The constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed is in the county of
Northumberland. It includes as its northernmost point the town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed and stretches south to include the towns of
Alnwick and
Amble — the Northumberland coast forms its long eastern boundary. Its length is roughly 50 miles (80 km) and its area is 2,310 square kilometres.
Predominantly rural in character, this constituency is the most northerly in
England and is relatively sparsely populated.
History
Berwick had been intermittently represented in Scottish Parliaments but it is thought that it was first enfranchised as an English borough between 1491 and 1512.[4]
It was unaffected by the
Reform Act 1832 and continued to elect two MPs until it was abolished by the
Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. The 1885 Act re-constituted the constituency as one of four divisions of Northumberland, each electing one MP.
The Sessional Divisions of Bamburgh, Coquetdale East (part), Coquetdale North, Glendale, and Norhamshire and Islandshire; and the Municipal Borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed.[7]
the
Rural Districts of Alnwick, Belford, Glendale, Norham and Islandshires, and Rothbury.[9]
No change (the Urban District of Rothbury had been absorbed into the Rural District).
1983–2024
Map of boundaries 2010-2024
the District of Alnwick
the Borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed
in the Borough of
Castle Morpeth, the wards of Chevington, Ellington, Hartburn, Longhorsley, Lynemouth and Ulgham.[10][11][12]
Contents changed following reorganisation of local authorities in 1974. The seat was expanded southwards, adding the (rural) wards in Castle Morpeth Borough, previously part of the abolished constituency of
Morpeth.
2007 boundary review
In the fifth periodic boundary review of parliamentary representation in Northumberland, which came into effect for the
2010 general election, the contents of the existing Berwick constituency were unchanged and the
Boundary Commission for England made only minor changes to take account of ward boundary changes. A proposal to rename the historic seat "Berwick-upon-Tweed and Mid Northumberland" was rejected: whilst it is geographically accurate, it was thought unwieldy.[13][n 3]
In 2009, a further government reorganisation resulted in the abolition of all local government boroughs and districts in Northumberland and the establishment of the county as a
unitary authority.[14] However, this has not affected the current constituency boundaries.
Political history
Rural in nature, sparse of population and with
agriculture as a major source of employment, Berwick-upon-Tweed has never elected a
Labour candidate, one of two constituencies in the north east of England not to have done so. The closest Labour have ever come to winning the seat was at the
1966 general election, where they finished just 4,373 votes behind incumbent Conservative MP Antony Lambton.
The area has been notable for its Liberal politicians – both
Sir William Beveridge (influential in the formation of the
National Health Service) and
Edward Grey (Foreign Secretary at the beginning of
World War I, best remembered for the "lamps are going out all over Europe...." remark) have served this constituency.
It was represented by Liberal Democrat Sir
Alan Beith from 1973 (formerly
Liberal) until his retirement in
2015, when it was gained by the
Conservative candidate Anne-Marie Trevelyan. Beith was first elected at a by-election, required as a result of the resignation of the then incumbent MP
Antony Lambton (Conservative), who had been caught up in a scandal involving
call girls,
marijuana and a
tabloid newspaper.
In 1923,
Mabel Philipson, a former
music hall actress, took over the seat as a Conservative, when her husband was forced to resign. In doing so she became only the third female MP to sit in the House of Commons since female members became legal five years previously.
Members of Parliament
The seat has sent members to Parliament since its enfranchisement by
Henry VIII. It initially sent two members; this was reduced to one in 1885.
^Great Britain, Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales.
The public general acts. unknown library. Proprietors of the Law Journal Reports, 1884. p. 167.
^"Wednesdays Telegrams". The Cornishman. No. 172. 27 October 1881. p. 5.
^"Election Intelligence: Berwick". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 30 August 1881. p. 5.
Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2017.