Daventry (UK Parliament constituency)

Daventry
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Daventry in Northamptonshire
Location of Northamptonshire within England
County	Northamptonshire
Electorate	74,674 (2018) [1]
Major settlements	Daventry, Earls Barton, Brixworth
Current constituency
Created	1974 (1974)
Member of Parliament	Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative)
Seats	One
Created from	South Northamptonshire
1918–1950
Created from	South Northamptonshire and Mid Northamptonshire
Replaced by	South Northamptonshire

Daventry is a constituency ^{[n 1]} in Northamptonshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Chris Heaton-Harris of the Conservative Party, who has served as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland since 2022. On 18 May 2024, he announced that he would not seek re-election as an MP at the next general election. ^{[2] [3]}

History

The seat, one of many created in 1918, was a narrower form of the oldest creation of South Northamptonshire and lasted 32 years until it reverted into "South Northamptonshire". Finally today's seat was recreated mostly from the north of the South Northants seat ^{[n 2]} in 1974. Since its recreation and during its first existence, it has been served by Conservative MPs. As the 1997 majority was also not marginal, it has been to date an archetypal safe seat.

Boundaries

Historic

Map of current boundaries

1918–1950: The Boroughs of Daventry and Brackley, the Rural Districts of Brackley, Crick, Daventry, Hardingstone, Middleton Cheney, Potterspury, and Towcester, and part of the Rural District of Northampton.

1974–1983: The Boroughs of Brackley and Daventry, and the Rural Districts of Brackley, Brixworth, Daventry, Northampton, and Towcester. ^[4]

1983–1997: The District of Daventry wards of Abbey North, Abbey South, Badby, Barby, Brampton, Braunston, Byfield, Crick and West Haddon, Drayton, Everdon, Flore, Guilsborough, Hill, Kilsby, Long Buckby, Ravensthorpe, Spratton, Weedon, Welford, Woodford, and Yelvertoft, and the District of South Northamptonshire wards of Astwell, Blakesley, Brackley East, Brackley West, Cosgrove, Danvers, Deanshanger, Forest, Grafton, Greatworth, King's Sutton, Kingthorn, Middleton Cheney, Potterspury, Rainsborough, Slapton, Tove, Towcester, and Wardoun.

1997–2010: The District of Daventry wards of Abbey North, Abbey South, Badby, Barby, Brampton, Braunston, Byfield, Crick and West Haddon, Drayton, Everdon, Flore, Hill, Kilsby, Long Buckby, Ravensthorpe, Weedon, Woodford, and Yelvertoft, and the District of South Northamptonshire wards of Astwell, Blakesley, Blisworth, Brackley East, Brackley West, Bugbrooke, Cosgrove, Danvers, Deanshanger, Forest, Gayton, Grafton, Greatworth, Heyford, King's Sutton, Kingthorn, Middleton Cheney, Potterspury, Rainsborough, Slapton, Tove, Towcester, and Wardoun.

2010–2021: The District of Daventry, the District of South Northamptonshire wards of Cote, Downs, Grange, Harpole, and Heyford, and the Borough of Wellingborough wards of Earls Barton and West.

2021–2023: With effect from 1 April 2021, the second tier authorities in Northamptonshire were abolished and absorbed into the two new unitary authorities of North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. ^[5] From that date, the constituency comprised the District of North Northamptonshire ward of Earls Barton (part) and the District of West Northamptonshire wards of Braunston and Crick; Brixworth, Bugbrooke (part) Daventry East, Daventry West, Long Buckby, Moulton, and Woodford and Weedon.

2024-

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 District of North Northamptonshire ward of Earls Barton
• The District of West Northamptonshire wards of Braunston and Crick; Brixworth; Daventry East; Daventry West; Long Buckby; Moulton; Silverstone (polling districts SAG, SAP, SAQ, SBJ and SCL); Woodford and Weedon. ^[6]

The constituency covers the west of Northamptonshire and is named for the market town of Daventry.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1918–1950

Election		Member [7]	Party
	1918	Edward FitzRoy	Conservative
	1928		Speaker
	1943 by-election	Reginald Manningham-Buller	Conservative
	1950	Constituency abolished

MPs since Feb 1974

Election		Member [7]	Party
	Feb 1974	Arthur Jones	Conservative
	1979	Reg Prentice	Conservative
	1987	Tim Boswell	Conservative
	2010	Chris Heaton-Harris	Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Daventry

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Stuart Andrew [ citation needed ]
	Reform UK	Scott Cameron [8]
	Liberal Democrats	Jonathan Harris [9]
	Labour	Marianne Kimani [10]
	Green	Clare Slater [11]
Majority
Turnout

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Daventry ^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Chris Heaton-Harris	37,055	64.6	+0.9
	Labour	Paul Joyce	10,975	19.1	-5.6
	Liberal Democrats	Andrew Simpson	7,032	12.3	+5.1
	Green	Clare Slater	2,341	4.1	+2.4
Majority			26,080	45.5	+6.5
Turnout			57,403	74.1	+0.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	+3.2

General election 2017: Daventry ^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Chris Heaton-Harris [14]	35,464	63.7	+5.5
	Labour	Aiden Ramsey	13,730	24.7	+6.6
	Liberal Democrats	Andrew Simpson	4,015	7.2	+2.7
	UKIP	Ian Gibbins	1,497	2.7	-13.1
	Green	Jamie Wildman	957	1.7	-1.8
Majority			21,734	39.0	-1.1
Turnout			55,663	74.0	+1.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	-0.55

General election 2015: Daventry ^{[15] [13]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Chris Heaton-Harris [14]	30,550	58.2	+1.7
	Labour	Abigail Campbell [16]	9,491	18.1	+2.3
	UKIP	Michael Gerard [17]	8,296	15.8	+11.3
	Liberal Democrats	Callum Delhoy [18]	2,352	4.5	-14.9
	Green	Steve Whiffen	1,829	3.5	+2.0
Majority			21,059	40.1	+3.0
Turnout			52,518	72.2	-0.3
	Conservative hold		Swing

UKIP originally selected Nigel Wickens, ^[19] who was also selected for Mid Bedfordshire.

General election 2010: Daventry ^{[20] [21] [22]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Chris Heaton-Harris	29,252	56.5	+3.5
	Liberal Democrats	Christopher McGlynn [23]	10,064	19.4	+4.9
	Labour	Paul Corazzo	8,168	15.8	−12.1
	UKIP	Jim Broomfield	2,333	4.5	+1.6
	English Democrat	Alan Bennett-Spencer	1,187	2.3	New
	Green	Steve Whiffen	770	1.5	New
Majority			19,188	37.1	+12.8
Turnout			51,774	72.5	+4.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	−0.7

After the 2005 general election, Daventry incurred massive boundary changes following the creation of the new South Northamptonshire seat. The results of the 2010 general election are based on the notional results for the new boundaries.

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Daventry ^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tim Boswell	31,206	51.6	+2.4
	Labour	Andrew Hammond	16,520	27.3	−4.9
	Liberal Democrats	Hannah Saul	9,964	16.5	+0.4
	UKIP	Barry Mahoney	1,927	3.2	+0.8
	Veritas	Barrie Wilkins	822	1.4	New
Majority			14,686	24.3	+7.3
Turnout			60,439	68.1	+2.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	+3.6

General election 2001: Daventry ^[25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tim Boswell	27,911	49.2	+2.9
	Labour	Kevin Quigley	18,262	32.2	-2.2
	Liberal Democrats	Jamie Calder	9,130	16.1	+1.1
	UKIP	Peter Baden	1,381	2.4	+1.7
Majority			9,649	17.0	+5.1
Turnout			56,684	65.5	-11.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	+2.6

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Daventry ^[26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tim Boswell	28,615	46.3	−11.4
	Labour	Ken Ritchie	21,237	34.4	+10.5
	Liberal Democrats	John Gordon	9,233	15.0	−2.7
	Referendum	Barbara Russocki	2,018	3.3	New
	UKIP	B.J. Mahoney	443	0.7	New
	Natural Law	Russell B. France	204	0.3	−0.4
Majority			7,378	11.9	-21.9
Turnout			61,750	77.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	−11.1

General election 1992: Daventry ^{[27] [28]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tim Boswell	34,734	58.4	+0.5
	Labour	Lesley Koumi	14,460	24.3	+3.7
	Liberal Democrats	Anthony S. Rounthwaite	9,820	16.5	−5.0
	Natural Law	Russell B. France	422	0.7	New
Majority			20,274	34.1	−2.2
Turnout			59,436	82.7	+4.5
	Conservative hold		Swing	−1.6

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Daventry ^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tim Boswell	31,353	57.9	+4.6
	Liberal	Ian Miller	11,663	21.6	-5.1
	Labour	Lesley Koumi	11,097	20.5	+0.6
Majority			19,690	36.3	+9.7
Turnout			54,113	78.2	+1.4
	Conservative hold		Swing	+4.8

General election 1983: Daventry ^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Reg Prentice	26,357	53.3	-3.3
	SDP	David Collins	13,221	26.7	New
	Labour	David Middleton	9,840	19.9	-7.4
Majority			13,136	26.6	-2.8
Turnout			49,418	76.8	-3.7
	Conservative hold		Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Daventry

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Reg Prentice	41,422	56.61
	Labour	JL Rawlings	19,939	27.25
	Liberal	R Woodside	11,286	15.42
	National Front	G Younger	522	0.71	New
Majority			21,483	29.36
Turnout			73,169	80.50
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election October 1974: Daventry

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Arthur Jones	29,801	46.43
	Labour	D Forwood	20,739	32.31
	Liberal	D Cassidy	13,640	21.25
Majority			9,062	14.12
Turnout			64,180	77.09
	Conservative hold		Swing

General election February 1974: Daventry

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Arthur Jones	31,273	44.93
	Labour	P Jones	21,524	30.93
	Liberal	P Smout	16,802	24.14
Majority			9,749	14.00
Turnout			69,599	84.33
	Conservative win (new seat)

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Daventry ^[31]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Reginald Manningham-Buller	14,863	42.8	New
	Labour	Paul F Williams	13,693	39.5	+3.2
	Liberal	William George Ernest Dyer	6,130	17.7	N/A
Majority			1,170	3.3	-24.1
Turnout			34,686	75.0	-1.0
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

1943 Daventry by-election ^[31]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Reginald Manningham-Buller	9,043	45.9	-17.8
	Common Wealth	Dennis G Webb	6,591	33.4	New
	Independent Liberal	William George Ernest Dyer	4,093	20.7	New
Majority			2,452	12.5	-14.9
Turnout			19,727	48.7	-27.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 1939–40:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

• Speaker: Edward FitzRoy
• Labour: Paul F Williams

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Daventry ^[31]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Speaker	Edward FitzRoy	18,934	63.7	N/A
	Labour	TE Barnes	10,767	36.3	New
Majority			8,167	27.4	N/A
Turnout			29,701	76.0	N/A
	Speaker hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1931: Daventry ^[31]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Speaker	Edward FitzRoy	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Speaker hold

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Daventry ^[31]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Speaker	Edward FitzRoy	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Speaker hold

General election 1924: Daventry ^[31]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Edward FitzRoy	12,683	50.4	+5.7
	Liberal	Charles Kerr	12,483	49.6	+11.8
Majority			200	0.8	-6.1
Turnout			25,166	79.7	+3.6
	Unionist hold		Swing	-3.1

General election 1923: Daventry ^{[32] [31]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Edward FitzRoy	10,514	44.7	-14.9
	Liberal	Charles Kerr	8,914	37.8	New
	Labour	Len Smith	4,127	17.5	-22.9
Majority			1,600	6.9	-12.3
Turnout			23,555	76.1	+4.0
	Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1922: Daventry ^[31]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Edward FitzRoy	13,055	59.6	+0.8
	Labour	Will Rogers	8,850	40.4	-0.8
Majority			4,205	19.2	+1.6
Turnout			21,905	72.1	+9.4
	Unionist hold		Swing	+0.8

Elections in the 1910s

General election 1918: Daventry ^{[31] [33]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
C	Unionist	Edward FitzRoy	11,176	58.8
	Labour	Will Rogers	7,824	41.2
Majority			3,352	17.6
Turnout			19,000	62.7
	Unionist win (new seat)
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Notes

1. A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
2. South Northamptonshire was revived in 2010 and it covers the area to the south including Towcester and Brackley

References

1. "England Parliamentary electorates 2010-2018". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
2. Heaton-Harris, Chris [@chhcalling] (18 May 2024). "After 24 years in politics I won't be standing at the next election. It's been an honour and a privilege to serve and I'd like to thank the good people of Daventry, @theresa_may @BorisJohnson @trussliz @RishiSuna for putting their trust in me" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 May 2024– via Twitter.
3. "Chris Heaton-Harris not standing for re-election". BBC News. 18 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
4. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Daventry, Wellingborough and Northampton) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1973/604, retrieved 26 February 2023
5. "The Northamptonshire (Structural Changes) Order 2020".
6. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule I Part I.
7. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 1)
8. "Reform UK Prospective Parliamentary Candidates". Reform UK . Retrieved 13 May 2024.
9. "Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidates". Mark Pack . Retrieved 16 January 2024.
10. "Labour selections: parliamentary candidates selected so far for the general election". LabourList. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
11. "Your local candidates". Northants Green Party. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
12. "Daventry Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
13. "Daventry parliamentary constituency - Election 2017" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
14. "UK ELECTION RESULTS: DAVENTRY 2015".
15. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
16. "Abigail Campbell". Archived from the original on 19 April 2015.
17. "Candidates (PPCS) for Daventry in the UK 2015 General Election". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
18. "Your Next MP | Blog Pemilihan Umum di Inggris".
19. "New candidate chosen by UKIP". www.daventryexpress.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
20. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
21. Statement of Persons Nominated ^{[ permanent dead link ]}, Daventry District Council
22. Daventry, BBC
23. Northampton Chronicle & Echo 21 April 2010
24. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
25. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
26. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
27. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
28. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
29. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
30. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
31. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
32. The Liberal Year Book, 1930
33. Debretts House of Commons & Judicial Bench 1922

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Northamptonshire

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Halifax	Constituency represented by the speaker 1928–1943	Succeeded by Hexham

52°18′N1°05′W / 52.30°N 1.08°W / 52.30; -1.08