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Kettering (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 52°25′N 0°45′W / 52.42°N 0.75°W / 52.42; -0.75
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Kettering
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Interactive map of boundaries since 2024
Map of constituency
Boundary within the East Midlands
CountyNorthamptonshire
Electorate76,163 (2023)[1]
Major settlementsKettering, Desborough, Burton Latimer and Rothwell
Current constituency
Created1918
Member of ParliamentRosie Wrighting (Labour Party (UK))
SeatsOne
Created fromNorth Northamptonshire and Mid Northamptonshire

Kettering is a constituency[n 1] in Northamptonshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Rosie Wrighting of the Labour Party.[n 2]

Constituency profile

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Economically, it is predominantly middle-class, well within managerial/directorial commuter zones for London and the West Midlands. Industry continues in some sectors ranging from, for example, lingerie,[2] food production, rigid containers, abattoirs, to the Weetabix factory in Burton Latimer, but the industrial activity of the area, as with the rest of the county, is reduced whereas the wider area's headline gross value added for the area per head has been mostly consistently higher, from £11,667 in 1997 in North Northamptonshire to £17,835.[n 3][3]

In 2005 The Guardian described it as:

'[A] mixed industrial town in Northamptonshire with good links to London.'

Prior to 1983, the constituency had been dominated not by the eponymous town, but by the nearby industrial town of Corby. The town's general support for Labour made Kettering a reliable Labour seat, as the party won it at every election from 1945 to when Corby was split off to form its own constituency in 1983. In its current configuration Kettering is much more inclined towards the Conservatives, though Labour won it in their landslide victories in 1997, 2001 and 2024.

Boundaries

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The constituency covers the major town of Kettering, the smaller towns of Desborough, Rothwell and Burton Latimer together with a number of villages. A semi-rural seat, the preponderance of constituents live in the towns and a minority of the wards form a wide array of rural communities that have civil parish or hamlet status.

1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Desborough, Kettering, and Rothwell, the Rural Districts of Brixworth, Kettering, and Oxendon, and in the Rural District of Northampton the parishes of Great Billing, Little Billing, and Weston Favell.

The constituency created in 1950 included the generally (in the late 20th century) Labour-majority industrial town of Corby until the 1983 general election, when Corby gained its own constituency.

1950–1974: The Municipal Borough of Kettering, the Urban Districts of Burton Latimer, Desborough, Corby and Rothwell, and the Rural Districts of Brixworth and Kettering.

1974–1983: The Municipal Borough of Kettering, the Urban Districts of Burton Latimer, Corby, Desborough, and Rothwell, and the Rural District of Kettering.

1983–1997: The Borough of Kettering, and the District of Daventry wards of Boughton and Pitsford, Brixworth, Clipston, Moulton, and Overstone and Walgrave.

1997–2010: The Borough of Kettering, and the District of Daventry wards of Boughton and Pitsford, Brixworth, Clipston, Guilsborough, Moulton, Overstone and Walgrave, Spratton, and Welford.

2010–2021: The Borough of Kettering.

The Boundary Commission's Fifth periodic review of Westminster constituencies proposed an additional seat in Northamptonshire due to population growth in the county. Parliament approved its recommendations for 2010 which made way for the new constituency of South Northamptonshire. The resulting boundary changes resulted in the loss of the District of Daventry wards from the Kettering constituency.

2024–present: The North Northamptonshire wards of Burton and Broughton, Corby Rural (part), Clover Hill, Desborough, Ise, Northall, Rothwell and Mawsley, Wicksteed and Windmill.[4]

Members of Parliament

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The current Member of Parliament is Rosie Wrighting of the Labour Party. She was elected in 2024 when she defeated the sitting Conservative MP, Philip Hollobone, in an election which nationally saw a landslide win for the Labour Party. Prior to Wrighting's victory, Kettering had been a predominantly safe Conservative seat since the removal of Corby in 1983, as Labour had only won it in their two landslides in 1997 and 2001, by tight margins of just 189 and 665 votes (0.3 and 1.2 percent of the vote) respectively. Her majority was by far the largest for Labour since before Corby was removed from the seat.

Election Member[5] Party
1918 Alfred Waterson Co-operative
1922 Owen Parker Conservative
1923 Samuel Perry Labour Co-operative
1924 Mervyn Manningham-Buller Conservative
1929 Samuel Perry Labour Co-operative
1931 John Eastwood Conservative
1940 by-election John Profumo Conservative
1945 Gilbert Mitchison Labour
1964 Geoffrey de Freitas Labour
1979 Bill Homewood Labour
1983 Roger Freeman Conservative
1997 Phil Sawford Labour
2005 Philip Hollobone Conservative
2024 Rosie Wrighting Labour
Mid Northamptonshire Constituency (1885–1918)

Prior to boundary changes in 1918, at least the majority of modern-day Kettering Constituency lay within the Mid Northamptonshire constituency.

North Northamptonshire Constituency (1832–1885)

Prior to boundary changes in 1885, at least the majority of modern-day Kettering Constituency lay within the North Northamptonshire constituency, which elected two members to Parliament.

Elections

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Elections in the 2020s

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General election 2024: Kettering[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rosie Wrighting 18,009 35.9 +9.0
Conservative Philip Hollobone 14,189 28.2 −32.1
Reform UK Crispian Besley 8,468 16.9 N/A
Green Emily Fedorowycz 7,004 13.9 +10.9
Liberal Democrats Sarah Ryan 1,357 2.7 −4.0
Independent Jim Hakewill 1,057 2.1 −1.1
SDP Matthew Murphy 85 0.2 N/A
Alliance for Democracy and Freedom Jehad Aburamadan 62 0.1 N/A
Majority 3,900 7.7 N/A
Turnout 50,231 63.3 −5.0
Registered electors 79,390
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +20.6

Elections in the 2010s

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General election 2019: Kettering[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Hollobone 29,787 60.3 Increase 2.4
Labour Clare Pavitt 13,022 26.4 Decrease 10.1
Liberal Democrats Chris Nelson 3,367 6.8 Increase 3.5
Independent Jim Hakewill 1,642 3.3 New
Green Jamie Wildman 1,543 3.1 Increase 0.8
Majority 16,765 33.9 Increase 12.5
Turnout 49,361 67.4 Decrease 1.7
Conservative hold Swing Increase 6.25
General election 2017: Kettering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Hollobone 28,616 57.9 Increase 6.1
Labour Mick Scrimshaw 18,054 36.5 Increase 11.3
Liberal Democrats Suzanna Austin 1,618 3.3 Increase 0.1
Green Rob Reeves 1,116 2.3 Decrease 1.2
Majority 10,562 21.4 Decrease 5.2
Turnout 49,404 69.1 Increase1.8
Conservative hold Swing Decrease 2.6
General election 2015: Kettering[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Hollobone 24,467 51.8 +2.7
Labour Rhea Keehn[9] 11,877 25.2 −4.7
UKIP Jonathan Bullock[10] 7,600 16.1 New
Green Rob Reeves[11] 1,633 3.5 New
Liberal Democrats Chris McGlynn 1,490 3.2 −12.6
English Democrat Derek Hilling[12] 151 0.3 −1.7
Majority 12,590 26.6 +7.4
Turnout 47,218 67.3 −1.5
Conservative hold Swing +3.75
General election 2010: Kettering[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Hollobone 23,247 49.1 +6.2
Labour Phil Sawford 14,153 29.9 −12.7
Liberal Democrats Chris Nelson 7,498 15.8 +3.6
BNP Clive Skinner 1,366 2.9 New
English Democrat Derek Hilling 952 2.0 New
Bus-Pass Elvis Dave Bishop 112 0.2 New
Majority 9,094 19.2 +13.2
Turnout 47,328 68.8 −0.4
Conservative hold Swing +9.4

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2005: Kettering[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Philip Hollobone 25,401 45.6 +2.1
Labour Phil Sawford 22,100 39.7 −5.0
Liberal Democrats Roger Aron 6,882 12.4 +2.2
UKIP Rosemarie Clarke 1,263 2.3 +0.6
Majority 3,301 5.9 N/A
Turnout 55,646 68.0 −0.1
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +3.55
General election 2001: Kettering[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Phil Sawford 24,034 44.7 +1.4
Conservative Philip Hollobone 23,369 43.5 +0.5
Liberal Democrats Roger Aron 5,469 10.2 −0.5
UKIP Barry Mahoney 880 1.6 New
Majority 665 1.2 +0.9
Turnout 53,752 68.1 −7.4
Labour hold Swing +0.45

Elections in the 1990s

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General election 1997: Kettering[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Phil Sawford 24,650 43.3 +11.4
Conservative Roger Freeman 24,461 43.0 −9.8
Liberal Democrats Roger Aron 6,098 10.7 −4.7
Referendum Arthur Smith 1551 2.7 New
Natural Law Rosemary le Carpentier 197 0.3 New
Majority 189 0.3 N/A
Turnout 56,957 75.5 −7.4
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +9.9
General election 1992: Kettering[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roger Freeman 29,115 52.0 +0.9
Labour Co-op Phil Hope 17,961 32.1 +12.4
Liberal Democrats Richard Denton-White 8,962 16.0 −13.3
Majority 11,154 19.9 −1.8
Turnout 56,038 82.6 +3.8
Conservative hold Swing −5.7

Elections in the 1980s

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General election 1987: Kettering[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roger Freeman 26,532 51.0 +2.6
SDP Celia Goodhart 15,205 29.3 −1.2
Labour Ashley Minto 10,229 19.7 −1.4
Majority 11,327 21.7 +3.8
Turnout 51,196 78.8 +2.4
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1983: Kettering[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roger Freeman 23,223 48.4 −0.2
SDP Celia Goodhart 14,637 30.5 +18.4
Labour Alex Gordon 10,119 21.1 −18.3
Majority 8,586 17.9 N/A
Turnout 47,979 76.4 −2.9
Conservative win (new boundaries)

Note: The boundary changes to the seat for the 1983 election meant that this seat would have been won by the Conservatives in 1979, as parts of the seat were moved into the newly created seat of Corby which was notionally Labour on the new boundaries and thus saw William Homewood attempt (unsuccessfully albeit) to seek re-election there.

Elections in the 1970s

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General election 1979: Kettering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Homewood 31,579 45.0 −4.3
Conservative Rupert Allason 30,101 42.9 +11.4
Liberal G. Raven 8,424 12.0 −7.2
Majority 1,478 2.1 −15.7
Turnout 70,104 79.3 +6.1
Labour hold Swing
General election October 1974: Kettering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Geoffrey de Freitas 30,970 49.3 +3.4
Conservative G.D. Reed 19,800 31.5 −0.2
Liberal A. James W. Haigh 12,038 19.2 −3.1
Majority 11,170 17.8 +3.6
Turnout 62,808 73.2 −7.9
Labour hold Swing
General election February 1974: Kettering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Geoffrey de Freitas 31,659 45.9 −2.3
Conservative G.D. Reed 21,872 31.7 −10.7
Liberal A. James W. Haigh 15,393 22.3 +13.0
Majority 9,787 14.2 +8.4
Turnout 68,924 81.1 +5.6
Labour hold Swing
General election 1970: Kettering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Geoffrey de Freitas 34,803 48.3 −4.3
Conservative John Charles Taylor 30,613 42.5 +6.9
Liberal A. James W. Haigh 6,695 9.3 −2.5
Majority 4,190 5.8 −11.2
Turnout 72,111 75.5 −5.8
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

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General election 1966: Kettering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Geoffrey de Freitas 35,337 52.6 −2.6
Conservative Trevor E.T. Weston 23,877 35.6 −9.2
Liberal Anthony Smith 7,903 11.8 New
Majority 11,460 17.0 +6.6
Turnout 67,117 81.3 −0.2
Labour hold Swing
General election 1964: Kettering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Geoffrey de Freitas 36,210 55.2 +2.4
Conservative J. Hedley Lewis 29,405 44.8 −2.4
Majority 6,805 10.4 +2.4
Turnout 65,615 81.5 +4.0
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

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General election 1959: Kettering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dick Mitchison 32,933 52.8 −2.4
Conservative Neil Stone 29,448 47.2 2.4
Majority 3,485 5.6 −4.8
Turnout 62,381 77.5 −4.1
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Kettering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dick Mitchison 31,198 55.2 −0.6
Conservative John F. Nash 25,495 44.8 +0.6
Majority 5,903 10.4 −1.2
Turnout 56,893 81.6 −5.6
Labour hold Swing
General election 1951: Kettering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dick Mitchison 32,604 55.8 +3.2
Conservative C. Peter B. Bailey 25,777 44.2 +5.6
Majority 6,827 11.6 −2.4
Turnout 58,381 87.2 −0.9
Labour hold Swing
General election 1950: Kettering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dick Mitchison 30,243 52.6 −1.0
Conservative Gyles Isham 22,169 38.6 −3.5
Liberal Ian Morrow 4,692 8.2 New
Communist L.P. O'Connor 368 0.6 New
Majority 8,074 14.0 +2.5
Turnout 57,472 88.1 +13.0
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

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General election 1945: Kettering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dick Mitchison 29,868 53.6 +5.7
Conservative John Profumo 23,424 42.1 −10.0
Christian Pacifist Party John Chamberlain Dempsey 2,381 4.3 New
Majority 6,444 11.5 N/A
Turnout 24,530 75.1 −2.2
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

The British Council commissioned a short film on the 1945 General Election which portrays the contest in the Kettering constituency.[21]

1940 Kettering by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Profumo 17,914 73.0 +20.9
Workers' and Pensioners' Anti-War W. Ross 6,616 27.0 New
Majority 11,298 46.0 +41.8
Turnout 24,530 37.8 −39.5
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

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General election 1935: Kettering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Eastwood 22,885 52.1 −8.1
Labour Co-op J.R. Sadler 21,042 47.9 +8.1
Majority 1,843 4.2 −16.1
Turnout 43,927 77.3 −8.4
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1931: Kettering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Eastwood 25,811 60.2 +23.1
Labour Co-op Samuel Perry 17,095 39.8 −4.0
Majority 8,716 20.3 N/A
Turnout 42,906 85.7 −0.1
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1920s

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General election 1929: Kettering[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Samuel Perry 18,253 43.8 −4.2
Unionist J. Brown 15,469 37.1 −14.9
Liberal Cuthbert Snowball Rewcastle 7,972 19.1 New
Majority 2,784 6.7 N/A
Turnout 23,441 85.8 +1.5
Registered electors 48,588
Labour Co-op gain from Unionist Swing +5.4
General election 1924: Kettering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Mervyn Manningham-Buller 16,042 52.0 +17.0
Labour Co-op Samuel Perry 14,801 48.0 +4.5
Majority 1,241 4.0 N/A
Turnout 30,843 84.3 +3.0
Registered electors 36,574
Unionist gain from Labour Co-op Swing +6.3
General election 1923: Kettering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Samuel Perry 12,718 43.5 −6.0
Unionist Owen Parker 10,212 35.0 −15.5
Liberal Alfred Yeo 6,273 21.5 New
Majority 2,506 8.5 N/A
Turnout 29,203 81.3 +0.3
Registered electors 35,899
Labour Co-op gain from Unionist Swing +4.8
General election 1922: Kettering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Owen Parker 14,333 50.5 New
Labour Co-op Alfred Waterson 14,024 49.5 +1.8
Majority 309 1.0 N/A
Turnout 28,357 81.0 +15.9
Registered electors 35,024
Unionist gain from Co-operative Party Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s

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General election 1918: Kettering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Co-operative Party Alfred Waterson 10,299 45.7
C Liberal Leland William Buxton 7,761 34.4
National Algernon Ferguson [23] 4,489 19.9
Majority 2,538 11.3
Turnout 22,549 65.1
Registered electors 34,624
Co-operative Party win (new seat)
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ A county 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.
  3. ^ A decrease during the year 2009 was seen to £16,885

References

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  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – East Midland". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Eveden.com".
  3. ^ Foundation, Internet Memory. "[ARCHIVED CONTENT] UK Government Web Archive – The National Archives". www.ons.gov.uk.
  4. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part I.
  5. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "K" (part 1)
  6. ^ "Kettering results". BBC. 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  7. ^ "Kettering Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  8. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  9. ^ "Rhea Keehn – Kettering Labour Party". Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  10. ^ "ukip-choose-councillor-as-general-election-candidate-against-conservative-mp-philip-hollobone-1-6534882". Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  11. ^ "General Election 2017 Candidate – Green Party". Green Party Members' Website.
  12. ^ "Candidates". English Democrats. Archived from the original on 30 January 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  13. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  19. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. ^ British Council. "General Election". Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  22. ^ Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1969). British parliamentary election results 1918–1949. Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. p. 437. ISBN 0-900178-01-9.
  23. ^ ‘FERGUSON, Brig.-Gen. Algernon Francis Holford’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014 accessed 18 Sept 2017

Sources

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52°25′N 0°45′W / 52.42°N 0.75°W / 52.42; -0.75

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