Stevenage (UK Parliament constituency)

Stevenage
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Stevenage in Hertfordshire.
Location of Hertfordshire within England.
County	Hertfordshire
Electorate	69,357 (December 2010)
Major settlements	Stevenage
Current constituency
Created	1983
Member of parliament	Stephen McPartland (Conservative)
Number of members	One
Created from	Hertford & Stevenage, Hitchin, and East Hertfordshire
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency	East of England

Stevenage is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Stephen McPartland, a Conservative.

The constituency was created in 1983 from parts of the seats of Hertford and Stevenage, Hitchin, and East Hertfordshire. A Southern England new town seat with volatile voting patterns, it was Conservative held between 1983 and 1997 until Labour easily gained it, but their winning margin in 2005 was small and the Conservatives gained the seat at the 2010 election.

Its main predecessor, named first, was also a bellwether of the national result. Shirley Williams has been the most prominent member, in fact the second frontbencher since 1974. She held it when she was a Secretary of State in government from 1974 until 1979, Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection and then Paymaster General. Barbara Follett achieved two ministerial roles from 2007 until 2010.

1983-1997: The Borough of Stevenage, the District of North Hertfordshire wards of Codicote and Knebworth, and the District of East Hertfordshire wards of Cottered, Datchworth, Mundern, Walkern, and Watton-at-Stone.

1997-2010: The Borough of Stevenage, the District of North Hertfordshire wards of Codicote and Knebworth, and the District of East Hertfordshire wards of Datchworth and Walkern.