Major settlementsNorwich
Current constituency
Created1950
Member of ParliamentClive Lewis (Labour Party)
SeatsOne
Created fromNorwich

History

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The constituency was created by the Representation of the People Act 1948 for the 1950 general election, when the two-seat Norwich constituency was divided into Norwich North and Norwich South. The Labour MP for this seat from 1997 to 2010 was Charles Clarke who served in the cabinet for five years from 2001 to 2006, first as Minister without Portfolio, then as Secretary of State for Education and Skills and latterly as Home Secretary.

Norwich South was Labour's safest seat in Norfolk until 2005. Although it was lost to the Conservatives in 1983, it was regained by Labour in 1987 and was the only Labour seat in Norfolk until 1997. In 2005 the Labour majority was cut by over 5000, leaving Norwich North as the safest Labour seat in the county.

At the 2010 election, the seat was considered a three-way marginal between the incumbent Labour party, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives. The seat was also targeted by the Green Party. The Liberal Democrats won the seat, with the lowest percentage share of the vote in a constituency in the 2010 election. The loss was considered an embarrassment for the Labour Party as it was the seat of a former Home Secretary.

In the 2015 election, Norwich South was one of the Green Party's target seats, and due to the tiny majority of just 310 votes for the Liberal Democrat Simon Wright over Labour in the previous election, it was a key Labour target. In the event, Wright came fourth with under half his 2010 vote, behind the Greens, Conservatives and Labour, whose left-wing candidate Clive Lewis won the seat with a 10.6% swing from the Liberal Democrats to Labour. The Green Party share of the vote actually fell by 1% compared to 2010, with the Conservative vote slightly increasing.

In the 2017 election, UKIP did not contest the seat but endorsed the Conservatives.[2] Clive Lewis increased Labour's vote share by 22 percentage points to win 31,311 votes (61.0%), the most votes any party has ever won in the constituency. This happened despite the Conservative share of the vote also increasing by 7.1%. The swing was entirely from the Liberal Democrats (who had held the seat from 2010 to 2015) whose vote fell to 5.5%, and the Green Party (who had made the seat a top target in 2015) who dropped to 2.9%, their worst result in Norwich South since 1997.

Although Lewis's share of the vote fell in the 2018 general election, he still held the seat with a comfortable majority of 24.7%, which he increased to 29.3% at the 2024 general election.

Boundaries and boundary changes

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1950–1974

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  • The County Borough of Norwich wards of Ber Street, Conesford, Earlham, Eaton, Lakenham, Nelson, St Stephen, and Town Close.[3]

1974–1983

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  • The County Borough of Norwich wards of Bowthorpe, Earlham, Eaton, Lakenham, Nelson, St Stephen, Town Close, and University.[4]

Further to the Second Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies a redistribution of seats was enacted in 1970. However, in the case of the two Norwich constituencies, this was superseded before the February 1974 general election by the Parliamentary Constituencies (Norwich) Order 1973 which followed on from a revision of the County Borough of Norwich wards in 1971, resulting in a realignment of the boundary with Norwich North.

1983–1997

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  • The City of Norwich wards of Bowthorpe, Eaton, Heigham, Henderson, Lakenham, Mancroft, Nelson, St Stephen, Thorpe Hamlet, Town Close, and University.[5]

Extended northwards, gaining southern parts of Norwich North.

1997–2010

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  • The City of Norwich wards of Bowthorpe, Eaton, Heigham, Henderson, Lakenham, Mancroft, Nelson, St Stephen, Thorpe Hamlet, Town Close, and University; and
  • The District of South Norfolk wards of Cringleford and Colney, and New Costessey.[6]

The two District of South Norfolk wards were transferred from the constituency of South Norfolk.

2010–2024

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Map of boundaries 2010–2024
  • The City of Norwich wards of Bowthorpe, Eaton, Lakenham, Mancroft, Nelson, Thorpe Hamlet, Town Close, University, and Wensum; and
  • The District of South Norfolk ward of New Costessey.[7]

The villages of Cringleford and Colney were returned to South Norfolk. In Norwich, the part of the Crome ward around Morse Road became part of Norwich North, while the area around Mousehold Street in Thorpe Hamlet moved to Norwich South.

Following their review of parliamentary constituencies in Norfolk that concluded in 2007 and came into effect for the 2010 general election, the Boundary Commission for England created a slightly modified Norwich South constituency. The changes were necessary to re-align the constituency boundaries with the new local government ward boundaries introduced in South Norfolk and Norwich in 2003 and 2004 respectively and to take account of Norfolk being awarded an additional, ninth constituency by the Boundary Commission.

Current

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Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the contents of the constituency are unchanged, but there were minor changes to the boundaries following modifications to local authority ward boundaries. The area of Costessey around Richmond Road was transferred to Norwich South, and the area of Crome (formerly Thorpe Hamlet) ward around Mousehold Street was transferred back to Norwich North.[8]

There had been an earlier proposal in the Boundary Commission draft recommendations to transfer the whole of the Old Costessey ward over to the Norwich South constituency and move Thorpe Hamlet into Norwich North, but that was scrapped, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. [9] (A proposal in the 2018 previous boundary review to move Cringleford and Old Costessey into Norwich South and Wensum ward into Norwich North was also scrapped).

Members of Parliament

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Norwich prior to 1950

Election Member[10] Party
1950 Henry Strauss Conservative
1955 Geoffrey Rippon Conservative
1964 Christopher Norwood Labour
1970 Thomas Stuttaford Conservative
February 1974 John Garrett Labour
1983 John Powley Conservative
1987 John Garrett Labour
1997 Charles Clarke Labour
2010 Simon Wright Liberal Democrats
2015 Clive Lewis Labour

Elections

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Norwich South election results

Elections in the 2020s

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General election 2024: Norwich South [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Clive Lewis 21,484 47.6 –5.9
Green Jamie Osborn 8,245 18.3 +13.5
Conservative David Thomas 5,806 12.9 −16.1
Reform UK Graham Burton 5,227 11.6 +8.4
Liberal Democrats Sean Bennett 3,577 7.9 −1.6
Party of Women Linda Law 455 1.0 N/A
Independent Elizabeth Davey 301 0.7 N/A
Majority 13,239 29.3 +4.8
Turnout 45,095 59.0 –11.0
Registered electors 76,381
Labour hold Swing  9.7

Elections in the 2010s

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2019 notional result[12]
Party Vote %
Labour 27,464 53.5
Conservative 14,881 29.0
Liberal Democrats 4,851 9.5
Green 2,477 4.8
Brexit Party 1,635 3.2
Turnout 51,308 70.0
Electorate 73,301
General election 2019: Norwich South[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Clive Lewis 27,766 53.7 –7.3
Conservative Michael Spencer 15,006 29.0 –1.6
Liberal Democrats James Wright 4,776 9.2 +3.7
Green Catherine Rowett 2,469 4.8 +1.9
Brexit Party Sandy Gilchrist 1,656 3.2 N/A
Majority 12,760 24.7 –5.7
Turnout 51,673 66.4 –2.8
Labour hold Swing
General election 2017: Norwich South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Clive Lewis 31,311 61.0 +21.7
Conservative Lana Hempsall 15,715 30.6 +7.1
Liberal Democrats James Wright 2,841 5.5 −8.1
Green Richard Bearman 1,492 2.9 −11.0
Majority 15,596 30.4 +14.6
Turnout 51,359 69.2 +4.5
Labour hold Swing +7.3
See also: Opinion polling in United Kingdom constituencies, 2010–15 § Norwich South
General election 2015: Norwich South[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Clive Lewis 19,033 39.3 +10.6
Conservative Lisa Townsend 11,379 23.5 +0.6
Green Lesley Grahame 6,749 13.9 −1.0
Liberal Democrats Simon Wright 6,607 13.6 −15.8
UKIP Steve Emmens 4,539 9.4 +7.0
Class War David Peel 96 0.2 N/A
Independent Cengiz Ceker 60 0.1 N/A
Majority 7,654 15.8 N/A
Turnout 48,463 64.7 +0.1
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing +5.0
General election 2010: Norwich South[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Simon Wright 13,960 29.4 −0.6
Labour Charles Clarke 13,650 28.7 −8.7
Conservative Antony Little 10,902 22.9 +1.1
Green Adrian Ramsay 7,095 14.9 +7.5
UKIP Stephen Emmens 1,145 2.4 +0.9
BNP Len Heather 697 1.5 N/A
Workers Revolutionary Gabriel Polley 102 0.2 0.0
Majority 310 0.7 N/A
Turnout 47,551 64.6 N/A
Liberal Democrats win (new boundaries)

*NB boundary changes occurred between 2005 and 2010.

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2005: Norwich South[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Charles Clarke 15,904 37.7 −7.8
Liberal Democrats Andrew Aalders-Dunthorne 12,251 29.0 +6.4
Conservative Antony Little 9,567 22.7 −2.1
Green Adrian Ramsay 3,101 7.4 +4.0
UKIP Vandra Ahlstrom 597 1.4 +0.3
English Democrat Christine Constable 466 1.1 N/A
Legalise Cannabis Don Barnard 219 0.5 −1.0
Workers Revolutionary Roger Blackwell 85 0.2 N/A
Majority 3,653 8.7 −12.0
Turnout 42,190 65.0 +5.2
Labour hold Swing −7.1
General election 2001: Norwich South[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Charles Clarke 19,367 45.5 −6.2
Conservative Andrew French 10,551 24.8 +1.1
Liberal Democrats Andrew Aalders-Dunthorne 9,640 22.6 +4.0
Green Adrian Holmes 1,434 3.4 +2.0
Legalise Cannabis Alun Buffrey 620 1.5 0.0
Socialist Alliance Edward Manningham 507 1.2 N/A
UKIP Tarquin Mills 473 1.1 N/A
Majority 8,816 20.7 −7.3
Turnout 42,592 59.8 −12.8
Labour hold Swing -3.6

Elections in the 1990s

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General election 1997: Norwich South[18][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Charles Clarke 26,267 51.7 +3.0
Conservative Bashir Khanbhai 12,028 23.7 −12.9
Liberal Democrats Andrew Aalders-Dunthorne 9,457 18.6 +5.7
Referendum David Holdsworth 1,464 2.9 N/A
Legalise Cannabis Howard Marks 765 1.5 N/A
Green Adrian Holmes 736 1.4 −0.2
Natural Law Bryan Parsons 84 0.2 0.0
Majority 14,239 28.0 +15.9
Turnout 50,801 72.6 −8.0
Labour hold Swing +8.0
General election 1992: Norwich South[20][21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Garrett 24,965 48.7 +10.8
Conservative David Baxter 18,784 36.6 −0.7
Liberal Democrats Christopher Thomas 6,609 12.9 −12.0
Green Adrian Holmes 803 1.6 N/A
Natural Law Bryan Parsons 104 0.2 N/A
Majority 6,181 12.1 +11.5
Turnout 51,265 80.6 0.0
Labour hold Swing +5.7

Elections in the 1980s

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General election 1987: Norwich South[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Garrett 19,666 37.9 +2.6
Conservative John Powley 19,330 37.3 −1.5
SDP Charles Hardie 12,896 24.9 +0.4
Majority 336 0.6 N/A
Turnout 51,892 80.6 +4.2
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +2.1
General election 1983: Norwich South[23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative John Powley 18,998 38.8
Labour John Garrett 17,286 35.3
SDP Charles Hardie 11,968 24.5
Ecology Anthony D. Carter 468 1.0
National Front Peter C. Williams 145 0.3
Independent Jon C. Ward 91 0.2
Majority 1,712 3.5
Turnout 48,956 76.4
Conservative gain from Labour
  • This constituency underwent boundary changes between the 1979 and 1983 general elections[24] and thus calculation of change in vote share is not meaningful.

Elections in the 1970s

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General election 1979: Norwich South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Garrett 16,240 44.9 −2.2
Conservative I. Coutts 15,042 41.6 +4.1
Liberal P. Mackintosh 4,618 12.8 −2.6
National Front Andrew Fountaine 264 0.7 N/A
Majority 1,198 3.3 −6.3
Turnout 36,164 80.2 +1.7
Labour hold Swing −3.2
General election October 1974: Norwich South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Garrett 16,590 47.1 +5.8
Conservative M. Tomison 13,185 37.5 −2.0
Liberal P.G. Smith 5,429 15.4 −3.9
Majority 3,405 9.6 +7.8
Turnout 35,204 78.5 −5.5
Labour hold Swing +3.9
General election February 1974: Norwich South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Garrett 15,393 41.3 −3.4
Conservative Thomas Stuttaford 14,741 39.5 −7.5
Liberal L. Parker 7,183 19.3 +11.0
Majority 652 1.8 N/A
Turnout 37,317 84.0 +5.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +2.1
General election 1970: Norwich South[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Stuttaford 17,067 47.0 +1.8
Labour Conrad Ascher 16,241 44.7 −10.1
Liberal Lesley Parker 3,031 8.3 N/A
Majority 826 2.3 N/A
Turnout 36,339 78.2 −5.0
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +6.0

Elections in the 1960s

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General election 1966: Norwich South[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Christopher Norwood 19,163 54.8 +3.9
Conservative Anthony Gurney 15,808 45.2 −3.9
Majority 3,355 9.6 +7.8
Turnout 34,971 83.2 +0.5
Labour hold Swing +3.9
General election 1964: Norwich South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Christopher Norwood 17,973 50.9 +4.0
Conservative Geoffrey Rippon 17,362 49.1 −4.0
Majority 611 1.8 N/A
Turnout 35,335 82.7 +0.5
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +4.0

Elections in the 1950s

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General election 1959: Norwich South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Geoffrey Rippon 19,128 53.1 +0.6
Labour George Wallace 16,884 46.9 −0.6
Majority 2,244 6.2 +1.2
Turnout 36,012 82.2 +3.9
Conservative hold Swing +0.6
General election 1955: Norwich South[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Geoffrey Rippon 18,659 52.5 0.0
Labour Mabel Tylecote 16,901 47.5 0.0
Majority 1,758 5.0 0.0
Turnout 35,560 78.3 −6.0
Conservative hold Swing 0.0
General election 1951: Norwich South[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Strauss 19,082 52.5 −0.8
Labour Mabel Tylecote 17,234 47.5 +0.8
Majority 1,848 5.0 −1.6
Turnout 36,316 84.3 −0.7
Conservative hold Swing −0.8
General election 1950: Norwich South[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Strauss 18,693 53.3
Labour Mabel Tylecote 16,368 46.7
Majority 2,325 6.6
Turnout 35,061 85.0
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ^ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

References

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  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – Eastern". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  2. ^ Grimmer, Dan. "UKIP announce they will not have Norwich general election candidates and urge supporters to 'lend' votes to Conservatives". Eastern Daily Press. Archant Community Media. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Representation of the People Act, 1948". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  4. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Norwich) Order 1973". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  5. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  6. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  7. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  8. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region.
  9. ^ "Parliamentary constituencies affect Norfolk/Suffolk border". BBC News. 8 November 2022.
  10. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "N" (part 3)
  11. ^ "Norwich South Constituency". Norwich City Council. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  12. ^ "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  13. ^ "Norwich South Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  14. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. ^ "Norwich South". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014.
  20. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. ^ "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  22. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  23. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  24. ^ Waller, Robert (1983). The Almanac of British Politics, First Edition. p. 384. ISBN 0709927673.
  25. ^ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1970.
  26. ^ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1966.
  27. ^ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1955.
  28. ^ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1951.
  29. ^ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1950.
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52°37′N 1°16′E / 52.62°N 1.27°E / 52.62; 1.27

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