| Northampton North | |
| Parliament: | uk |
| Year: | 1974 |
| Type: | Borough |
| Electorate: | 75,713 (2023)[1] |
| Region: | England |
| Towns: | Northampton (part) |
| Elects Howmany: | One |
Northampton North is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Lucy Rigby, a member of Labour. The constituency is a considered a bellwether, as it has reflected the national result at every general election since it was created in February 1974.
This constituency was created for the election of February 1974 when the old constituency of Northampton was split into Northampton North and Northampton South.
Since creation it has been a bellwether, electing an MP from the winning (or largest governing) party in every general election.
1974–1983: The County Borough of Northampton wards of Abington, Dallington, Kingsthorpe, Park, St David, and St George.[2]
1983–2010: The Borough of Northampton wards of Abington, Boughton Green, Dallington and Kings Heath, Headlands, Kingsthorpe, Lings, Lumbertubs, Park, St Alban, St George, Thorplands, and Welford.
2010–2024: The Borough of Northampton wards of Abington, Boughton Green, Eastfield, Headlands, Kingsley, Kingsthorpe, Lumbertubs, Parklands, St David, and Thorplands.
NB: with effect from 1 April 2021, the Borough of Northampton was abolished and absorbed into the new unitary authority of West Northamptonshire.[3]
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 April 2021):
The constituency was expanded considerably with the addition of Northampton town centre from Northampton South.
The constituency has income, social housing and unemployment statistics[5] close to the national average. There is a varied and dynamic service and engineering-centred economy typical of the East Midlands, with significant foodstuffs, clothing and consumables manufacturing and processing operations.[6] Health inequality is high, with the life expectancy gap between the least deprived and most deprived men in Northampton reaching over a decade.[7] According to Public Health England, the constituency is "considerably worse than [the] England average" in terms of violent crime, self harm, under 18 conception and GCSE achievement.[7]
Northampton prior to 1974
| Election | Member | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1974 | Maureen Colquhoun | Labour | ||
| 1979 | Tony Marlow | Conservative | ||
| 1997 | Sally Keeble | Labour | ||
| 2010 | Michael Ellis | Conservative | ||
| 2024 | Lucy Rigby | Labour | ||