Wellingborough and Rushden (UK Parliament constituency)

Wellingborough and Rushden is a constituency in Northamptonshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The seat is currently held by Labour MP Gen Kitchen, after the recall of MP Peter Bone in December 2023 which resulted in a by-election in February 2024.

Prior to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the constituency was known as Wellingborough up until the 2024 general election.

History
This seat was created under the Representation of the People Act 1918.

Wellingborough's earliest years were left-leaning. Between 1964 and 2005, the seat kept on producing examples of bellwether results and rarely showed itself to be safe for more than one government term. Departing from this are two years where the result has defied the most common result nationwide, by leaning towards the Conservative Party, in 1974 (twice). Since 2010 it became a safe seat for the Conservatives until the 2024 by-election.
 * Political history

In the 2016 EU referendum, Wellingborough voted 62.4% leave (25,679 votes) to 37.6% remain (15,462 votes)

Sir Geoffrey Shakespeare was a Lloyd-Georgist National Liberal who served in junior ministerial roles through much of the Second World War, including briefly as the Secretary for Overseas Trade in 1940.
 * Prominent frontbenchers

Historic (Wellingborough)
1918–1950: The Borough of Higham Ferrers, the Urban Districts of Finedon, Irthlingborough, Raunds, Rushden, and Wellingborough, the Rural District of Wellingborough, and in the Rural District of Thrapston the parishes of Chelveston cum Caldecott, Hargrave, and Stanwick.

1950–1974: The Borough of Higham Ferrers, the Urban Districts of Irthlingborough, Raunds, Rushden, and Wellingborough, the Rural District of Wellingborough, and in the Rural District of Oundle and Thrapston the civil parishes of Chelveston cum Caldecott and Hargrave.

1974–1983: The Borough of Higham Ferrers, the Urban Districts of Irthlingborough, Oundle, Raunds, Rushden, and Wellingborough, and the Rural Districts of Oundle and Thrapston, and Wellingborough.

1983–2010: The Borough of Wellingborough, and the District of East Northamptonshire wards of Higham Ferrers, Rushden East, Rushden North, Rushden South, and Rushden West.

2010–2021: The Borough of Wellingborough wards of Brickhill, Castle, Croyland, Finedon, Great Doddington and Wilby, Hemmingwell, Irchester, North, Queensway, Redwell East, Redwell West, South, Swanspool, and Wollaston, and the District of East Northamptonshire wards of Higham Ferrers, Rushden East, Rushden North, Rushden South, and Rushden West.

2021–2024: With effect from 1 April 2021, the Borough of Wellingborough and the District of East Northamptonshire were abolished and absorbed into the new unitary authority of North Northamptonshire. From that date, the constituency comprised the District of North Northamptonshire wards of Brickhill and Queensway, Croyland and Swanspool; Earls Barton (part), Finedon, Hatton Park, Higham Ferrers, Irchester, Irthlingborough, Rushden Pemberton West and Rushden South.

Current (Wellingborough and Rushden)
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 wards of: Brickhill and Queensway; Croyland and Swanspool; Finedon; Hatton Park; Higham Ferrers; Irchester (polling districts WIA and WIB); Irthlingborough (polling districts SD and SF); Rushden Pemberton West; Rushden South.

''The parts of the Earls Barton ward were transferred to Daventry. In addition, parts of the Irchester ward were transferred to South Northamptonshire, whilst the parts of the Irthlingborough ward were transferred in from Corby.''

The constituency is named after the towns of Wellingborough and Rushden. It also includes the small town of Higham Ferrers, which was itself a borough constituency until its abolition as one of the rotten boroughs in 1832.

Constituency profile
Strengths in local industries here or in neighbouring Northampton and Kettering include in printing, logistics and distribution, automotive (assembly and design), construction, food processing and advanced engineering sectors. Despite this, a decline in the traditional local industries such as quarrying, furniture making and textiles pushes workless claimants who were registered jobseekers in November 2012 higher than the national (and regional) average of 3.8%, at 4.5% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.

Members of Parliament
East Northamptonshire and North Northamptonshire prior to 1918

Elections in the 2010s
1: After nominations were closed, Garvie was suspended from the Labour Party after he was convicted of fraud after buying £900 of train tickets with a closed bank account. He still appeared on ballot papers as Labour.