Welwyn Hatfield
2005 Results:
Conservative: 22172 (49.6%)
Labour: 16226 (36.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 6318 (14.1%)
Majority: 5946 (13.3%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 17288 (40.4%)
Labour: 18484 (43.2%)
Liberal Democrat: 6021 (14.1%)
UKIP: 798 (1.9%)
Other: 230 (0.5%)
Majority: 1196 (2.8%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 19341 (36.5%)
Labour: 24936 (47.1%)
Liberal Democrat: 7161 (13.5%)
Other: 1530 (2.9%)
Majority: 5595 (10.6%)
No Boundary Changes:
Profile: Consists of the town of Hatfield and the garden city of Welwyn Garden City, built as a new town in 1920 in accordance with the ideas of Sir Ebenezer Howard. The constituency also includes the original village of Welwyn to the North of the new town, Welham Green, Brookmans Park, Newgate Street, Woodside & Essendon.
Welwyn Garden City (which is in fact a town, not a city) is a suburban commuter town for London, although like most new towns there is a large amount of social housing. Hatfield is most commonly associated with Hatfield House, the seat of the Cecil family. More recently the town was associated with the air industry and the de Havilland Comet was built in the town. In the 1990s British Aerospace transferred production out the area and part of the former airfield is now the site of the University of Hertfordshire`s new de Havilland campus. In 2000 4 people were killed and 70 injured in an infamous rail crash south of Hatfield station.
Prior to 1997 Welwyn Hatfield was held by the combative right-wing Conservative MP David Evans, but was won by Labour`s Melanie Johnson in 1997. It fell to Grant Shapps in 2005 on one of the largest Conservative swings in the country.
Outgoing MP: Grant Shapps(Conservative) born 1968, Hertfordshire. Educated at Watford Grammar and Manchester Polytechnic. Ran a design, print and web development company, Printhouse Corporation. First elected as MP for Welwyn Hatfield in 2005. He backed David Cameron`s leadership bid and was appointed a Vice-Chairman of the Conservative party in 2005 (more information at They work for you)
Candidates: Grant Shapps(Conservative) born 1968, Hertfordshire. Educated at Watford Grammar and Manchester Polytechnic. Ran a design, print and web development company, Printhouse Corporation. First elected as MP for Welwyn Hatfield in 2005. He backed David Cameron`s leadership bid and was appointed a Vice-Chairman of the Conservative party in 2005 (more information at They work for you)
Mike Hobday (Labour) Senior manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, responsible for campaigns, policy and public affairs. Previously led the League Against Cruel Sports campaign against fox hunting. County Councillor in Welwyn Garden City 1997-2005.
Paul Zukowskyj (Liberal Democrat) Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire.
Jill Weston (Green)
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 92363
Male: 48.5%
Female: 51.5%
Under 18: 22.1%
Over 60: 21.4%
Born outside UK: 9.1%
White: 93.5%
Black: 1.4%
Asian: 2.3%
Mixed: 1.4%
Other: 1.3%
Christian: 69.5%
Hindu: 1.1%
Jewish: 0.6%
Muslim: 1.1%
Full time students: 8.2%
Graduates 16-74: 21.8%
No Qualifications 16-74: 23.1%
Owner-Occupied: 62.5%
Social Housing: 28.2% (Council: 24.1%, Housing Ass.: 4.1%)
Privately Rented: 5.6%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 2.4%
The latest boundary review is the first one since 1885 when Hertfordshire has not gained representation. On that occassion the number of seats in the county was reduced as a 3 member county seat and 2 member Hertford borough were replaced by four single-member county seats (before 1852 St Albans had also been a 2 member borough constituency but was disfranchised).
In 1918 the number of seats went up to 5 as Hemel Hempstead was created out of the Watford division.
In 1945 Herfordshire was one of the small number of areas that had an additional seat created as Barnet was carved out of St Albans to give 6 seats.
In 1950 Watford was split again into the borough seat of Watford and a county seat of Herts SW which surrounded it, giveing 7 seats.
In 1955 Hertford was seperated from the bulk of its seat, leaving a new East Hertfordshire and united with Welwyn and Hatfield in an entirely different Hertford seat to give 8 seats.
In 1974 effectively two new seats were created in the area – Hertford and Stevenage and Hertfordshire South, though with Barnet by now being in Greater London this gave Hertfordshire 9 seats.
In 1983 Hertford was moved yet again to reunite with parts of the old East Hertfordshire, the rump of which became Broxbourne making 10 seats.
In 1997 an 11th seat was created in Hitchin & Harpenden.
This time there are hardly any significant changes, most involve re-aligning constituency boundaries to bring them into line with ward boundary changes which have occurrred in the interim.
This may provide a relief for some people who seem to find themselves in a different constituency after almost every review.
Northaw for example, having been in Hertford since 1885 was moved to St Albans in 1918, to the new Barnet seat in 1945, to Hertford again in 1955, Welwyn Hatfield in 1974 and Broxbourne in 1983.
If my proposals for a 12 seat Hertfordshire are accepted at the next review, it will find itself moved yet again, to a new Hertfordshire South (but if the size of the commons is reduced that will obviously not happen).
The Greens have selected Jill Weston here