Ipswich (UK Parliament constituency)

Ipswich
Borough constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Ipswich in Suffolk.
Location of Suffolk within England.
County	Suffolk
Electorate	75,195 (December 2010)
Major settlements	Ipswich
Current constituency
Created	1295
Member of parliament	Ben Gummer (Conservative)
Number of members	One
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency	East of England

Ipswich ⁱ/ˈɪpswɪtʃ/ is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Ben Gummer, a Conservative.

1918-1983: The County Borough of Ipswich.

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.

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.

The present-day constituency consists of most of the Borough of Ipswich, although the north-western part was transferred to the Central Suffolk constituency at the 1983 general election. Prior to this, the Parliamentary and Municipal Boroughs were always the same. Before the Reform Act 1832, the franchise in Ipswich was in the hands of the Ipswich Corporation and the Freemen. It has generally been favourable to Labour since World War II, although they have lost the seat on three occasions, and have sometimes won with very sparse majorities. From 1997 until a Conservative gain in 2010, Labour won the contests with safer margins.