The constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed is in the county of Northumberland. It includes as its northernmost point the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed and stretches south to include the towns of Alnwick and Amble — the Northumberland coast forms its long eastern boundary. Its length is roughly 50 miles and its area is 2,310 square kilometres. Predominantly rural in character, this constituency is the most northerly in England and is relatively sparsely populated. Between 1918 and 1949 the constituency comprised Berwick upon TweedMunicipal Borough, the Urban Districts of Alnwick, Amble and Rothbury, together with the Rural Districts of Alnwick, Belford, Glendale, Norham & Islandshire and Rothbury.
Boundary review
Following the last review of parliamentary representation in Northumberland, the Boundary Commission for England made only minor changes to the existing Berwick constituency. A proposal to rename the historic seat "Berwick-upon-Tweed and Mid Northumberland" was rejected: whilst it is geographically accurate, it was thought unwieldy. The electoral wards used to form the slightly modified constituency are:
The entire former district of Alnwick
The entire former district of Berwick-upon-Tweed
The former Castle Morpeth wards of Chevington, Ellington, Hartburn, Longhorsley, Lynemouth, Ulgham
History
Rural in nature, sparse of population and with agriculture as a major source of employment, Berwick-upon-Tweed has never elected a Labour candidate, one of two constituencies in the northeast of England not to have done so. The closest Labour have ever came to winning the seat was at the 1966 general election, where they finished just 4,373 votes behind incumbent Conservative MPAntony Lambton. It was represented by Liberal Democrat Sir Alan Beith from 1973 until his retirement in 2015, when it was gained by the Conservative candidate Anne-Marie Trevelyan. The area has been notable for its Liberal politicians – both Sir William Beveridge and Edward Grey have served this constituency. Beith was first elected at a by-election, required as a result of the resignation of the then incumbent MP Antony Lambton, who had been caught up in a scandal involving call girls, marijuana and a tabloid newspaper. In 1923, Mabel Philipson, a former music hall actress, took over the seat as a Conservative, when her husband was forced to resign. In doing so she became only the third female MP to sit in the House of Commons since female members became legal five years previously.
Members of Parliament
The seat has sent members to Parliament since its enfranchisement by Henry VIII. It initially sent two members; this was reduced to one in 1885.
