Welcome to the Association's Web Site, we intend to use it as a communication vehicle for our MP, Councillors, and Members. We propose to update it in a timely way. SWBCA is the body responsible for the administration of the Parliamentary Constituency of South West Bedfordshire on behalf of the Conservative Party. The aims of SWBCA are to further the representation of Conservative values in South West Bedfordshire by promoting the election of Conservative Candidates in all the political forums represented within the Parliamentary Consistency.

Carole Hegley

Site Editor

South West Bedfordshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.

As with all constituencies of the UK Parliament, it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.

The serving Member since 2001 is Conservative Andrew Selous, who succeeded Conservative David Madel. Andrew Selous has been re-elected four times: in 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2017.

The constituency was created in 1983, mostly from the former seat of South Bedfordshire. It was represented by Sir David Madel, a Conservative, from its creation until his retirement in 2001; the seat has been held by a Conservative for a number of elections, with impressive majorities although in the 1997 general election, the Labour Party's candidate cut David Madel's majority from 21,273 to just 132.

The present Conservative MP for the seat, Andrew Selous, won the seat in 2001, when he managed to increase the party's majority, but only just: this increased somewhat more substantially each time in 2005 and 2010, ultimately to more than 16,000. The 2010 election also saw the second-placed candidate's party change, to the Liberal Democrats, similar to the results of 1983 and 1987, when this was the joint platform for R. Byfield and J.R. Burrow respectively, the (SDP-Liberal Alliance).

South West Bedfordshire constituency comprises;

Dunstable Central, Icknield, Manshead, Northfields, Watling wards

Leighton Buzzard North, South and Linslade wards

Houghton Regis Parkside, Tythe Farm and Houghton Hall wards

Eaton Bray, Heath & Reach, Caddington wards

The above wards fall under the Local Authority of Central Bedfordshire Council.

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