Kettering (UK Parliament constituency)

Kettering is a constituency in Northamptonshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Rosie Wrighting of the Labour Party.

Constituency profile

Economically, it is predominantly middle-class, well within managerial/directorial commuter zones for London and the West Midlands. Industry continues in some sectors ranging from, for example, lingerie, food production, rigid containers, abattoirs, to the Weetabix factory in Burton Latimer, but the industrial activity of the area, as with the rest of the county, is reduced whereas the wider area's headline gross value added for the area per head has been mostly consistently higher, from £11,667 in 1997 in North Northamptonshire to £17,835.

In 2005 The Guardian described it as:

'[A] mixed industrial town in Northamptonshire with good links to London.'

Prior to 1983, the constituency had been dominated not by the eponymous town, but by the nearby industrial town of Corby. The town's general support for Labour made Kettering a reliable Labour seat, as the party won it at every election from 1945 to when Corby was split off to form its own constituency in 1983. In its current configuration Kettering is much more inclined towards the Conservatives, though Labour won it in their landslide victories in 1997, 2001 and 2024.

Boundaries

The constituency covers the major town of Kettering, the smaller towns of Desborough, Rothwell and Burton Latimer together with a number of villages. A semi-rural seat, the preponderance of constituents live in the towns and a minority of the wards form a wide array of rural communities that have civil parish or hamlet status.

1918–1950: The Urban Districts of Desborough, Kettering, and Rothwell, the Rural Districts of Brixworth, Kettering, and Oxendon, and in the Rural District of Northampton the parishes of Great Billing, Little Billing, and Weston Favell.

The constituency created in 1950 included the generally (in the late 20th century) Labour-majority industrial town of Corby until the 1983 general election, when Corby gained its own constituency.

1950–1974: The Municipal Borough of Kettering, the Urban Districts of Burton Latimer, Desborough, Corby and Rothwell, and the Rural Districts of Brixworth and Kettering.

1974–1983: The Municipal Borough of Kettering, the Urban Districts of Burton Latimer, Corby, Desborough, and Rothwell, and the Rural District of Kettering.

1983–1997: The Borough of Kettering, and the District of Daventry wards of Boughton and Pitsford, Brixworth, Clipston, Moulton, and Overstone and Walgrave.

1997–2010: The Borough of Kettering, and the District of Daventry wards of Boughton and Pitsford, Brixworth, Clipston, Guilsborough, Moulton, Overstone and Walgrave, Spratton, and Welford.

2010–2021: The Borough of Kettering.

The Boundary Commission's Fifth periodic review of Westminster constituencies proposed an additional seat in Northamptonshire due to population growth in the county. Parliament approved its recommendations for 2010 which made way for the new constituency of South Northamptonshire. The resulting boundary changes resulted in the loss of the District of Daventry wards from the Kettering constituency.

2024–present: The North Northamptonshire wards of Burton and Broughton, Corby Rural (part), Clover Hill, Desborough, Ise, Northall, Rothwell and Mawsley, Wicksteed and Windmill.

Members of Parliament

The current Member of Parliament is Rosie Wrighting of the Labour Party. She was elected in 2024 when she defeated the sitting Conservative MP, Philip Hollobone, in an election which nationally saw a landslide win for the Labour Party. Prior to Wrighting's victory, Kettering had been a predominantly safe Conservative seat since the removal of Corby in 1983, as Labour had only won it in their two landslides in 1997 and 2001, by tight margins of just 189 and 665 votes (0.3 and 1.2 percent of the vote) respectively. Her majority was by far the largest for Labour since before Corby was removed from the seat.

Election		Member	Party
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1918	Alfred Waterson	Co-operative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1922	Owen Parker	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1923	Samuel Perry	Labour Co-operative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1924	Mervyn Manningham-Buller	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1929	Samuel Perry	Labour Co-operative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1931	John Eastwood	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1940 by-election	John Profumo	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1945	Gilbert Mitchison	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1964	Geoffrey de Freitas	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1979	Bill Homewood	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1983	Roger Freeman	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1997	Phil Sawford	Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2005	Philip Hollobone	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	2024	Rosie Wrighting	Labour

Mid Northamptonshire Constituency (1885–1918)

Prior to boundary changes in 1918, at least the majority of modern-day Kettering Constituency lay within the Mid Northamptonshire constituency.

North Northamptonshire Constituency (1832–1885)

Prior to boundary changes in 1885, at least the majority of modern-day Kettering Constituency lay within the North Northamptonshire constituency, which elected two members to Parliament.

Elections

File:Kettering Election Results.png

Kettering election results 1983-2024

Elections in the 2020s

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General election 2024: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Philip Hollobone	14,189	28.2
		Crispian Besley	8,468	16.9
		Emily Fedorowycz	7,004	13.9
		Sarah Ryan	1,357	2.7
	Independent	Jim Hakewill	1,057	2.1
		Matthew Murphy	85	0.2
		Jehad Aburamadan	62	0.1
Majority			3,900	7.7
Turnout			50,231	63.3
Registered electors			Template:Ifnumber
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+20.6

Elections in the 2010s

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General election 2019: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Clare Pavitt	13,022	26.4
		Chris Nelson	3,367	6.8
		Jim Hakewill	1,642	3.3
		Jamie Wildman	1,543	3.1
Majority			16,765	33.9
Turnout			49,361	67.4
	hold		Swing	Increase 6.25

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General election 2017: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Mick Scrimshaw	18,054	36.5
		Suzanna Austin	1,618	3.3
		Rob Reeves	1,116	2.3
Majority			10,562	21.4
Turnout			49,404	69.1
	hold		Swing	Decrease 2.6

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General election 2015: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Rhea Keehn	11,877	25.2
		Jonathan Bullock	7,600	16.1
		Rob Reeves	1,633	3.5
		Chris McGlynn	1,490	3.2
		Derek Hilling	151	0.3
Majority			12,590	26.6
Turnout			47,218	67.3
	hold		Swing	+3.75

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General election 2010: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Phil Sawford	14,153	29.9
		Chris Nelson	7,498	15.8
		Clive Skinner	1,366	2.9
		Derek Hilling	952	2.0
		Dave Bishop	112	0.2
Majority			9,094	19.2
Turnout			47,328	68.8
	hold		Swing	+9.4

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2005: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Phil Sawford	22,100	39.7
		Roger Aron	6,882	12.4
		Rosemarie Clarke	1,263	2.3
Majority			3,301	5.9
Turnout			55,646	68.0
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+3.55

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General election 2001: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Philip Hollobone	23,369	43.5
		Roger Aron	5,469	10.2
		Barry Mahoney	880	1.6
Majority			665	1.2
Turnout			53,752	68.1
	hold		Swing	+0.45

Elections in the 1990s

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General election 1997: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Roger Freeman	24,461	43.0
		Roger Aron	6,098	10.7
		Arthur Smith	1551	2.7
		Rosemary le Carpentier	197	0.3
Majority			189	0.3
Turnout			56,957	75.5
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+9.9

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General election 1992: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Phil Hope	17,961	32.1
		Richard Denton-White	8,962	16.0
Majority			11,154	19.9
Turnout			56,038	82.6
	hold		Swing	−5.7

Elections in the 1980s

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General election 1987: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Celia Goodhart	15,205	29.3
		Ashley Minto	10,229	19.7
Majority			11,327	21.7
Turnout			51,196	78.8
	hold		Swing

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General election 1983: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Celia Goodhart	14,637	30.5
		Alex Gordon	10,119	21.1
Majority			8,586	17.9
Turnout			47,979	76.4

Note: The boundary changes to the seat for the 1983 election meant that this seat would have been won by the Conservatives in 1979, as parts of the seat were moved into the newly created seat of Corby which was notionally Labour on the new boundaries and thus saw William Homewood attempt (albeit unsuccessfully) to seek re-election there.

Elections in the 1970s

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General election 1979: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Rupert Allason	30,101	42.9
		G. Raven	8,424	12.0
Majority			1,478	2.1
Turnout			70,104	79.3
	hold		Swing

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General election October 1974: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		G.D. Reed	19,800	31.5
		A. James W. Haigh	12,038	19.2
Majority			11,170	17.8
Turnout			62,808	73.2
	hold		Swing

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General election February 1974: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		G.D. Reed	21,872	31.7
		A. James W. Haigh	15,393	22.3
Majority			9,787	14.2
Turnout			68,924	81.1
	hold		Swing

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General election 1970: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Charles Taylor	30,613	42.5
		A. James W. Haigh	6,695	9.3
Majority			4,190	5.8
Turnout			72,111	75.5
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

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General election 1966: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Trevor E.T. Weston	23,877	35.6
		Anthony Smith	7,903	11.8
Majority			11,460	17.0
Turnout			67,117	81.3
	hold		Swing

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General election 1964: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		J. Hedley Lewis	29,405	44.8
Majority			6,805	10.4
Turnout			65,615	81.5
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1950s

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General election 1959: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Neil Stone	29,448	47.2
Majority			3,485	5.6
Turnout			62,381	77.5
	hold		Swing

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General election 1955: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John F. Nash	25,495	44.8
Majority			5,903	10.4
Turnout			56,893	81.6
	hold		Swing

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General election 1951: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		C. Peter B. Bailey	25,777	44.2
Majority			6,827	11.6
Turnout			58,381	87.2
	hold		Swing

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General election 1950: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Gyles Isham	22,169	38.6
		Ian Morrow	4,692	8.2
		L.P. O'Connor	368	0.6
Majority			8,074	14.0
Turnout			57,472	88.1
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1940s

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General election 1945: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Profumo	23,424	42.1
	Christian Pacifist Party	John Chamberlain Dempsey	2,381	4.3
Majority			6,444	11.5
Turnout			24,530	75.1
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

The British Council commissioned a short film on the 1945 general election which portrays the contest in the Kettering constituency.

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1940 Kettering by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Workers' and Pensioners' Anti-War	W. Ross	6,616	27.0
Majority			11,298	46.0
Turnout			24,530	37.8
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1930s

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General election 1935: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		J.R. Sadler	21,042	47.9
Majority			1,843	4.2
Turnout			43,927	77.3
	hold		Swing

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General election 1931: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Samuel Perry	17,095	39.8
Majority			8,716	20.3
Turnout			42,906	85.7
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Elections in the 1920s

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General election 1929: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		J. Brown	15,469	37.1
		Cuthbert Snowball Rewcastle	7,972	19.1
Majority			2,784	6.7
Turnout			41,694	85.8
Registered electors			Template:Ifnumber
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+5.4

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General election 1924: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Samuel Perry	14,801	48.0
Majority			1,241	4.0
Turnout			30,843	84.3
Registered electors			Template:Ifnumber
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+6.3

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General election 1923: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Owen Parker	10,212	35.0
		Alfred Yeo	6,273	21.5
Majority			2,506	8.5
Turnout			29,203	81.3
Registered electors			Template:Ifnumber
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+4.8

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General election 1922: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Alfred Waterson	14,024	49.5
Majority			309	1.0
Turnout			28,357	81.0
Registered electors			Template:Ifnumber
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1910s

Template:Election box winning candidate with party linkTemplate:Election box candidate with party link coalition 1918Template:Election box end 1918

See also

• 1940 Kettering by-election
• List of parliamentary constituencies in Northamptonshire

External links

• Kettering Green Party
• Kettering Liberal Democrats
• Kettering Conservatives
• Kettering Labour Party
• Kettering UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• Kettering UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
• Kettering UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK

General election 1918: Kettering

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Algernon Ferguson	4,489	19.9
Majority			2,538	11.3
Turnout			22,549	65.1
Registered electors			Template:Ifnumber
	win (new seat)