Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Berwick upon Tweed (UK Parliament constituency)

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County
  
Northumberland

Electorate
  
55,785 (December 2010)

Created from
  
North Northumberland

Member of parliament
  
Anne-Marie Trevelyan

Replaced by
  
North Northumberland

Population
  
75,718 (2011 census)

Created
  
1512

European Parliament constituency
  
North East England

Number of members
  
1

Party
  
Conservative Party

Berwick-upon-Tweed (UK Parliament constituency)

Berwick-upon-Tweed /ˈbɛrk əpɒn ˈtwd/ is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK parliament by an elected Member of Parliament (MP). Since 2015 this MP has been Anne-Marie Trevelyan of the Conservative Party who replaced the longest serving Liberal Democrat MP Sir Alan Beith who stood down prior to the 2015 election.

Contents

Boundaries

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.

Between 1918 and 1949 the constituency comprised Berwick upon Tweed Municipal Borough, the Urban Districts of Alnwick, Amble and Rothbury, together with the Rural Districts of Alnwick, Belford, Glendale, Norham & Islandshire and Rothbury.

Boundary review

Following the last review of parliamentary representation in Northumberland, the Boundary Commission for England made only minor changes to the existing Berwick constituency. A proposal to rename the historic seat "Berwick-upon-Tweed and Mid Northumberland" was rejected: whilst it is geographically accurate, it was thought unwieldy.

The electoral wards used to form the slightly modified constituency are:

  • The entire former district of Alnwick
  • The entire former district of Berwick-upon-Tweed
  • The former Castle Morpeth wards of Chevington, Ellington, Hartburn, Longhorsley, Lynemouth, Ulgham
  • 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. 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. The area has been notable for its Liberal members – both Sir William Beveridge (influential in the formation of the National Health Service) and Edward Grey (Foreign Secretary at the start of World War I, best remembered for the "lamps are going out all over Europe...." remark) have served this constituency.

    Sir Alan was first elected in 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.

    References

    Berwick-upon-Tweed (UK Parliament constituency) Wikipedia