The seat was created for the
1885 general election as one of two divisions of the county which succeeded
Bedfordshire county constituency and was formally known as the
Southern or Luton Division of Bedfordshire. The constituency adjoined the Northern or
Biggleswade Division to the north of the county until 1918. From the 1910s onwards the town of Luton and contiguous suburbs expanded, as recorded at the census in each decade, resulting in expanding electorates. This resulted in territory loss to newly formed seats in 1918 and 1950 and further population growth (coupled with a programme of new housing principally under the
New Towns Act 1946) justified abolition and division into East and West seats in 1974.
Political summary Before 1945 The seat was
Liberal-candidate held for 40 of the 46 years before 1931. The remaining six years had been won by
Conservative and Unionist Party candidates, running under the emphasis of the party as 'Unionist'. In 1931, the sitting Liberal MP,
Leslie Burgin, joined the Liberal Nationals (later the
National Liberal Party).
After 1945 In the
election landslide of 1945, the seat was won by the
Labour Party, but recaptured at the next election by
Charles Hill who served as a National Liberal, in coalition with the Conservatives, from 1950 until 1963, when he was made a
life peer (Baron Hill of Luton). The resulting by-election was won by Labour which held it until 1970 when it was taken by the Conservative Party until the seat was abolished for the
February 1974 general election.
Electorate size The electorate rose through house-building from a relatively modest 37,051 in 1918 to an over-sized (
malapportioned) 95,227 in 1945. In 1950 the electorate of the curtailed seat was 56,569; this rose to 62,457 in 1970, after which the seat was abolished, as recommended by the
Boundary Commission, as set out in its
Second Periodic Review of Westminster Constituencies. ==Boundaries and boundary changes==