Before the Reform Act 1832, the franchise in Ipswich was in the hands of the Ipswich Corporation and the Freemen. Ipswich was seen as a partisan seat with active Blue (Tory inclined) and Yellow (Whig inclined) factions dominating elections for both Parliament and the corporation and comparatively rare split tickets of one Whig and one Tory being returned to Parliament, although the identification of the local parties with national parties could at times be very blurred.[2] In the mid eighteenth century the constituency had an electorate of around 700, which was a middle sized borough by the standards of the time – and a reputation of a borough that was likely to offer stiff opposition to government favoured candidates.[3]
Ipswich is a marginal seat, having changed hands eleven times since its creation as a single-member constituency in 1918. It has generally been favourable to Labour Party candidates, who succeeded at every postwar general election since the end of World War II except 1970, February 1974, 1987, 2010, 2015 and 2019. It was traditionally won by either party by fairly small margins; however, from 1997 until being gained by the Conservative Party in 2010, Labour won the contests with safer margins, and after the Conservatives increased their majority in 2015, Labour regained the seat in 2017 only to lose it again in 2019 when the Conservative candidate got more than half the votes cast when there were more than two candidates for the first time since 1918. This was turned around in 2024 when Labour won the seat once again with a healthy majority of 16.8%
Ipswich was the only seat won by a Labour candidate at the 2017 general election from a total of seven seats in Suffolk, the others being retained by Conservatives and more rural in comparison to Ipswich. Martin's 2017 election victory was one of thirty net gains made by the Labour Party.
Constituency profile
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The constituency includes Ipswich town centre and docks, with its mix of historic buildings and modern developments. Ipswich is a bustling town that serves as a centre for the rest of Suffolk which is predominantly rural and remote, and has the only serious concentration of Labour voters in the county, other than in Lowestoft.
Portman Road Football Ground to the West of the centre, and the new university to the East are both in the seat, as is the vast Chantry council estate to the South.
Ipswich's Conservative-leaning suburbs, such as Castle Hill, Westerfield and Kesgrave, extend beyond the constituency's boundaries – the northernmost wards are in the Suffolk Central constituency, and several strong Conservative areas are just outside the borough's tightly drawn limits, making Ipswich a target seat for Labour.
Boundaries
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The present-day constituency consists of most of the Borough of Ipswich, with the exception of the Castle Hill, Whitehouse and Whitton wards.
1983–2010: The Borough of Ipswich wards of Bixley, Bridge, Chantry, Gainsborough, Priory Heath, Rushmere, St Clement's, St John's, St Margaret's, Sprites, Stoke Park, and Town.[5][6]
2010–present: The Borough of Ipswich wards of Alexandra, Bixley, Bridge, Gainsborough, Gipping, Holywells, Priory Heath, Rushmere, St John's, St Margaret's, Sprites, Stoke Park, and Westgate.[7]
Following a revision of the Borough of Ipswich wards, the constituency gained a small area from Central Suffolk and North Ipswich.
During the period between 1835 and 1842 there were five elections and all were found to have been corrupt. After the 1835 election, Dundas and Kelly were unseated on the charge of bribery. After the 1837 election, Tufnell was unseated on a scrutiny. Gibson, who was elected in 1838, resigned. Cochrane was elected in 1839, after which a petition was presented complaining of gross bribery – it was not progressed because a general election was expected. After the 1841 election, Wason and Rennie were unseated, being declared guilty of bribery by their agents.[30]
Change of vote share and swing calculated from the December 1910 party ticket vote.
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;
Unusually the Yellows supported in Edward Vernon[64] an identifiable Tory[15] and critic of the Whig government. The Blues meanwhile supported Samuel Kent and Richard Lloyd, both supporters of the Whig government. Although Lloyd would later withdraw[64] before that point it had proved an expensive contest for Vernon.[65]
By-election called on William Churchill winning a government contract for stationery and resigning his seat as an office of profit to the crown. Instead of seeking re-election he stood in favour of his son in law Francis Negus.[67]
^"The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – Eastern". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
^Winifred Stokes / R. G. Thorne (1986). "Ipswich". In Thorne, R. G. (ed.). The House of Commons 1790–1820. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
^S., Craig, Fred W. (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885–1972;. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0900178094. OCLC 539011.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part 2 Eastern region.
^ abcdefJohn P Ferris (2010). "Ipswich". In Ferris, John P.; Thrush, Andrew (eds.). The House of Commons 1604–1629. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
^ abcdeLeigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "I"
^
Margaret Escott (2009). "BARRETT LENNARD, Thomas (1788–1856), of Belhus, Aveley, Essex and Hyde Park Terrace, Mdx.". In Fisher, David (ed.). The House of Commons 1820–1832. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
^David R Fisher (2009). "Maldon". In Fisher, David (ed.). The House of Commons 1820–1832. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
^Hall, Catherine; Draper, Nicholas; McClelland, Keith; Donington, Katie; Lang, Rachel (2014). "Appendix 4: MPs 1832-80 in the compensation records". Legacies of British Slave-ownership: Colonial Slavery and the Formation of Victorian Britain. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 292. ISBN 978-1-107-04005-2.
^"Postscript". The Spectator. 9 November 1839. p. 9.
^The Spectator, Volume 14. F.C. Westley. 1841. p. 653.
^Gash, Norman (2013). Politics in the Age of Peel: A Study in the Technique of Parliamentary Representation, 1830–1850. Faber & Faber. pp. 355, 440. ISBN 9780571302901.
^"IPSWICH ELECTION WRIT". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 8 August 1842. Retrieved 17 January 2010. During the last seven years, or little more, there had been five elections for the borough of Ipswich, and those five elections had produced five petitions
^"Ipswich Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
^"Ipswich Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
^"Election 2017: Ipswich". BBC News. 9 June 2017. Archived from the original on 14 June 2017.
^"Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
^"Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"UK General Election results June 1987". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 11 June 1987. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
^"Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ abcdCraig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
^ abcdefghijCraig, F. W. S., ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885–1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
^Craig, F. W. S., British parliamentary election results 1885–1918
^ abDebrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrCraig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
^"Miscellaneous News". Cambridge Independent Press. 6 August 1842. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"The Suffolk Chronicle; or Weekly General Advertiser & County Express". 4 June 1842. pp. 3–4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Election Committee". Belfast Commercial Chronicle. 27 April 1842. p. 2 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ ab
Margaret Escott (2009). "Ipswich". In Fisher, David (ed.). The House of Commons 1820–1832. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
^ abPaula Watson (1983). "Ipswich". In Henning, B. D. (ed.). The House of Commons 1660–1690. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
External links
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Ipswich UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
Ipswich UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
Ipswich UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK