| Mid Norfolk | |
| Parliament: | uk |
| Year: | 1983 |
| Type: | County |
| Elects Howmany: | One |
| Previous: | Norfolk North, Norfolk South West and Yarmouth[1] |
| Year2: | 1885 |
| Abolished2: | 1918 |
| Type2: | County |
| Elects Howmany2: | One |
| Electorate: | 71,060 (2023)[2] |
| Region: | England |
| Party: | Conservative |
Mid Norfolk is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by George Freeman, a Conservative.
Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the three two-member county divisions of Norfolk were replaced with six single-member divisions, including the newly created Mid Division of Norfolk. It was abolished at the next redistribution of seats under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act 1918, when it was absorbed by neighbouring constituencies.
The seat was re-established as a County Constituency for the 1983 general election, since which it has only elected and been served by a Conservative MP.
The Boundary Commission's Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for the 2010 general election created a new constituency, Broadland, based on the local government district of the same name, which was formed from the majority of the Mid Norfolk seat, together with parts of North Norfolk. The Mid Norfolk seat was retained with substantially altered boundaries, gaining parts of South Norfolk and South West Norfolk in compensation (see below). The former MP for Mid Norfolk, Keith Simpson, was selected to contest the newly created Broadland constituency.[3]
The constituency was created from parts of the Southern Division of Norfolk and parts of the abolished Eastern Division. The main settlements were East Dereham and Wymondham.
On abolition, southern areas, including Wymondham, were returned to the Southern Division and northern areas, including East Dereham, were transferred to the South-Western Division.
Eastern areas were transferred from Yarmouth, central areas (including Aylsham) from North Norfolk and western areas (including East Dereham) from South West Norfolk.
The District of Broadland wards of Drayton and Taverham were transferred to Norwich North.
Significant changes. The District of Broadland areas, which had comprised the majority of the constituency, were now included in the new constituency of Broadland. The District of Breckland areas were retained from the 1997-2010 contents, with further parts, including Watton and Attleborough, transferred from South West Norfolk. The District of South Norfolk wards, which incorporated the town of Wymondham, were transferred from the constituency of South Norfolk.
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the Mid Norfolk constituency is as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
The town of Wymondham was transferred back to South Norfolk. Other minor changes due to the revision of local authority ward boundaries.
North Norfolk, South Norfolk and West Norfolk prior to 1885
| Election | Member | Party | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | Robert Gurdon | Liberal | Gurdon was elected as a Liberal, but joined the Liberal Unionists when the party split | ||
| 1886 | Liberal Unionist | ||||
| 1892 | Clement Higgins | Liberal | Higgins was elected as a Liberal, but later joined the Liberal Unionists. He resigned his seat in 1895 | ||
| 1895 | Liberal Unionist | ||||
| Robert Gurdon | later Baron Cranworth | ||||
| 1895 | Frederick Wilson | Liberal | |||
| 1906 | John Wodehouse, Lord Wodehouse | Liberal | later 3rd Earl of Kimberley | ||
| 1910 (Jan) | William Boyle | Liberal Unionist | |||
| 1918 by-election | Neville Jodrell | Conservative | Later MP for King's Lynn | ||
| 1918 | Constituency abolished, but re-established 1983 | ||||
Norfolk North, Norfolk South West and Yarmouth prior to 1983
| Election | Member | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Richard Ryder | Conservative | ||
| 1997 | Keith Simpson | Conservative | ||
| 2010 | George Freeman | Conservative | ||
| 2019 notional result[9] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Vote | % | |
| 31,639 | 64.4 | ||
| 11,251 | 22.9 | ||
| 5,127 | 10.4 | ||
| Others | 939 | 1.9 | |
| 154 | 0.3 | ||
| Turnout | 49,110 | 69.1 | |
| Electorate | 71,060 | ||
General Election 1914–15:
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 July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;