| South Norfolk | |
| Parliament: | uk |
| Type: | County |
| Elects Howmany: | 1868–1885: Two 1885 onwards: One |
| Electorate: | 69,837 (2023)[1] |
| Region: | England |
| County: | Norfolk |
South Norfolk is a constituency in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament represented by Ben Goldsborough, a member of the Labour Party, after winning the seat in the 2024 general election.
This is a rural constituency to the south of Norwich with small market towns and villages.[2] Residents' health and wealth are around average for the UK.[3]
Following the Reform Act 1832 the historic county constituency Norfolk was for the first time split into two, two member, county divisions - East Norfolk and West Norfolk.
The Reform Act 1867 led, the following year, to the county's redistribution into three, two member, county divisions. The three divisions, from the 1868 United Kingdom general election became this one, the North and modified Western division.
The Southern division had its place of election at Norwich. This was the same place of election as the abolished Eastern division. In 1868 the same two MPs who had sat for East Norfolk were re-elected for this constituency.
Under the provisions of the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, single member constituencies became the norm and greater equalisation in electorate occurred. In Norfolk the three, two member, county divisions were changed to six single member seats. These were this constituency, a revived East Norfolk, Mid Norfolk, North Norfolk, North West Norfolk and South West Norfolk.
The Southern division was very agricultural in character. The largest town was Diss, which had a population of fewer than 4,000 people in 1900.
The seat was formed largely from southern parts of the abolished Eastern Division, with a small part transferred from the Western Division.
The northernmost parts were transferred to the re-established Eastern Division and western parts to the new Mid Division. It bordered Mid Norfolk to the west, the borough constituency of Norwich and East Norfolk to the north, the borough of Great Yarmouth and the Suffolk constituency of Lowestoft to the east and another Suffolk division, Eye, to the south.
Gained southern areas of the abolished Mid Division and a small area in the east of the South-Western Division. Lost eastern areas, which comprised the Loddon and Clavering Rural District (later renamed the Loddon Rural District), to the Eastern Division.
These areas combined to produce a somewhat more urban constituency than before. Thetford was transferred from South West Norfolk and the Rural District of Loddon regained from the abolished Eastern Division. The (combined) Rural District of Forehoe and Henstead was transferred to the new constituency of Central Norfolk, but Wymondham (which had been created as a separate Urban District in 1935) was retained.
Regained the Rural District of Forhoe and Henstead, including Costessey, from Central Norfolk, which was now abolished.
This was the last redistribution before a major reorganisation of local government, which amalgamated many of the smaller local authorities and which was reflected in the 1983 redistribution.
Thetford and the area comprising the former Rural District of Wayland, including Attleborough, which had been included in the District of Breckland, were transferred to the redrawn South West Norfolk constituency.
The two excluded wards were transferred to Norwich South.
Cringleford and Colney (but not New Costessey) were transferred back from Norwich South. Seven District of South Norfolk wards, including Wymondham and surrounding areas, were transferred to Mid Norfolk.
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency is as follows (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
The seat was subject to major changes, with areas to the north of the River Waveney, which forms the boundary between Norfolk and Suffolk - including the towns of Diss and Harleston - forming part of the newly created, cross-county boundary, constituency of Waveney Valley. As part compensation, the town of Wymondham was regained from Mid Norfolk. Other minor changes due to ward boundary revisions.
| Election | 1st Member | 1st Party | 2nd Member | 2nd Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1868 | Clare Sewell Read | Conservative | Edward Howes | Conservative | |||
| 1871 | Sir Robert Buxton, Bt | Conservative | |||||
| 1880 | Robert Gurdon | Liberal | |||||
| 1885 | representation reduced to one member | ||||||
| Election | Member | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | Francis Taylor | Liberal | ||
| 1886 | Liberal Unionist | |||
| 1898 by-election | Arthur Soames | Liberal | ||
| 1918 | William Cozens-Hardy a | Liberal | ||
| 1919 | Coalition Liberal | |||
| 1920 by-election | George Edwards | Labour | ||
| 1922 | Thomas Hay | Conservative | ||
| 1923 | George Edwards | Labour | ||
| 1924 | James Christie | Conservative | ||
| 1945 | Christopher Mayhew | Labour | ||
| 1950 | Peter Baker b | Conservative | ||
| 1955 by-election | John Hill | Conservative | ||
| Feb 1974 | John MacGregor | Conservative | ||
| 2001 | Richard Bacon | Conservative | ||
| 2024 | Ben Goldsborough | Labour | ||
Notes:-
| 2019 notional result[12] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Vote | % | |
| 29,298 | 56.5 | ||
| 12,123 | 23.4 | ||
| 8,799 | 17.0 | ||
| 1,637 | 3.2 | ||
| Turnout | 51,857 | 74.3 | |
| Electorate | 69,837 | ||