Ipswich

Constituency profile

The Ipswich constituency is located in Suffolk and covers most of the large town of Ipswich, excluding some outer suburbs. Ipswich is a historic town based around the Port of Ipswich, which dates back to the 7th century. Ipswich is an important commercial centre for the largely agricultural county of Suffolk, and is the county's largest town. The constituency contains the main campus of the University of Suffolk, which has around 14,000 students. The constituency has high levels of deprivation, particularly in the centre and west of the town. The north and east of the town have higher levels of wealth; the suburb of California is especially affluent. House prices in the constituency are lower than the national average and considerably lower than the rest of the East of England.

In general, residents of the constituency are young and have low levels of education and homeownership. Household income is below average. Few residents work in professional occupations and a high proportion work in healthcare. White people made up 83% of the population at the 2021 census, an identical figure to the country as a whole. Ipswich is the only place in Suffolk to be represented by Labour Party councillors at the county council. At the borough council, most seats in the constituency are also represented by the Labour Party except the more affluent eastern suburbs, which elected Conservatives. An estimated 57% of voters in Ipswich supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the nationwide figure of 52%.

History

The constituency was created as Parliamentary Borough in the fourteenth century, returning two MPs to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then to the House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and from 1801 to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. The constituency's parliamentary representation was reduced to a single seat with one MP under the Representation of the People Act 1918. Prior to the 1983 general election, when north-western areas were transferred to the Central Suffolk constituency, the Parliamentary and Municipal/County Boroughs were the same

Before the Reform Act 1832, the franchise in Ipswich was in the hands of the Ipswich Corporation and the Freemen. Ipswich was seen as a partisan seat with active Blue (Tory inclined) and Yellow (Whig inclined) factions dominating elections for both Parliament and the corporation and comparatively rare split tickets of one Whig and one Tory being returned to Parliament, although the identification of the local parties with national parties could at times be very blurred. In the mid eighteenth century the constituency had an electorate of around 700, which was a middle sized borough by the standards of the time – and a reputation of a borough that was likely to offer stiff opposition to government favoured candidates.

Ipswich is a marginal seat, having changed hands eleven times since its creation as a single-member constituency in 1918. It has generally been favourable to Labour Party candidates, who succeeded at every postwar general election since the end of World War II except 1970, February 1974, 1987, 2010, 2015 and 2019. It was traditionally won by either party by fairly small margins; however, from 1997 until being gained by the Conservative Party in 2010, Labour won the contests with safer margins, and after the Conservatives increased their majority in 2015, Labour regained the seat in 2017 only to lose it again in 2019 when the Conservative candidate got more than half the votes cast when there were more than two candidates for the first time since 1918. This was turned around in 2024 when Labour won the seat once again with a healthy majority of 16.8%

Ipswich was the only seat won by a Labour candidate at the 2017 general election from a total of seven seats in Suffolk, the others being retained by Conservatives and more rural in comparison to Ipswich. Martin's 2017 election victory was one of thirty net gains made by the Labour Party.

Boundaries

The present-day constituency consists of most of the Borough of Ipswich, with the exception of the Castle Hill, Whitehouse and Whitton wards.

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.

Following a revision of the Borough of Ipswich wards, the constituency gained a small area from Central Suffolk and North Ipswich.

The 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies left the boundaries unchanged.

Members of Parliament

Freemen belonging to the Ipswich Corporation were entitled to elect two burgesses to the Parliament of England from the fourteenth century which continued uninterrupted after the parliament united with Scotland and Ireland, only becoming a single member constituency in 1918.

MPs 1832–1918

During the period between 1835 and 1842 there were five elections and all were found to have been corrupt. After the 1835 election, Dundas and Kelly were unseated on the charge of bribery. After the 1837 election, Tufnell was unseated on a scrutiny. Gibson, who was elected in 1838, resigned. Cochrane was elected in 1839, after which a petition was presented complaining of gross bribery – it was not progressed because a general election was expected. After the 1841 election, Wason and Rennie were unseated, being declared guilty of bribery by their agents.

Elections

Elections in the 2000s

Following the death of Jamie Cann on 15 October 2001, a by-election was held on 22 November 2001.

Elections in the 1910s

Change of vote share and swing calculated from the December 1910 party ticket vote.

General election 1914/15:

Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

Unionist: John Ganzoni

Liberal: Daniel Ford Goddard

Independent Labour: Robert Jackson (not supported by Labour Party HQ)

Elections in the 1880s

Caused by the 1885 election being declared void on account of bribery.

Caused by Cobbold's death.

Elections in the 1870s

Caused by Cobbold's death.

Elections in the 1840s

Caused by the earlier by-election being declared void on petition, due to bribery by Cuffe's and Gladstone's agents, on 30 July 1842.

Caused by the general election result being declared void on petition, due to bribery by Wason's and Rennie's agents, on 25 April 1842

Elections in the 1830s

Caused by Gibson's defection to the Whigs.

Tufnell was later unseated on petition, and Kelly was returned in his place

Caused by the 1835 election being declared void on petition

Elections in the 1820s

After a successful electoral petition, Dundas and Mackinnon were declared elected.

Figures are shown pre and post scrutiny. After a successful electoral petition, Haldimand and Barrett-Lennard were declared elected.

Elections in the 1810s

Figures are shown pre and post scrutiny.

Elections in the 1800s

Caused by the death of Charles Crickitt

Elections in the 1780s

By election called after the election of John Cator was declared void

Elections in the 1760s

Called when Vernon became a Commissioner for Trade and Plantations

Elections in the 1750s

Called on the death of Samuel Kent

Called on the death of Edward Vernon

Unusually the Yellows supported in Edward Vernon an identifiable Tory and critic of the Whig government. The Blues meanwhile supported Samuel Kent and Richard Lloyd, both supporters of the Whig government. Although Lloyd would later withdraw before that point it had proved an expensive contest for Vernon.

Elections in the 1730s

Called on death of Francis Negus

Called on William Thompson becoming a judge

Elections in the 1720s

By-election called on William Thompson being made a Baron of the Exchequer

Elections in the 1710s

By-election called on William Churchill winning a government contract for stationery and resigning his seat as an office of profit to the crown. Instead of seeking re-election he stood in favour of his son in law Francis Negus.

By-election called on William Thompson becoming Solicitor General

Successfully overturned through an electoral petition and Richardson and Bridgeman installed as MPs.

Elections in the 1700s

Called on the death of Henry Poley

Elections in the 1680s

Caused by Peyton Ventris becoming a Justice of the Common Pleas