Parliamentary representation from Bedfordshire
# Parliamentary representation from Bedfordshire

The historic county of Bedfordshire, located in the 21st century region of East of England, was represented in Parliament from the 13th century. This article provides a list of constituencies constituting the Parliamentary representation from Bedfordshire.

In 1889 Bedfordshire became an administrative county and in 1974 much the same area became a shire county. Luton became a unitary authority in 1997, but it remains part of the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire.

The first part of this article covers the constituencies wholly or predominantly within the area of the historic county of Bedfordshire, both before and after the administrative changes of 1889 and 1974. The second part refers to constituencies mostly in another historic county, which included some territory from the historic county of Bedfordshire (if any). The summaries section only refers to the constituencies included in the first section of the constituency list.

## List of constituencies

Article names are followed by (UK Parliament constituency). The constituencies which existed in 1707 were those previously represented in the Parliament of England.

Key to abbreviations:

* (Type) BC Borough constituency, CC County constituency.
* (Administrative County in Notes) B historic/administrative/shire/ceremonial county of Bedfordshire.

### Constituencies wholly or predominantly in the historic county

| Constituency | Type | From | To | MPs | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Bedford | BC (1295-1918) | 1295 | 1983 | 2 (1295-1654) | B |
| Bedford | BC (1295-1918) | 1295 | 1983 | 1 (1654–1659) | B |
| Bedford | BC (1295-1918) | 1295 | 1983 | 2 (1659–1885) | B |
| Bedford | BC (1295-1918) | 1295 | 1983 | 1 (1885–1983) | B |
| Bedford | CC (1918–1983) | 1295 | 1983 | 1 (1885–1983) | B |
| Bedford | BC (1997-*) | 1997 | * | 1 (1997-*) | B |
| Bedfordshire | CC | 1290 | 1885 | 2 (1290-1654) | B |
| Bedfordshire | CC | 1290 | 1885 | 5 (1654–1659) | B |
| Bedfordshire | CC | 1290 | 1885 | 2 (1659–1885) | B |
| Mid Bedfordshire | CC | 1918 | * | 1 | B |
| North Bedfordshire | CC | 1983 | 1997 | 1 | B |
| North East Bedfordshire | CC | 1997 | * | 1 | B |
| South Bedfordshire | CC | 1950 | 1983 | 1 | B |
| South West Bedfordshire | CC | 1983 | * | 1 | B |
| Biggleswade | CC | 1885 | 1918 | 1 | B |
| Luton | CC (1885–1950) | 1885 | 1974 | 1 | B |
| Luton | BC (1950–1974) | 1885 | 1974 | 1 | B |
| Luton East | BC | 1974 | 1983 | 1 | B |
| Luton North | CC (1983–1997) | 1983 | * | 1 | B: Including North Luton 1983-1997 |
| Luton North | BC (1997-*) | 1983 | * | 1 | B: Including North Luton 1983-1997 |
| Luton South | BC | 1983 | * | 1 | B |
| Luton West | BC | 1974 | 1983 | 1 | B |

### Constituencies mostly in another historic county

| Constituency | Type | From | To | MPs | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |

### Periods constituencies represented

| | 1290–1295 | 1295–1885 | 1885–1918 | 1918–1950 | 1950–1974 | 1974–1983 | 1983–1997 | 1997–* |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Bedford | | 1295–1983 | 1295–1983 | 1295–1983 | 1295–1983 | 1295–1983 | | 1997–* |
| Bedfordshire | 1290–1885 | 1290–1885 | | | | | | |
| Mid Bedfordshire | | | | 1918–* | 1918–* | 1918–* | 1918–* | 1918–* |
| North Bedfordshire | | | | | | | 1983–1997 | |
| North East Bedfordshire | | | | | | | | 1997–* |
| South Bedfordshire | | | | | 1950–1983 | 1950–1983 | | |
| South West Bedfordshire | | | | | | | 1983–* | 1983–* |
| Biggleswade | | | 1885–1918 | | | | | |
| Luton | | | 1885–1974 | 1885–1974 | 1885–1974 | | | |
| Luton East | | | | | | 1974–1983 | | |
| Luton North | | | | | | | 1983–* | 1983–* |
| Luton South | | | | | | | 1983–* | 1983–* |
| Luton West | | | | | | 1974–1983 | | |

## Summaries

### Summary of Constituencies by Type and Period

| Type | 1290 | 1295 | 1654 | 1659 | 1885 | 1918 | 1950 | 1974 | 1983 | 1997 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Borough | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| County | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Total | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 |

### Summary of Members of Parliament by Type and Period

| Type | 1290 | 1295 | 1654 | 1659 | 1885 | 1918 | 1950 | 1974 | 1983 | 1997 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Borough | - | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| County | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Total | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
