This is a rural seat around Towcester and Brackley but also includes the southern edge of Northampton. There is a significant motorsport sector including Silverstone.[2] Incomes and house prices are above average for the UK.[3]
Historyedit
Before 2010, the constituency existed from 1832 to 1918, and from 1950 to 1974, however on different boundaries during each period. It elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) by the bloc vote system of election from 1832, until the representation was reduced in 1885 to one member elected by the first past the post system.
In the 19th century history of the seat the Cartwright family (with three members) lived in the stately home Aynhoe Park near Banbury.
History of boundaries
The seat was abolished in 1918 to form the new constituency of Daventry, then recreated in 1950 caused by a relatively short-lived abolition of Daventry. In 1974 the constituency was almost wholly swallowed up by a reborn Daventry, which on wide boundaries saw substantial population growth.
This called for recreation in 2010 whereby most of the electoral wards were taken from the former version of the Daventry seat.
1832–1885: The Hundreds of Kings Sutton, Chipping Warden, Greens Norton, Cleley, Towcester, Fawsley, Wymersley, Spelhoe, Nobottle Grove, and Guilsborough.[4]
1885–1918: The Sessional Divisions of Brackley and Towcester, and part of the Sessional Division of Daventry. (The part of the Sessional Division of Daventry included in South Northamptonshire excluded the parishes of Ashby St. Ledgers, Barby, Claycoton Crick, Elkington, Kilsby, Lilboume, Long Buckley, Stanford, Watford, West Haddon, Winwick, and Yelvertoft, which were assigned to Mid Northamptonshire).[5]
1950–1974: The Boroughs of Daventry and Brackley, and the Rural Districts of Brackley, Daventry, Northampton, and Towcester.
2010–2021: The District of South Northamptonshire wards of Astwell, Blakesley, Blisworth, Brackley East, Brackley South, Brackley West, Chase, Cogenhoe, Collingtree, Cosgrove, Courteenhall, Deanshanger, Grafton, Kings Sutton, Kingthorn, Little Brook, Middleton Cheney, Salcey, Silverstone, Steane, Tove, Towcester Brook, Towcester Mill, Wardoun, Washington, Whittlewood, and Yardley, and the Borough of Northampton wards of East Hunsbury, Nene Valley, and West Hunsbury.
2021-present: The District of West Northamptonshire wards of Brackley, Bugbrooke (part), Deanshanger, Duston West and St. Crispin (part), East Hunsbury and Shelfleys, Hackleton and Grange Park, Middleton Cheney, Nene Valley, Silverstone, Sixfields (part) and Towcester and Roade.
The District of North Northamptonshire ward of Irchester (polling districts WAA, WAB, WPA, WPB and WPC)
The District of West Northamptonshire wards of Brackley; Bugbrooke; Deanshanger; Hackleton and Grange Park; Middleton Cheney; Silverstone (polling districts SAA, SAB, SAN, SAT, SBP, SBX, SCV, SDG, SDW, SDZ, SEF, SEW, SFE, SFF, SFN, SFO, SFR, SFW, SGD, SGF and SGK); Towcester and Roade.[6]
The parts in the former Borough of Northampton are to be transferred to Northampton South. The constituency will gain the part of the Irchester ward from Wellingborough and the remainder of the Bugbrooke ward from Daventry. A small part of Silverstone ward will be transferred to Daventry.
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;
^"The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. LXIV. An Act to settle and describe the Divisions of Counties, and the Limits of Cities and Boroughs, in England and Wales, in so far as respects the Election of Members to serve in Parliament". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1832. pp. 300–383. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
^"The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 48 & 49 Victoria. Ch. 23: Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Schedule 7". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1885. pp. 166–167. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part I.
^ abcdeLeigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "N" (part 3)
^ abcdStooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 232–233. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
^Millbank Systems – reference to government on the opposition benches, July 1836 Note that at this time party affiliations were only beginning to become more rigid.
^"Lincolnshire Chronicle". 10 April 1857. p. 2. Retrieved 11 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"Bell's Weekly Messenger". 4 April 1857. p. 1. Retrieved 11 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^Hansard at Millbank Systems has no debates from November–December 1892 but from this source it seems David Guthrie never spoke in Parliament.
^"Find My PPC" (PDF). Reform UK. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
^Andrea Leadsom MP [@andrealeadsom] (28 January 2023). "I am delighted and proud to be re-adopted as the @Conservatives candidate for South Northamptonshire" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^"South Northants - West Northamptonshire Liberal Democrats". www.westnorthantslibdems.org.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
^"Northamptonshire South Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
^Leadsom, Andrea [@andrealeadsom] (28 April 2017). "Delighted and honoured to be readopted as Conservative candidate for South Northamptonshire this evening! #GE2017pic.twitter.com/5JqJfH8nu6" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^ abcdefghijklmnoCraig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
^ abcdefghCraig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.