The Hitchin constituency is located mostly in Hertfordshire and partly in Bedfordshire. It is centred around its largest town, Hitchin, which has a population of around 35,000.[4] Other settlements in the constituency include the Stevenagesuburb of Great Ashby, the small towns of Shefford, Stotfold and Arlesey and the villages of Langford and Clifton. The constituency also contains communities based around the military sites of MOD Chicksands and RAF Henlow. Hitchin is traditionally an agricultural market town and is connected to London and Cambridge by rail. The constituency is affluent with low levels of deprivation.[5] House prices are higher than the national average.[6]
Residents of the constituency have high levels of education and income.[6] A high proportion of residents work in the construction and defence industries.[7]White people made up 88% of the population at the 2021 census.[6] At the local council level, Hitchin is represented by Labour Party and Liberal Democrat councillors, whilst the rest of the constituency elected mostly Conservative councillors. An estimated 53% of voters in the constituency supported remaining in the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the nationwide figure of 48%.[6]
The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, Royston, and Stevenage;
The Rural Districts of Hitchin, and Welwyn; and
Parts of the Rural Districts of Braughing and Hertford.[10]
The constituency had included a part of the Urban District of Welwyn Garden City, which had been formed as a separate local authority in 1927, and this was now transferred to St Albans. Other nominal changes as a result of the reorganisation of local authorities.
The Urban Districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, Royston, and Stevenage;
The Rural District of Hitchin;
The Rural District of Braughing parishes of Anstey, Ardeley, Aspenden, Broadfield, Buckland, Buntingford, Cottered, Hormead, Meesden, Throcking, Westmilll, and Wyddiall; and
The Rural District of Hertford parishes of Aston, Bennington, Datchworth, Sacombe, Walkern, and Watton-at-Stone.[11]
The Rural District of Welwyn was transferred to St Albans.
The part of the Rural District of Braughing was transferred to the new constituency of East Hertfordshire, and the part of the Rural District of Hertford was transferred to Hertford.
The District of North Hertfordshire wards of: Cadwell; Chesfield; Hitchin Bearton; Hitchin Highbury; Hitchin Oughton; Hitchin Priory; Hitchin Walsworth; Hitchwood, Offa and Hoo; and Kimpton - transferred from the abolished constituency of Hitchin and Harpenden.[13]
Following local government boundary reviews in Central Bedfordshire[14] and North Hertfordshire[15] which came into effect in May 2023 and May 2024 respectively, the constituency now comprises the following from the 2024 general election:
The District of Central Bedfordshire wards or part wards of: Arlesey & Fairfield; Clifton, Henlow & Langfield; Meppershall & Shillington (Meppershall parish); Shefford; Stotfold.
The District of North Hertfordshire wards or part wards of: Cadwell; Codicote & Kimpton (Kimpton parish); Graveley, St Ippolyts & Wymondley; Great Ashby; Hitchin Bearton; Hitchin Highbury; Hitchin Oughton; Hitchin Priory; Hitchin Walsworth; Hitchwood; Offa.[16]
The Hitchin parliamentary constituency did not exist when the 2019 general election was held. The following is a projection of what the result of the 2019 general election might have looked like in the Hitchin parliamentary constituency if it had existed.
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;
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
^Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. The public general acts. unknown library. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884.
^ abcCraig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885–1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN0900178094. OCLC539011.