North Northumberland

North Northumberland
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundaries since 2024
Map of constituency
Boundary of North Northumberland in the North East England
CountyNorthumberland
Electorate72,541 (2023)[1]
Major settlementsBerwick-upon-Tweed, Morpeth, Alnwick
Current constituency
Created2024
Member of ParliamentDavid Smith (Labour)
SeatsOne
Created from
1832–1885
SeatsTwo
Type of constituencyCounty constituency
Created fromNorthumberland
Replaced byBerwick-upon-Tweed
Hexham
Wansbeck

North Northumberland is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is represented by David Smith of the Labour Party since 2024. Between 1832 and 1885 (then formally the Northern Division of Northumberland), it was represented by two Members of Parliament, elected by the bloc vote system.

The area was created by the Great Reform Act 1832 by the splitting of Northumberland constituency into Northern and Southern divisions.

It was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, when Northumberland was divided into four single member divisions: Berwick-upon-Tweed, Hexham, Tyneside and Wansbeck.

Following the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was re-established for the 2024 general election.[2] It comprises the former constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed, together with the town of Morpeth, transferred from the former Wansbeck seat.

Constituency profile

North Northumberland is a constituency in Northumberland in North East England. Its largest town is Morpeth, which has a population of around 15,000.[3] Other settlements include the towns of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Alnwick, Amble, Rothbury and Wooler and the village of Pegswood.

This is a large, rural, sparsely-populated constituency which includes the Cheviot Hills area of the Northumberland National Park and the Northumberland Coast National Landscape. The area is popular with tourists; it contains coastal holiday parks at Beadnell and Seahouses and is known for its castles, particularly at Bamburgh, Warkworth, Alnwick and Lindisfarne. Mortpeth and Berwick-upon-Tweed are historic market towns. Berwick is notable for being England's northernmost town and having changed hands between England and Scotland numerous times throughout history; many residents today identify as being Scottish.[4] The constituency has overall average levels of wealth; there is some deprivation in Berwick and in the former coal mining villages of Ellington and Lynemouth, whilst Morpeth and Alnwick are more affluent.[5] House prices are generally higher than the rest of North East England but lower than the UK average.[6]

North Northumberland has a low proportion of young adults and a high retired population; 31% of residents are over the age of 65.[7] In general, residents have average levels of education, homeownership and income,[6] and the child poverty rate is in line with the rest of the country.[8] A high proportion of residents work in the agriculture, tourism and retail sectors,[9] and the percentage claiming unemployment benefits is low.[8] White people made up 98% of the population at the 2021 census.[10]

Most of the constituency is represented by Conservatives at the local county council, although there were some Reform UK councillors elected around Berwick and Amble and Labour Party councillors elected in the former coal mining areas east of Morpeth. An estimated 53% of voters in North Northumberland supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, similar to the UK-wide figure of 52%.[6]

Boundaries

North Northumberland constituency as it was 1832 to 1885. The constituency is the striped area with a longer coastline to the north.

1832–1885: The Wards of Bamborough, Coquetdale, Glendale and Morpeth, and the Berwick Bounds.[11][12]

1885: the constituency was abolished by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.

2024: the constituency was re-established by the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies.

2024–present: The County of Northumberland electoral divisions (as they existed on 1 December 2020) of Alnwick, Amble, Amble West with Warkworth, Bamburgh, Berwick East, Berwick North, Berwick West with Ord, Druridge Bay, Longhoughton, Lynemouth, Morpeth Kirkhill, Morpeth North, Morpeth Stobhill, Norham and Islandshires, Pegswood, Rothbury, Shilbottle and Wooler.[13]

Members of Parliament

MPs 1832–1885

Constituency created (1832)

Election1st Member1st Party2nd Member2nd Party
1832 Viscount Howick Whig[14][15] Lord Ossulston Conservative[14]
1841 Addison Cresswell Conservative[14]
1847 Sir George Grey, Bt Whig[16][17][18][19]
1852 Lord Lovaine Conservative
1859 Sir Matthew White Ridley, Bt Conservative
1865 Lord Henry Percy Conservative
1868 Earl Percy Conservative Matthew White Ridley[20] Conservative
1885 Redistribution of Seats Act: constituency abolished

MPs since 2024

Berwick-upon-Tweed prior to 2024

ElectionMemberParty
2024 David Smith Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: North Northumberland[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Smith 17,855 36.6 +13.5
Conservative Anne-Marie Trevelyan 12,788 26.2 −29.7
Reform Katherine Hales 7,688 15.7 +14.2
Liberal Democrats Natalie Younes 5,169 10.6 −5.5
Independent Georgina Hill 3,220 6.6 N/A
Green Jan Rosen 1,743 3.6 +0.2
Independent Michael Joyce 288 0.6 N/A
SDP Andrew Martin 92 0.2 N/A
Majority 5,067 10.4 N/A
Turnout 48,843 65.9 −6.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +21.6

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result[22]
Party Vote %
Conservative29,49755.9
Labour12,19123.1
Liberal Democrats8,48416.1
Green1,7933.4
Brexit7751.5
Turnout 52,740 72.7
Electorate 72,541

Election results 1832–1885

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: North Northumberland[14][23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory Charles Bennet Unopposed
Whig Henry Grey Unopposed
Registered electors 2,322
Tory win (new seat)
Whig win (new seat)
General election 1835: North Northumberland[14][23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Charles Bennet Unopposed
Whig Henry Grey Unopposed
Registered electors 2,367
Conservative hold
Whig hold

Grey was appointed as Secretary at War, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 1 May 1835: North Northumberland[14][23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Henry Grey Unopposed
Whig hold
General election 1837: North Northumberland[14][23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Charles Bennet Unopposed
Whig Henry Grey Unopposed
Registered electors 2,786
Conservative hold
Whig hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: North Northumberland[14][23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Bennet 1,216 34.9 N/A
Conservative Addison Cresswell 1,163 33.4 N/A
Whig Henry Grey 1,101 31.6 N/A
Majority 62 1.8 N/A
Turnout 2,188 79.4 N/A
Registered electors 2,756
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Conservative gain from Whig Swing N/A
General election 1847: North Northumberland[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig George Grey 1,366 35.5 +3.9
Conservative Charles Bennet 1,247 32.4 −2.5
Conservative Algernon Percy 1,237 32.1 −1.3
Majority 119 3.1 N/A
Turnout 2,608 (est) 86.1 (est) +6.7
Registered electors 3,030
Whig gain from Conservative Swing +3.9
Conservative hold Swing −2.2

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: North Northumberland[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Algernon Percy 1,414 34.9 +2.8
Conservative Charles Bennet 1,335 33.0 +0.6
Whig George Grey 1,300 32.1 −3.4
Majority 35 0.9 N/A
Turnout 2,675 (est) 86.0 (est) −0.1
Registered electors 3,111
Conservative hold Swing +2.3
Conservative gain from Whig Swing +1.2
General election 1857: North Northumberland[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Algernon Percy Unopposed
Conservative Charles Bennet Unopposed
Registered electors 3,296
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Percy was appointed a Civil Lord of the Admiralty, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 11 March 1858: North Northumberland[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Algernon Percy Unopposed
Conservative hold

Percy was appointed Vice-President of the Board of Trade, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 10 March 1859: North Northumberland[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Algernon Percy Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1859: North Northumberland[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Algernon Percy Unopposed
Conservative Matthew White Ridley Unopposed
Registered electors 3,280
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: North Northumberland[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Percy Unopposed
Conservative Matthew White Ridley Unopposed
Registered electors 3,109
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
General election 1868: North Northumberland[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Percy Unopposed
Conservative Matthew White Ridley Unopposed
Registered electors 3,612
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: North Northumberland[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Percy Unopposed
Conservative Matthew White Ridley Unopposed
Registered electors 3,480
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Percy was appointed Treasurer of the Household, causing a by-election.

By-election, 17 Mar 1874: North Northumberland[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Percy Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: North Northumberland[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Percy 2,163 38.1 N/A
Conservative Matthew White Ridley 2,001 35.3 N/A
Liberal John Clay[24] 1,509 26.6 New
Majority 492 8.7 N/A
Turnout 3,591 (est) 82.1 (est) N/A
Registered electors 4,376
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – North East". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  2. ↑ "North East | Boundary Commission for England". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  3. ↑ "Morpeth". citypopulation.de. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "National identity - Census Maps, ONS". ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "Constituency data: Deprivation in England". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 "Seat Details - Northumberland North". electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Constituency data: Population, by age". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Constituency dashboard". House of Commons Library. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Constituency data: businesses and industries". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "2021 census results: Ethnic groups in your constituency". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. LXIV. An Act to settle and describe the Divisions of Counties, and the Limits of Cities and Boroughs, in England and Wales, in so far as respects the Election of Members to serve in Parliament". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1832. p. 309. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  12. ↑ "HMSO Boundary Commission Report 1832, Northumberland".
  13. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 4 North East region.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844–1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 239. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
  15. ↑ Mosse, Richard Bartholomew (1838). The Parliamentary Guide: a concise history of the Members of both Houses, etc. p. 100. Retrieved 26 May 2019 – via Google Books.
  16. ↑ Creighton, Mandell (1890). "Grey, George (1799-1882)" . In Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney (eds.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 23. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  17. ↑ Crosby's Parliamentary Record of Elections in Great Britain and Ireland. Leeds: George Crosby. 1847. p. 122. Retrieved 28 May 2018 – via Google Books.
  18. ↑ "The Age". Melbourne, Victoria. 13 September 1882. p. 4. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  19. ↑ "The Excluded Whigs". Leeds Intelligencer. 22 January 1853. p. 3. Retrieved 28 May 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  20. ↑ Known as Sir Matthew White Ridley, Bt, from 1877.
  21. ↑ "North Northumberland - General election results 2024". BBC News.
  22. ↑ https://electionresults.parliament.uk/elections/2387
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 435–436. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  24. ↑ "North Northumberland Election". Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette. 7 April 1880. p. 3. Retrieved 21 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.

Sources

55°31′N 1°55′W / 55.51°N 1.91°W / 55.51; -1.91

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