Lowestoft (LOH-(ih)-stoft, LOH-stəf) is a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Lowestoft in Suffolk. It returns one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system. It has been represented since 2024 by Jess Asato of the Labour Party.
The constituency was originally created for the 1885 general election, and abolished for the 1983 general election when it was succeeded by the constituency of Waveney. Waveney was abolished in the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, and Lowestoft re-established for the 2024 general election.
Contents
Constituency profile
Lowestoft is a constituency located in Suffolk. It is centred on the large town of Lowestoft, the United Kingdom's most easterly settlement, which has a population of around 72,000. The constituency also includes the nearby small market town of Beccles and the villages of Worlingham and Kessingland. Lowestoft was traditionally reliant on the fishing and tourism industries but is now an important centre for the energy sector, with North Sea oil, gas and offshore wind farms providing employment for the town. Like many towns on England's east coast, Lowestoft is highly-deprived, with most of it falling within the top 10% most-deprived areas in the country. Beccles and the constituency's villages have average levels of wealth. House prices are considerably lower than the East of England and nationwide averages.
Lowestoft has a large retiree population and its residents generally have low levels of education and household income. Few residents work in professional occupations and a high proportion work in the retail, manufacturing and service sectors. The percentage of residents claiming unemployment benefits is higher than average, and the constituency's child poverty rate is high. White people made up 97% of the population at the 2021 census. Most of the constituency is represented by Conservatives at the local council level, with some Labour Party councillors elected in Lowestoft town centre and Green Party representatives elected in Beccles. Voters in Lowestoft strongly supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum; an estimated 64% voted in favour of Brexit compared to the nationwide figure of 52%.
History
The "Northern or Lowestoft Division" was one of five single-member county divisions of the Parliamentary County of Suffolk created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 to replace the existing two 2-member divisions for the 1885 general election. It was formed from parts of the Eastern Division of Suffolk. It became a county constituency from the 1950 general election and was abolished for the 1983 general election, being replaced by the county constituency of Waveney.
It was more often won by the Conservative Party than not, although its representatives include two from the Liberal Party and one from the Labour Party.
Boundaries and boundary changes
Historic
The Borough of Southwold;
The Sessional Divisions of Beccles, Bungay, Lothingland, and Mutford;
Part of the Sessional Division of Blything; and
The part of the Borough of Great Yarmouth in the county of Suffolk.
As Great Yarmouth formed a separate Parliamentary Borough, only non-resident freeholders of the Borough were entitled to vote in this constituency.
The constituency established in 1885, which was formally named "The Northern or Lowestoft Division of Suffolk" (and was sometimes referred to simply as "Suffolk North"), also included the town of Halesworth and the rural areas in between.
Throughout its first existence, the Lowestoft constituency covered the North-Eastern corner of Suffolk and, although encompassing some rural areas, drew the majority of its voters from the towns of Lowestoft, a resort and fishing port, and Beccles; it also included the smaller towns of Bungay and Southwold, with its brewing interests. Southwold is now in the Suffolk Coastal constituency.
The Boroughs of Beccles, Lowestoft, and Southwold;
The Urban Districts of Bungay and Oulton Broad;
The Rural Districts of Mutford and Lothingland, and Wangford; and
The Rural District of Blything parishes of Benacre, Covehithe, Easton Bavents, Frostenden, Henstead, Reydon, South Cove, and Wrentham.
In the boundary changes of 1918, Halesworth was transferred to the neighbouring Eye division. The constituency became simply the "Lowestoft Division of East Suffolk" or East Suffolk, Lowestoft.
Current
The re-established constituency, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, is composed of the following wards of the District of East Suffolk (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
Beccles & Worlingham; Carlton & Whitton; Carlton Colville; Gunton & St. Margarets; Harbour & Normanston; Kessingland; Kirkley & Pakefield; Lothingland; Oulton Broad.
The bulk of the existing Waveney seat, including Lowestoft, Somerleyton and Beccles, was included in the re-established seat, whereas Bungay and The Saints were transferred to the newly created constituency of Waveney Valley.
Members of Parliament
MPs 1885–1983
East Suffolk prior to 1885
MPs since 2024
Waveney prior to 2024
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
* Incumbent MP for Waveney
Election results 1885–1918
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;
Liberal: Edward Beauchamp
Unionist:
Election results 1918–1950
General Election 1939–40:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;
Conservative: Pierse Loftus
Labour: A D Belden
Liberal: